I would definitely pay a subscription for windows 12 if hell froze over and it was the only operating system on Earth. I have very little experience with Linux, limited entirely to my steam deck, and it certainly hasn't been awful. It isn't what most of us are used to but it's not like it's completely insane and unusable.

This is good news for everyone.

Windows was kind of cool until Windows XP (Windows 2000 was also really good), because at the time you felt like you had software where you could see that lots of engineering went into it, and most importantly that you could feel you owned (EULA-aside obviously): you pay once for the license and it's done, the OS is immediately usable. Recent Windows versions went through enshittification and Microsoft now harasses you from time to time to join their online services. Even on the first boot you immediately get harassed to create a Microsoft account and allow them to use your data, and you need to say no many times. Microsoft still makes you feel like you aren't done paying.

It's frankly hilarious how Microsoft is killing its own product. Windows went from something that used to be good and felt like a real software engineering product (Windows 2000 and XP) to something now that feels like a sketchy malware-infused phone app.

Hello Linux my old friend..........

They can't even consistently get people to pay for one time and they're expecting a subscription? Lol they're massively out of touch.

I would assume that the subscription they found is similar to existing subscription models for enterprise like E5, which includes Windows 11. I doubt this will get to the consumer level.

That will be the final kick in the pants I need to switch to QubesOS. How much fucking money do they actually need?

If they do this. I'm going to use WINE on QubesOS...but then again. If the only penalty for not paying is ads, there's going to be ways of blocking those.

Ha! They can blow me all the way to my full Linux conversion at that point.

How to lose marketshare speedrun?

I have been using computers since before there was an internet. I have used DOS and now Windows 10. Is there a good place to learn about Linux with a GUI and which one I should purchase? I'm so tired of M$.

Edit: I am primarily a PC gamer that uses Steam and this is what has kept me from using another OS in the past.

I'm probably going to get flammed for this, so let me just say I'm already a Linux user.

We need to cool our jets here. Windows 12 isn't even confirmed yet, and there's no proof that it will require a subscription. That being said, a subscription service isn't necessarily a bad thing if it will allow users to have access to features they need, or replace other existing subscription services like xbox game pass, cloud storage, media, etc...

Subscriptions need to fuck off. I made a stand a few months ago. I will not subscribe to anything at all unless i'm getting INSANE value.

Cancelled streaming, random apps, patreon etc. I now have usenet and backblaze b2 for about £3 a month each. Saving me a fortune 🏴‍☠️🦜

I L O L from Linux.

I've seen some people saying that there's no way Microsoft is this stupid. Some really, really, really obviously bad choices (see: Wizards of the Coast's OGL debacle) have been made because MBAs got greedy and convinced themselves it would be fine. I find it hard to believe that Microsoft would fuck up this badly, but it's not out of the spectrum of possibility. What I think is more likely is that this is one of those 'leaks' where they're testing the public reaction, like when Wizards leaked the changes to the OGL via journalists. Hopefully (or not, if you're a Linux fan) Microsoft plays it smarter than Wizards, because Wizards saw the immense public backlash, gave the sorriest corporate half apology ever, and then proceeded to double down, and it blew up in their face big time.

I don't think this is anyway a serious option. They aren't idiots.

If only Photoshop and After Effects worked on Linux / Wine I wouldve switched long ago..

Microsoft please make the default OS a subscription. I want what happened to Reddit+Lemmy+etc to happen to Windows+Linux