Unnecessary Times: Recognizing When A Windows Upgrade Isn’t Worth It

Key Takeaways

• Consider your dependency on Windows - if most of your work is done in a web browser, your operating system choice may not matter much.
• If you’re not a PC gamer, alternative operating systems like Linux or macOS could serve you just as well.
• Evaluate whether your software needs are truly Windows-exclusive and whether Microsoft subscription services are critical to you.

Windows dominates the computer operating system market, but in the light of unpopular policies and features, along with decades of bugginess, are you really stuck in Microsoft’s playground? If you think about it, you might actually not be chained to the Gates of that garden after all.

Most of What You Do Happens in a Web Browser

A modern web browser is essentially a mini operating system itself, and you can even run applications in it or access them via the cloud. Most of my work is done in a browser, and I even use cloud-based productivity apps like Google Docs to do pretty much everything. This is one of the reasons Chromebooks are so popular. If most or all of what you do happens on a web browser anyway, then it doesn’t really matter what operating system you’re running.

In some cases, I even prefer using the web app version of things like Slack, Discord, and even Microsoft Office applications like Teams. For any app that relies on an internet connection to work, I feel there’s little point in installing a client in the first place.

You’re Not a PC Gamer (and Even Then)

Justin Duino / How-To Geek

For me, apart from the fact that I write about Windows now and then, the main reason I keep Windows around is that I’m a PC gamer. If you don’t play video games on your computer, then Linux or macOS (or any number of alternatives) will likely serve you just as well. Even if you are something of a gamer, other operating systems are getting better at serving those needs as well.

On Linux , there have been major leaps in getting Windows games to run using compatibility layers, and macOS gaming is really coming along in leaps and bounds as well. I would not say that Windows gamers should jump ship just quite yet, but that day seems to be on the horizon.

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Your Apps Aren’t Windows Exclusive

Are the apps that you use on Windows only available in a Windows version? Alternatively, are there other equivalent apps that would run on something other than WIndows that could do the same job? It might feel like you must stick with Windows simply because you rely on software that needs Windows, but in many cases this might not be true. Certainly, major productivity tools like Adobe Premiere are available on macOS, and on the Linux side of the equation there are professional-grade applications like Davinci Resolve .

You Don’t Use MS Subscription Services

If you’re using Windows, but you aren’t taking advantage of Microsoft’s paid cloud services such as OneDrive or PC Game Pass , you’re missing out on one of the biggest strengths of the modern Windows operating system. At the same time, it means you don’t really have to stick around. Actually, even if you are using some of these services, you can get OneDrive on macOS too, though you’ll need some awkward third-party tools to get it working on Linux. Not that any non-Windows implementation is nearly as well-integrated.

Either way, if you aren’t buying into those Microsoft value adds that Windows opens up to you, do you really need to stick with Windows at all?

It’s Good To Have Options

I don’t hate Windows, I’ve loved the operating system since I got my start on Windows 3.1, but I’ve had a rough relationship with it at times. This led to a few years of college where I only used Ubuntu Linux, and since 2019 my serious work operating system has been macOS.

The litany of missteps means we need to keep our options open. With unpopular AI features like Recall on the horizon, the inclusion of aggressive advertising in the OS you paid for, and (in my experience) forced Windows updates that break my computer and reset my settings, it’s worth asking every now and then: do I really need to be a Windows user?