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ZDNET's key takeaways
Modern Linux distros have gotten easier to install.
You're most likely to succeed with standard x86-based hardware.
Be prepared to copy and paste lots of commands into a terminal window.
Switching to Linux used to be difficult, but not anymore. No less an authority than ZDNET's own Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols said so recently: "Is Linux easy to use? Yes! The days when you had to be a tech wizard to run Linux are long over. If you can run Windows, you can run Linux."
I've even recommended installing Linux as one possible option for anyone who wants to keep using a PC that Microsoft says is too old to upgrade to Windows 11 and that no longer supports Windows 10.
Also: How to upgrade your 'incompatible' Windows 10 PC to Windows 11 - for free
So, in the interest of science, I decided to try for myself. Not to make some dramatic platform shift, but to identify the kind of issues you, dear reader, are likely to run into if you attempt to migrate away from the familiarity of a Windows PC (or Mac) to Linux.
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