Over the past few weeks, I’ve read a number of different articles that “want to declare” – without actually having come out and said it – that 2026 is going to be a break out year for Linux.  In fact, if Microsoft plays its cards as it has been, they’re going to drive literally hundreds of thousands – if not a million or more – users from Windows 10 directly into the hands of a few very Windows-like Linux distros, obviously, without intending to.  If you’ve been following The iTechGear Weekly since Windows 10 officially died in October 2025 (unless you jump on the ESU program), you’ll know that I’ve been publishing a number of different articles on finding the best looking Linux Distributions and how to create a dual or multi-boot PC of Distros.

There are a number of different reasons why taking your existing Windows 10 PC and either wiping it completely and installing a Linux Distro on it, OR building a dual or multi-boot PC with a decent Linux distribution – or two.  In fact, there’s more than one.  Just as there are more than one compelling Linux distro currently driving all of the movement from Windows (either Win11 or Win10).

So, many of the articles I’m anecdotally citing have indicated that there are three primary,  current and actively supported Linux distros on the market today that are getting most of the Linux-Love generated by Windows 10’s recent permanent demise.  Specifically, these distros are easy to maintain, very Windows-like, and offer switchers a familiar environment and computing experience, to name just a few, and make switching from Windows to Linux, as I mentioned, well… easy.

ZorinOS, Linux Mint and Winux are truly awesome.  You’ll also find that the reasons are numerous, compelling, and rather persuasive.  In fact, there are at least 10.  So, without much further ado, here are 10 compelling reasons, tied back to those three distros, for picking one and jumping into the deep end of the Linux pool with both feet.

1. Stay secure after Windows 10’s end-of-life

Windows 10 is now out of mainstream support, and the Extended Security Updates program is time-limited, paid and – as we learned with the very FIRST ESU release – prone to devastating bugs (just like every other Windows Update release/Patch Tuesday).

Once that ends, you are STILL on an orphaned and unsupported OS. ZorinOS, Linux Mint, and Winux are all based on actively supported Ubuntu LTS releases, which means seven to 10 years of free security updates on the same hardware you already own.

2. Avoid forced hardware upgrades

If your CPU, TPM, or motherboard does not meet Windows 11’s requirements, your only official choices are:

• • Trusting in tools like Rufus, Tiny11, and the like, to not be housing unknown malware (depending on where you get it… the tools are currently legitimate and malware free), and haven’t dropped features you’re counting on to work in a way that satisfies your workflow or use case.  They’re community-based software and
  • Pay for ESU (Extended Support Updates) on Windows 10 for a while, then
  • Buy a new PC or keep running insecure software.

Zorin OS and Linux Mint are explicitly marketed as ways to revive older PCs that cannot run Windows 11 smoothly, and they are being adopted by a lot of ex-Windows 10 users for exactly that reason.  Winux also targets modest hardware (as low as 2 GB RAM and a dual-core CPU) on top of Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (Long Term Support/Servicing).

3. Familiar desktop – minimal retraining

All three aim to look and feel “Windows-ish,” so you are not re-learning computers from scratch.

• • Zorin OS: layout presets that closely mimic Windows 10/11, complete with a taskbar, system tray, and start-menu-style launcher.
  • Linux Mint (Cinnamon): a classic desktop with a start button, taskbar, and tray that feels almost like “Windows done right.”
  • Winux: themed aggressively to look like Windows 11’s KDE-flavored doppelgänger.

If the biggest fear is “I will be lost,” these three are specifically designed to make you feel at home on day one. ZorinOS and Mint show up in many “best Linux for Windows users” lists for exactly this reason.

Winux is perhaps the MOST Windows 10/11 looking of the bunch, but has some “marketing” issues that are – at least in my personal opinion – over hyped and unreasonable.  I’ll get into those in #5, below.

4. Far fewer ads, nags, and telemetry

Modern Windows is tightly tied to paid Microsoft services.  As of 2022, Microsoft’s Marketing arm has dramatically increased their push of Microsoft 365, Copilot, and built-in advertising that seemingly hit their users with perpetual upgrade nags, increasingly aggressive data collection, and requiring multiple “are you sure” dialogs or hidden switches (for changing default apps or turning advertising or data collection off).

In contrast:

• • ZorinOS and Linux Mint ship with no built-in advertising and do not require an online account to use the machine.
  • There is no forced Microsoft Account, no lock-in to the Microsoft Store, and no baked-in AI agent surfacing in unexpected places.
  • You choose what to send (if anything) and what services to integrate.

