Microsoft Is Driving Me Away, is it finally time to move to Linux?
I want Windows to be boring again.
Not “stuck in the past” boring. Not “no innovation allowed” boring. I mean boring in the best way: fast, stable, predictable, privacy-respecting, and completely out of my way.
For years, that was the deal. Windows was the default because it worked. Drivers were there. Peripherals behaved. Games launched. Weird niche apps ran. You didn’t have to treat your operating system like a hobby.
But somewhere along the way, Microsoft stopped acting like Windows is a product you use… and started acting like it’s a platform to monetize.
And honestly, 2025 made it weirdly hard to be a Microsoft fan.
“They are cramming AI into every part of their products trying to see what sticks and where they can drive revenue.”
“None of the moves feel user centered, and none feel privacy focused.”
“Everything that used to make Microsoft fun to follow has vanished in favor of AI and enshittification.”
The vibe has shifted from “make a great product” to “extract value from the product you already use”. Somewhere along the line Microsoft decided that the decline of Windows was inevitable and decided to double down on bleeding every ounce of value out of the IP for its shareholders.
Seeing things like this pop up in my feed doesnt help!!
Copilot isn’t an assistant anymore, it’s a storefront
This week’s example is almost too perfect: Microsoft is now putting buy buttons directly inside Copilot, via a feature called Copilot Checkout, so you can make purchases without leaving the chat. (The Verge)
If you love AI shopping assistants, maybe that sounds convenient. But it’s also a flashing neon sign telling you what the priority is.
When your operating system vendor is turning its assistant into a checkout lane, it raises a simple question:
Is this still being built for me, or is it being built for my wallet?
And the bigger issue is not “one feature”. It’s the pattern.
Windows 11 is starting to feel like a product demo that never ends
I’m not here to pretend Windows is unusable. I work in IT. I use Microsoft tools constantly. In the business context, Microsoft has some genuinely excellent platforms.
But the consumer side, especially Windows, increasingly feels like it’s being pulled away from what made it great.
- Too many “helpful” features that are really just defaults you have to fight
- Too many changes that arrive whether you asked or not
- Too little control over what gets surfaced, promoted, installed, enabled, or suggested
Even Windows-focused outlets have been pretty blunt about how 2025 went, with complaints about bugs, unwanted features, and user trust taking a hit. (Windows Central)
And you can see the demand building for an “official lightweight Windows” that just nails the basics, because a lot of people miss that version of Windows. (TechRadar)
That’s the irony. The best compliment I can give Windows is also the thing I miss most:
Windows was at its best when you forgot it was there.
Xbox is drifting into Windows… so what’s left of “Microsoft consumer” anyway?
Here’s where it gets existential for me as a long-time Microsoft fan.
Xbox used to feel like the consumer counterweight. A console ecosystem with its own identity, its own platform energy, its own vibe.
But Xbox is increasingly moving toward a world where Windows is the center of gravity, especially as Microsoft tries to pull more PC gamers into the Xbox orbit and push “play anywhere” as the long-term story. (Yahoo Finance)
We’re hearing more and more about a future where Xbox hardware remains “core”, but the strategy shifts toward being more platform-agnostic and more closely tied to Windows. (Windows Central)
So if Windows is becoming more ad-like and AI-first, and Xbox is becoming more Windows-like, then as a consumer who likes Microsoft stuff… where do you go?
For me, the answer is becoming obvious.
I’m already halfway there, open source is creeping into my life
At home, I’m already a dabbler.
Home automation. Self-hosting. Tinkering with services that I control. Choosing tools because they’re good, not because they’re the default.
And that’s the shift. I still use Microsoft constantly at work, because it makes sense for the environment and the ecosystem. But at home, the appeal of open source keeps growing because it feels like the opposite of what Windows is turning into:
- more control
- fewer dark patterns
- less noise
- a stronger sense that the product is for the user
Which brings me to the question I’ve asked myself a dozen times over the years: Is it finally time to switch to Linux?
How does the new Steam Machine stack up against the Xbox Series X and PS5?
The new Steam Machine looks roughly on par with a PS5 in raw performance and sits below the Xbox Series X in GPU grunt. Its real strengths are PC flexibility, SteamOS and the new controller. Its biggest question marks are the 8 GB VRAM on the GPU, media app support and whatever price Valve eventually…
No more Xbox consoles….maybe, maybe not!
The future of Xbox is shifting from hardware-centric to a focus on software and services, emphasizing a subscription-based model with Game Pass and cloud gaming. Amidst uncertain next-gen hardware plans and increased retail pullback, Microsoft aims to expand its ecosystem across multiple platforms while potentially raising prices for subscribers.
Xbox Ally vs the handheld field: price, power, and what you actually get
If you have been waiting to see what the Xbox take on a handheld PC would look like, this is the moment to judge it against the rest of the field.
Twice the bits 
Leave a comment