How to help people to switch to Linux

Much has been said about switching from Windows to Linux. When reading a lot of the questions and comments on linuxquestions.org  I found a few following recurring themes popping up, that might easily be circumvented. 

Introduction

Please bear in mind I am no IT professional but I am a "prosumer" that has worked with computers since the early CP/M days on the Exidy Sorcerer and have been working with and supporting family and friends with all kinds of consumer level computers and small servers. In my daily life I work as a medical doctor and as such need to explain very difficult concepts to regular people on a daily basis in order for them to give an informed consent. This is not so different than talking Linux to Windows people: try to explain the Linux virtual file system to a lifetime Windows user..  Keep in mind, learning Linux IS difficult for most.

Recurring themes

1. People are focusing on the choice of desktop environment and are afraid not to choose the best thing.
2. People can't figure out what to do when they've installed Linux.
3. People can't install software they want to use

To help people that don't know Linux to get going seasoned sudo'ers have to keep a few things in mind:

1. For Linux people, choice is good. For most people however, choice is frustrating! They pretty much have the general idea of the things they want to do with a computer. It is nice that the Linux community came up with a multitude of distributions. For a beginner, this is just way too much.
   
   There are some distributions that have a UI sauce resembling Windows or Apple, however this might even lead to more frustration, because it  IS NOT Windows or Apple MacOS. In my vision it is even better to have a desktop environment that does NOT look like Windows or MacOS but is the best Linux has to offer, for example GNOME or KDE.
   
   That's why I always recommend to install Ubuntu: either Ubuntu using GNOME or Kubuntu will do nicely for the beginner.
   
   
2. Coming from Windows people know they'll have to invest a lot of time and energy installing things like antivirus, Microsoft Office, e-mail software and the like. In Linux, this is a much straightforward thing, as we know.
   
   To new users you should point out that their old software will not run on Linux. They will have to use LibreOffice or another Office replacement instead of the Microsoft thing.
   
   Also they should forget about antivirus, for now. Running antivirus IS quite good practice since it can prevent you to e.g. spread an infected document to others.
   
   That's why I recommend making a list of tasks they want to do with their computer and then, find the software that will make them do that.
   
   
3. No, Linux will not work with that exotic desktop scanner and no, Linux will not run that very special tool you liked on Windows.
   
   Linux has a smaller user base and niche software is hard to replace. I still struggle with that myself. So I do keep a Windows installation on a separate drive in my computer, just to do those special tasks once in a while.
   
   That's what I recommend doing: keeping on your old computer to run the software that still seems irreplaceable by any Linux counterpart.
   
4. Linux will not resuscitate that ancient hardware you don't want to part with.
   
   It seems that "reviving old hardware" is all the rage in Linux land. Sure, there are Linux distributions that will run better on old hardware than Windows 10 will. But still, old hardware is still OLD hardware. Linux is no magic wand.  
   
   That's why I recommend using Linux on newer hardware. It will really fly on a new laptop or desktop and one will have a ball compared to Windows 10.  

A polished Linux experience? Try a Chromebook!

Linux folks have known this from the start, but Chromebooks are Linux computers. They've been designed by Google with simplicity and ease of use in mind, and they're good at it. Nowadays you can also run all Playstore apps on a Chromebook. And while at first, they represented the bottom end of the laptop market, we now are seeing higher-tier Chromebooks entering the market. Because of market demand, I presume.

I have spent some time working with Chromebooks when they were the tool my kids used during the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Of course the budget models are exactly that and they come with low-end specs. I had bought an Acer chromebook with a full HD touch screen about a year earlier and it performed quite good.

The added bonus of the modern Chromebooks that it runs your Playstore apps is also very nice. So your Chromebook doubles as an Android tablet with a keyboard. Given the plethora of apps on the Playstore I think this is a very welcome addition.

Lastly you can also run Linux in a container on your Chromebook - albeit  it must be a recent Chromebook with a processor that supports virtualisation (there are still other means but that is really not for beginners).

That's why I recommend buying a Chromebook when you want to get out of the Windows system and don't want to have anything to do with a command line.

Linux on a budget

To get on with Linux you can do it on a tight budget. A Raspberry Pi is a cheap and cheerful way to get started with Linux computing. The Raspberry Pi 4 is quite powerful and can be considered a lightweight desktop replacement.

The first Raspberry Pi set a trend towards single board computers (SBC´s) and now you can choose from a lot of different options. However in this case, the Raspberry Pi has by far the most community support and if you're a beginner, that is what you need. You can Google any answer quickly - which is not the case if you buy a different SBC.

The current Rasp 4 is the model 4. You can buy it in different configurations and with different options. The options that have all the things you need to get started are nice and not very expensive. Add a monitor and you're off!

That is why I recommend buying a Raspberry Pi starter kit when you want to dip your toes into Linux on a budget.  It might just be the thing you need for doing web browsing and some e-mail.

Conclusion

If people want to get out of the Windows world there are a lot of options. With those options a lot of questions emerge as well  with the aspiring or brand new Linux users. Please bear in mind that a clear path, stability, a broad user base, community support and clear documentation are very important to the new Linux user. These are aspects that for a beginner play a more important role than a wide array of choices.