I think the ends are digital freedom, freedom from vendor lock-in, ling-term cost savings, control over hardware and software, etc.... However, the heaviest costs include inconvenience and time. I think these are the two things high on the priority list for many users. It is also important to remember that people are pretty locked into their OS eco-systems and might not know how to get out. E.g. a user using Windows has a lot of stuff in the Windows cloud. An apple user has even more locked into the Apple cloud. Not to mention the dependency on proprietary apps like Adobe. I know a few people and organizations who have chosen to pay Microsoft a fee for extended support to run Windows 10 because they cannot or do not want to upgrade to Windows 11 and refuse to just install Linux to get out of that loop. When consumers buy a computer, the vast majority of the options comes with Windows preinstalled. Or they can go to the Apple store and buy a Mac with software installed. Linux takes time to either shop for a computer with Linux or to install themselves. I think many people do think they have the time to do that and the long-term benefits do not outweigh the short-term pain for them. Convenience is king in our society. It is also important to understand the monopoly. Many workplaces use Windows and force employees to use it as well. Education systems use Windows or sometimes Mac and force students to use it in order to use specific apps. People grew up on Microsoft or Mac with no choice or knowledge of options. The question is can that thinking be changed or is the convenience factor too strong? I do have hope that education could be a changing factor along with the growing frustrations against big tech companies like Microsoft and their products. On Friday, July 24, 2026 at 10:40:15 a.m. EDT, William Park via Talk <talk@lists.gtalug.org> wrote: No, they are not. They drive car, without understanding heat cycles. They just don't know what to do with Linux. Linux is means, but to what end? They would be fine with Mac, if price is right. -- On 2026-07-23 16:57, Howard Gibson via Talk wrote:
My thinking is that people are intimidated by computers.
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