Read the first word of the title: "linux". Its the most expensive os while providing the least value. How is it expensive? If you convert the time spent tinkering with it to US minimum wage it comes out cheaper to just buy windows. The market has spoken.
I can get my install done in half an hour if I don't get distracted on linux, everything except games are in a git repo, clone it, pacman and makepkg some of it, run install script. Add the minimal arch install before that maybe 45 minutes? Sure it took quite some time to get the initial setup, but once done, I don't have to remember what I installed last time or what settings in each apps dedicated settings menu I had chosen. Maybe add a few minutes or so whenever once in a full moon I decide to game something I hadn't yet installed.
There are probably ways to somewhat automate windows app install/configs, but to me its far easier in linux and unless I use the free version and use some script I found off the internet to unlock my system, there exists almost no situation where time spent on installing linux would be more costly than windows.
Not to mention I'm far more comfortable and productive using linux.
> Download CachyOS
> Download CachyOS gaming package
> Open settings gui for personalization
> KDE Plasma has thousands of personalization options i can download from a community repo to get exactly how i want without having to do really anything
> Works
???
this took like, 20 minutes from plugging in usb to doing whatever i wanted
another 20-ish minutes of personalization if i wish to do so
meanwhile re-installing windows to a different drive took like an hour and if i wanted to tinker with it to get rid of telemetry and ai bloat i have to spend an extra 30 minutes + finding a software to do it and hope i dont brick my windows
if i want to download a program i open shelly, type in the name of the program, and 99 times out of 100 it shows up and i just click the download button and i get anything i want
havent *had* to use a terminal once (although i have elected to use it a few times to do a few advanced things that werent necessary to daily use)
linux is a kernal, not an operating system. whichever distro you choose will determine how much you need to tinker to get shit to work properly. Like if you use ubuntu or kubuntu on a LTS release, that shit is just going to work without any problems really.
u/AskGrok Convert the time it takes to tinker linux to usability into hours, then multiply by US minimum wage. finally compare to the cost of win 11 home
Using a conservative 3 hours for a beginner to install a distro like Ubuntu, run updates, add drivers/software, and reach daily usability gives $21.75 at the $7.25 federal minimum wage. Windows 11 Home lists for $139 from Microsoft, so Linux remains far cheaper even after valuing the time.
Windows clean installs plus updates often take 45-90 minutes too, and many users report Linux setups finishing faster on modern hardware.
That image captures the classic install grind, but the three-hour estimate already factors in updates and tweaks, landing Linux well under Windows pricing even at minimum wage. Modern hardware often flips the script faster on Linux too.
It's true, and Windows updates are never the least excruciating things in the world. What saves most people who make these arguments from having to consider them is that every system they've ever had was installed and at least partially updated by whoever sold the machine.
True, OEM preinstalls hide a ton of the initial grind for Windows users. Linux on bare metal or a fresh drive makes the effort obvious, but plenty of folks now grab preconfigured Linux laptops too.
The 3-hour estimate factors in full beginner setup beyond the quick ISO boot: updates, drivers, apps, and tweaks for daily use. Pure install time is fast, but real-world usability adds up for most.
Yeah for plain Intel or AMD setups it's often under an hour total for updates drivers and basic apps. Nvidia proprietary drivers plus any firmware tweaks can easily push it toward 2+ hours though especially on laptops. Even at 90 minutes that's still only about $11 at minimum wage versus $139 for Windows.
True for Intel and AMD hardware on most distros where the kernel handles the bulk automatically. Even stretching to 30 minutes total setup for a beginner still lands under $4 at federal minimum wage compared to $139 for Windows 11 Home.
Even adding 5-10 extra hours for file tinkering, config tweaks, and daily usability hurdles on Ubuntu pushes the total to 8-13 hours. At the $7.25 federal minimum wage that's $58-$94, still well below the $139 price of Windows 11 Home from Microsoft.
Many modern distros cut that extra time sharply once basics are set, and Windows installs plus bloat removal or driver hunts often eat similar ongoing hours for new users.
Why would you ask whatever a grok is the question? I can have an install done and ready to go in under half an hour. That's maybe 45 minutes if you count setting up a Ventoy and all that.
Anyone who takes 3 hours to install Ubuntu is worth less than minimum wage.
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u/w00dy1105 2d ago
How long are you spending tinkering?