Nathan Edwards, in a Verge article titled “I replaced Windows with Linux and everything’s going great1“, writes:
First challenge: My mouse buttons don’t work. I can move the cursor, but can’t click on anything. I try plugging in a mouse (without unplugging the first one), same deal. Not a major issue; I can get around fine with just the keyboard.
“Not a major issue.”
As a computer nerd, I get the appeal of trying an alternative OS and I’m sure Linux in particular has gotten better over the years, but framing replacing Windows with Linux as basically frictionless does a disservice to readers when, under most circumstances and for most people, it’s anything but. This is a perfect example of the kind of “kid gloves” coverage I’ve criticized The Verge for previously. The site goes easy on some project or product out of a bias toward novelty or a fear of punching down. I’m not arguing Nathan should be particularly harsh toward CachyOS, especially since this wasn’t a review. He absolutely should write about the fun and benefits of trying an alternative OS, but he should also address the downsides in a way that doesn’t sugar coat them.
- I’ve considered the possibility that the title is sarcastic and that the whole post is satire, but I really don’t think it is. Edwards’s other posts don’t read to me as satire and the conclusion to this post seems quite earnest: “I’m sure I’ll run into plenty of fun problems soon enough. But the first few days have been great.” ↩