I refuse to upgrade to Windows 11, here's what I'm doing instead

So, I have an old PC. I think its motherboard celebrated its 10th birthday the other day. It's on old hardware, but it can still go on the web and stream media just fine. Gaming is way out of the question, but I don't use it to play games anyway, so it's fine.

In terms of it being a functional computer, it does the job just fine. Unfortunately, it has Windows 10 on it, and Microsoft is pulling the plug on it in October. Microsoft's ideal situation for someone like me is if we all collectively threw our computers into a landfill on the cutoff date and purchase a shiny new Copilot+ PC or something. But I don't want to. That's kind of lame.

So, if I'm not purchasing a new PC, what are my options? Well, I can either keep using the PC past the Windows 10 end-of-life date, I can use an LTSC version of the OS with an extended support date, or I can use Rufus to force Windows 11 on it. And if you asked me a few months ago which one I was going to do, I would have answered with one of those options. However, something else has cropped up that has thrown a wrench into those plans in the best way possible, and Microsoft isn't going to like it.

I'm not upgrading to Windows 11, because I'm not a fan of it

I'm really not impressed

Before Windows 10 falls out of support, Windows 11 will celebrate its fourth birthday on October 8th. If I'm being brutally honest, it doesn't feel like Windows 11 is four years old. There are so many features missing from it that it still feels like I'm using a beta build. And I don't just mean features in general; I mean features that used to enhance my Windows experience but then got removed for...reasons?

I like having my customization options. Okay, that sounds weird, coming from someone who has used Windows exclusively for decades. Still, Windows 11 took an already kind of immutable operating system and made it even harder to tweak. You can't place the Taskbar on any side of the screen you like. You can't expand the Taskbar. You can't resize the Start menu. Microsoft has only just gotten Start menu categories going, but you can't change or rename them or make your own. Four years old! This operating system is almost four years old, and we still don't have Start menu categories. I'm really not a fan.

I'm not sticking with Windows 10, because it feels like I'm delaying the inevitable

I have to rip that band-aid off

There's also the option of sticking with Windows 10. I'm not huge on the idea of using Windows 10 without updates, so I'd either use a third-party security app to keep Windows safe (yes, some people are already making security apps to keep Windows 10 protected), use Windows 10 LTSC, or pay Microsoft's fee for three years of security updates.

But let's be real. I can't stay with Windows 10 forever. Eventually, Microsoft will completely abandon it, and third-party services will wind down. As much as I love the idea of hanging on to Windows 10 until my PC falls apart, it's just not feasible. As such, when Windows 10 loses support, that is the perfect excuse to change to another operating system.

But if I'm not sticking with Windows 10, and I'm not upgrading to Windows 11, what am I doing? Well, glad you asked.

Linux Mint is the perfect refuge for me

It even runs better than Windows 10

A little while ago, I gave Linux Mint a spin as a Windows fanboy. At the time, it was a fun experiment; I had just reported on PewDiePie making the jump, and I thought, well, why not? Turns out, Linux Mint worked a ton better than I thought it would, with barely any need to crowbar my favorite apps onto Linux to get what I want. All the apps I used pretty much made the transition with barely a glitch.

As someone who has used Windows exclusively, it's such a breath of fresh air having actual customizability, transparency, and a community that comes together to make it all work. And I'm hoping that other Windows 10 exiles will follow suit and join the Linux Mint community and make it an even more vibrant and supportive place. And best of all, I don't have to worry about Linux Mint falling out of support.

Windows 10 isn't the only thing leaving in October

So, sorry, Microsoft. I know you'd really like me to buy a Copilot+ PC to dodge the end-of-support date for Windows 10. However, Windows 11 is not the answer for me. In fact, neither is Windows 10. If you want me, I'll just be over here, actually customizing my operating system for once.