If you are tired of being “the product,” moving to one of these distros gives you a much cleaner, affordable, and quieter environment.

5. Zero OS licensing cost and less vendor lock-in

Windows 10 ESU costs money.  Microsoft wants $30 a year over the next three years it plans to offer Extended Service Updates for Windows 10.  All you’re doing with that $90 is kicking the can/decision down the road three years.  When that three years is up, you’re going to be left with the same decision – and likely with a PC that STILL works just fine.

Switching to Windows 11 will mean buying new hardware and a license, or – if Microsoft gets its way – subscribing to Windows as a Service (either purchasing a subscription to the OS, or some kind of tool (like Citrix) to tunnel into a remote PC allowing you to run Windows remotely).  Microsoft has been teeing this up for YEARS.  Subscription based software (or a SaaS – Software as a (paid) Service) has netted them BILLIONS via Microsoft 365.  They want to do this with Windows.  Its where software sales have been going for a while.

ZorinOS, Mint, and Winux are all free to download and install. ZorinOS has a Pro edition with extra layouts and support available for $50US as of this writing, but the core system is still free.   Linux Mint is completely free to download.

As I mentioned earlier, Winux has a bit of a marketing issue with some Linux purists that I don’t really agree with.  Winux looks a great deal like Windows 11.  Some think too much, and this is part of the “marketing” issue I mentioned.   So much of Microsoft’s design language has been incorporated into Winux that folks are afraid that Microsoft may be compelled to act against it.  They have, as with Lindows back in 2001, and some feel that my cause the OS to disappear (as Lindows – later renamed to Linspire), leaving everyone in a similar space we see now with Windows 10 PCs.

This next “reason” has me very confused.  To obtain the full Winux experience, including the seamless use of some Microsoft Services that you may already be paying for, you need to purchase the Winux Power Tools.  The license is $20 USD as of this writing, and that get’s you a lifetime license.  The Power Tools gives you the following additional feature integrations:

1. 1. Win11 System Settings like Settings UI
   2. Android Subsystem – run Android apps with graphics acceleration for games
   3. OneDrive graphical UI integrated with Winux’s File Manager
   4. Copilot & ChatGPT native integration
   5. Advanced System Tools
   6. Advanced Security
   7. Optimized desktop user integrations

ZorinOS charges you $50 USD for

1. 1. Eight (8) different desktop themes inspired by macOS, Windows 11, Windows 7, ChromeOS, elementaryOS, etc.
   2. Included Professional software – advanced video editor, Photoshop-like image editor, Illustration software, audio workstation & animation software
   3. A professional MS Office compatible offices suite
   4. Productivity Tools: an Apple Continuity-lilke feature that lets you share, mouse and keyboard across devices
   5. Planify – an advanced Task Management app
   6. Network Displays app – an Apple-like AirPlay ability to cast your PC screen to wifi or Miracast compatible devices
   7. A bunch of other software they lable as “other productivity apps”
   8. Extended Installation Support

The complaints bounce between both paying for the Winux Power Tools and the MS design language issue.  While ZorinOS charges more for their Pro license – and requires you to save and protect the ISO you download, as redownloading isn’t always easy – you get the full Winux experience for less than 1/2 the price, and you get emailed a license key (that you can store and retrieve in your own email system) and reuse as often as you like.

If the issue is paying for the extra features, I think these complainers should get over it.  People pay for software all the time.  Even lifetime licenses end at some point.  Either the software stops working or the software support ends.  It’s happened to Microsoft products as well (if you bought an extra copy of Windows 7/10 Home or Pro, or bought an upgrade from Home to Pro, you know what I’m talking about…)

Get over it.  Just because you have to pay to get the “full” experience doesn’t mean the experience isn’t worth paying for.

6. Modern apps plus solid Windows-compatibility options

You are not giving up “real software.” In fact, kernel tools and standard add-ons aside, you’re going to like what you find.  Out-of-the-box you get apps like:

• • Firefox or another modern browser, LibreOffice, media players (VLC, etc.), and software centers with thousands of apps, that are just one click away
  • Steam, Proton, and other gaming tools that now run a large fraction of the Windows game library under Linux.

On top of that:

• • ZorinOS focuses heavily on Wine and Windows app compatibility and even includes features like OneDrive sync and RDP support in recent releases.
  • Mint has a very straightforward Software Manager and a big focus on “get work done” apps with minimal fuss.
  • Winux bundles Windows-like office and system tools (OnlyOffice, Edge-like browsers, etc.), aiming to feel like a Windows 11 clone. It also supports Wine for app compatibility. The OS’ Power Tools also make the desktop environment very easy to adapt to.

