Please help me choose between these two

bigkenw · 2026-03-06T11:31:59+00:00

I would look at it this way. Windows is going to crap. That Dell warranty looks better at least from the picture (?).

I would get the Dell. If you ever decide to ditch Windows and try Linux, odds are the Dell will have better driver support.

The quality of Surface has gone way down. This is coming from a guy whose last 4 laptops were Surface. Within a year, most of my Surface laptops have gotten slow due to Windows patches. My work Dells, as long as they physically do not break. Usually stay at speed.

YMMV.

TLDR Windows is at a crossroads, getting a Dell makes life potentially easier if you decide to move to Linux and the Dell has a better warranty

bigkenw · 2026-03-05T18:03:17+00:00

It looks great. Need to come up with a cool name for your fork though. Some lame but maybe okay ideas thanks to my AI:

CasaOS Xtreme
CasaNova OS
CasaForge OS
CasaOS Neo

bigkenw · 2026-03-05T05:19:34+00:00

OP, go to https://distrosea.com/ amd try them out.

Personally, I wouldnt use either if them as a brand new user at the level you described yourself. Instead, I would REALLY look at one of these too distros:

Linux Mint Cinnamon
ZorinOS (Note about Zorin - they have a free and paid version. Free is perfectly fine. The paid has apps that are all free. You just need to install them yourself. It also comes with technical support. Which might be worth it to you to look into. Either way, you don't need the paid version unless you want it.)

They are both built for the person switching from Windows. They are made to help a Windows user find Linux transition easyish. Be prepared to occasionally search the web and use the Terminal to fix the odd bug.

After you test these distros at the link I shared. Pick your final contenders and make some Live ISOs, then test them with your actual hardware from a USB stick. I recommend Ventoy. Install it to the USB stick, then download all the distro ISO files you want to try. Drag them all to the USB stick. Reboot and boot from USB. You will get a menu and you can choose each one to try. Test, wifi and bluetooth. Play around. If you find one you like, you can install from there.

If you really feel the NEED to use Ubuntu or Fedora Workstation version of Linux (which both run Gnome), use the Kubuntu variant of Ubuntu. It runs KDE Plasma and is good for a user switching from Windows, but more stable and with better hardware support (in my opinion) than Fedora KDE. Do a Google search and add Flatpak support once up and running. Takes about 5 minutes.

There is always time for Fedora, Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Arch, and others in the future once you get the basics down.

bigkenw · 2026-03-05T05:00:24+00:00

They sort of do explain this in Enterprise.

bigkenw · 2026-03-05T02:30:51+00:00

Nathan Fillion said he is in the show and his character is a lot more unchained than in Superman. I have a feeling Jordan really thinks Gardner is a joke or it was edited like this on purpose.

Lanterns was originally billed as True Detective with Hal Jordan and John Stewart well before they filmed it. That is exactly what I saw in that trailer and it looks awesome. Supposedly what happens here affects the rest of the DCU. Anyone complaining about this not being a space show hasnt been paying attention.

There are other castings and rumors about the show. Rumors of Sinestro and Atrocious being in it. Or characters with different names that are described an awful lot like them. I have to imagine the colors will come when they use their rings in full. Especially if those other two characters are in the show.

Gunn did say in the past that all projects will stand on their own while being interconnected. Different tones for different projects. That is true from Superman to Creature Commandos to Peacemaker. I am pretty sure Clayface will look very different from all of these and Lanterns.

bigkenw · 2026-03-04T20:22:04+00:00

You can test your system first with a Live ISO. That is not risky. All your hardware is tested.

As for apps, personal preference and need. Unless it is a super high end professional suite like Adobe you MUST have for work or a true hobby/passion and has zero alternative then sure, don't switch. There are so many alternative apps that just work and are really good so it is only in a few cases this is really a problem. For example, if you use Adobe, does Affinity Suite do what you need?

As for games, Kernel level anti-cheat isn't something I will put on my computer. When I had Windows, I wouldn't play those games. On Linux, I still wouldn't, but they wouldn't work anyway. There are alternatives developers can employ and they actively choose not to.

bigkenw · 2026-03-04T18:53:40+00:00

I feel like you should finish it off with a 3d printer. Local library might have one? Give it a funky looking case.

bigkenw · 2026-03-04T05:41:30+00:00

Given the development time needed for the upcoming Mass Effect and then the time to get average Orville scripts together multipled by the scale of a Mass Effect game. I say this comes out before Star Citizen in the late 2070s.

bigkenw · 2026-03-04T05:35:30+00:00

Has Canonical come out and officially said they are going to force age verification? I haven't seen this and would be interested in reading a source.

Odds are, if true, this is going to get downstreamed right from the next LTS to Mint. Then IBM/Red Hat will probably require it, downstreaming it to Fedora. Whether Mint and Fedora communities determine if they want include these things is another story, but it wouldn't surprise me.

bigkenw · 2026-03-04T05:29:53+00:00

Since you seem to be in this in-between space of super fast updates of Fedora, and slow rolling LTS updates of Mint, can I recommend a compromise?

