I have several computers around the house.  One is a mini computer media center for my big screen projector running on Windows 11. Another is an old Dell desktop computer that I put in my garage to act as a media center, run a laser engraver and cnc machine running Windows 10. The third computer is a Mac Mini M1 computer that I run in my sun room/office.  One thing I don't have is a notebook computer.

I bought a used Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon Gen 6 i7

After careful consideration of my options I decided to buy a used Lenovo laptop computer. There are a ton of used ones available and the build quality is what some say are better than new cheap laptops. They are easy to upgrade and parts are available. The only minor problem buying used is that the battery may be somewhat worn out and maybe the SSD drive capacity may be a bit weak. So with that I bought my laptop from Ebay for  $155.00. 

As I said before, the SSD drive capacity and battery may be a bit weak. Not a problem because both can be had for a reasonable amount of money. I bought the SSD drive for about $60.00 and the battery for about $25.00.  Linux is free so I'm all in at about for about $240.00. I might add that the laptop I bought said it did not come with Windows on it. But when I got it, it did have Windows 11 on it. After  replacing the SSD drive I do have a copy on the old drive.  Follow the Links:

• Ebay - Used Laptop link
• Amazon - New Battery
• Amazon - New Large Capacity SSD

Top Reasons to Use Linux

This brings me to why Linux? Linux has been around for decades and in the past I have tried to use it. For the most part it worked great. The main issue was the lack of apps. But since then, things have changed. So here are my reasons for moving away from Windows.

Privacy

Windows 11 is embedding AI that monitors everything you do on your computer. Maybe I'm just being paranoid but I don't trust Bill Gates or Microsoft with my personal information. For more of a deep dive, click the following links:

• Windows Privacy Issues
• YouTube - Windows 11 Privacy Issues

No More Bloat Ware

This has been a major gripe I have had with Windows from day one of it's inception. Seems like every time Windows comes out with a new version you have to either upgrade your computer of buy a new one. Plus the fact that the install procedure is painfully slow and tedious. Deep Dive Bloat Ware Link. There are quite a lot of perfectly fine computers that will not run Windows 11 but will run Linux just fine.

Linux Has Matured

Linux is not the old Linux of the past. Linux has a ton of apps that rival paid software and is a breeze to install when compared with Windows. Deep Dive Linux Matured Link

Linux Can Do Windows Apps

One of the things that kept me from moving to Linux in the past was that there were a few apps that I either bought or were only available in Windows. That has changed with a Linux app called Bottles that allows you to create a Windows environment that can run those apps. Deep Dive Linux Bottles Link.

A Wide Variety of Distros

Another issue is the graphic user interface for Linux did not look like Windows or Mac which is a bit of limiting factor for most people. Now Linux has a huge number of Distributions that provide a wide variety of usability. Deep Dive List of Linux Distros Link.

Zorin Looks A Lot Like Windows

The Zorin core distribution has several window layouts with the main one looking a lot like Windows 10. There is also a paid Pro version that can also mimic a Mac. Deep Dive Zorin Link.

If this isn't enough here are the Top 20 Reasons To Use Linux Link.

Zorin Installation

The Zorin installation is fairly quick and easy compared to Windows.  After you install it there is a software install app that works similarly to Window app store. From there you can look at and install Linux apps. Try the following links

• Amazon Thumb Drive
• Zorin Installation Instructions

Closing Remarks

I'm going to give Zorin a try but so far I am really liking it.  I have successfully installed the Windows apps that I paid for and they seem to run just fine. I used my notebook to create this blog post. At some point, if the notebook computer works out, I may move my other windows computers to Linux.  If you have questions about this, post your comment below.