So for many users, you can switch and still browse, email, edit documents, and game without major disruption.  You can also download Chrome for Linux and sync into its settings as well.

7. Performance and responsiveness on older machines

Linux has a well-earned reputation for squeezing more life out of aging hardware. That is a big part of why so many Windows 10 PCs would make EXCELLENT Linux PCs.

• • ZorinOS specifically markets itself as ideal for older PCs that feel slow under Windows 10 or can’t/won’t run Windows 11.
  • Linux Mint’s Cinnamon desktop is lightweight compared to Windows 10/11, and runs very smoothly on mid-range CPUs with 4–8 GB of RAM.
  • Winux rides on an Ubuntu LTS core with modest listed requirements (2 GB RAM, dual-core), making it usable on machines that would struggle with Windows 11, or even Windows 10.

The result is a system that feels snappier and boots faster, without having to spend money on new hardware, though new, additional RAM or a larger hard drive/SSD are never wasted upgrades on repurposed hardware.

While they are not required, extra RAM makes it possible to run faster and/or run more apps; and more storage makes it possible to install more apps or store more data (obviously).

8. Updates you control – No more surprise reboots

Windows 10/11 updates can be large, disruptive, and occasionally forced at very inconvenient times.

On ZorinOS, Mint, or Winux (or any Linux distro:

• • Updates are under your control – you choose if, and when, to apply them.
  • Most updates are smaller and less likely to break your workflow.  They are also easy to manage, and many don’t require a restart
  • You can see exactly what is being updated and roll it back if necessary using snapshots (Mint, for example, integrates Timeshift).

This makes the system feel less like a service being done to you, and more like a tool you manage and use.

9. Customization and flexibility you never really had on Windows

Linux desktops let you control almost everything – panel layout, themes, window behavior, keyboard shortcuts, and more.

• • ZorinOS includes layout switchers that can instantly flip between Windows-like, macOS-like, and other views.
  • Cinnamon in Mint is famously customizable: the start menu, panel, hot corners, applets, and themes can all be tuned way beyond what Windows allows.
  • Winux’s whole pitch is “Windows 11 look, Linux power,” letting you keep that aesthetic while still having Linux under the hood.

If tweaking and theming are part of the fun for you, these environments are much more accommodating than stock Windows.

10. Sustainability and a safer path to experiment

Sticking with Windows 10 – an unsupported OS – on your older hardware means either:

• • sending a perfectly fine, working PC to a closet or landfill, or
  • running an insecure OS that will eventually be a malware magnet and an active invitation to every identity thief on the planet

Moving to ZorinOS, Mint, or Winux lets you:

• • Extend the life of the hardware you already own – with or without RAM or storage upgrades
  • Participate in an open-source ecosystem where you are not locked into one vendor.  Believe it or not, you can use one, some or all of these three on the same PC if you wish.
  • Using a multi-boot setup – at least initially – will help you find and comfortably  migrate to the OS that you like the most, and more appropriately matches your workflow, without shotgunning it.

That makes the switch less scary and a heck of a lot more fun.

One quick note specifically about Winux

All the general Linux benefits above apply because Winux is built on Ubuntu LTS (Long Term Servicing/Support) plus a heavy Windows-11-style KDE skin. However, several reviewers and journalists have raised concerns about its licensing, branding, and long-term trustworthiness, given its heavy implementation of Microsoft’s Windows 10/11 design language, which is Microsoft’s intellectual property (IP). And while it irks me, I cannot help but agree with them, at least in principle.

I mean, Microsoft does own the IP, and the Winux dev team didn’t license it (as least as far as I know or understand), and Microsoft may (or may not) decide to assert their rights and shut the project down; “but that is not this day!” (for those that recognized the LotR quote, you’re my people).

While this is a no-no in the legal world, I don’t have an objection to

• Using the OS, or
• Purchasing the OS’ Power Tools

and as a strict Windows 10/11 replacement, it’s my distro of choice.  That’s largely due to the services implementations in the distro, and if you’re looking for something that looks and feels like Windows, this one could be for you… but you should look at these three (and others) if you’re considering a move from Windows 10/11 to Linux.

If you are, then you should give us a shout and let us know what distro you chose and how the transition is going for you.  We’d love to hear from you…