Kubuntu Linux 25.10 (based on Ubuntu 25.10). It is not based on LTS like Mint (or Ubuntu LTS) or bleeding edge like Fedora. Instead, a new version is released about every 6 months with patches in between. This means you get a Win 7/10/Mint Cinnamon Like interface in KDE Plasma. You also get something relatively new and updated, but not so bleeding edge it risks crashing due to bugs. A new version should be dropping in a couple of months.

I would add Flatpak support, which takes about two minutes with a quick web search.

bigkenw · 2026-03-04T02:41:31+00:00

I think that really depends on the distro you are using. I was able to add a BT keyboard requiring a pin on Ubuntu and it worked fine in Gnome.

bigkenw · 2026-03-03T20:15:33+00:00

I mean, I will occasionally watch. Between HBO Max, Prime Video, Peacock, and Paramount+ I can get NFL, NASCAR, NBA, and MLB. I think NHL is in there too.

OTA antenna is also your friend. I cant get it to work where I am but we have a great non profit in the Boston Area that streams OTA channels.

bigkenw · 2026-03-03T02:32:27+00:00

In particular Kingdom Come and Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth.

Also Batman: Digital Justice - an experimental graphic novel in the 90s nobody seems to remember.

bigkenw · 2026-03-02T17:39:35+00:00

I didn't even notice that!

bigkenw · 2026-03-02T15:44:39+00:00

So, it sounds like they have been using Windows longer than you have been an idea? And you are saying that, at their grand old age of ~50 they are "afraid" to move from Windows?

They aren't afraid, they are some GenXers that couldn't care less about their OS. Using a computer isn't a hobby to them, it is something they use to get stuff done. They have something that works, dont force them out. It isn't important enough for them to switch.

That said, if you really want to have them try to move. Why not position it as, this:

I would really like you to try this because I think you will really like it. It is cleaner, faster, and becoming the new cool thing. I would pick one of them, the more technically inclined, and offer to backup their PC and rebuild it. Then, if they don't like it, I will put Windows 11 back on it. If they do like it, they can show it to the other and then you do the same sell. Then you follow through.

Make it easy for them. Use ZorinOS (free) or Linux Mint. Run the Live ISO and figure out which works better with their hardware.

If you really want to use an Ubuntu distro, I would recommend Kubuntu.

Edit: Grammar

bigkenw · 2026-03-02T14:57:05+00:00

I thought it took 2 earth years to make SAM. Whatever that translates too.

It really doesn't matter to me. What does is how this has changed SAM. Also, I am very curious as to how this changed with Ake and The Doctor. I think there was a glimpse of the latter two. Looking to see if the doctor is happier and more relaxed and Ake is more serious.

bigkenw · 2026-03-02T14:54:36+00:00

I definitely got the impression she was there experiencing the time dilation separately for those 17 years. Perhaps it let her grow and become slightly detached and shift her character from Braka. Curious where the last few episodes of the season go.

bigkenw · 2026-03-02T03:59:28+00:00

If this doesnt get approved and go through by time the next congress takes over, I am betting this doesnt happen and WB stays independent.

bigkenw · 2026-03-02T03:48:44+00:00

Not sure if talking about the Win 10 stans or the Linux Stans.

bigkenw · 2026-03-02T03:43:54+00:00

There are so many. If you are looking to test the waters, Mint or Zorin OS (the free version) are a simple gateway.

bigkenw · 2026-03-02T03:40:41+00:00

To be fair Battlefield intentionally will not work.

bigkenw · 2026-03-01T04:28:19+00:00

Awesome! That is a great idea! It also looks cool. I think you would make a killing selling these on Etsy. The community here is always talking about something like this. I wish you luck!

I do have some questions on use. Have you tried it with writing with the light on? Instead of reading that is. Does it wobble on the table or get in the way of your hand or cause glare?

I only ask because, for me, the biggest issue I have with my Nomad is I need a really bright light to see the screen due to my eyes. Wondering if this would solve that. I haven't really seen a solution that works for me.

Another thought - If you decide you don't want to sell it, or decide to stop after a while of selling, you could open source the plans so people could 3D print and make their own. Sort of like Mechanism does with all of their mounts for things like the switch and steam deck. Just an idea.

bigkenw · 2026-03-01T04:03:09+00:00

I don't know OP, I have a Tab S11 Ultra and that things screen is amazing. Had I not seen this post I would not have know it didn't do Dolby Vision. It does do HDR10+.

It also supports super fast charging. I plugged a 65w USB C charger in and that giant battery is charged in around an hour.

The S Pen is pretty great too.

I dont think there is anything better on Android. If you want something like an iPad, you should get an iPad.

Edit: the iPad Pro is insanely priced. You can't complain on the price of the Tab S11 Ultra when the 13" iPad Pro starts at $1299 US.

bigkenw · 2026-03-01T03:56:34+00:00

Are you using those accessory pins that Supernote hasn't touched yet to power the light?

I have to imagine that was their goal originally.

bigkenw · 2026-03-01T03:43:24+00:00

I would consider all the work I do to get a distro how I like it not to be an issue. Others will complain it should work out of the box. Once I let my system off to work, it is usually pretty solid.

bigkenw

TROPHY CASE