this post was submitted on 06 Jul 2026
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Microsoft is losing Builders fast. They're switching to MacOS and Linux. The biggest pull keeping people on Windows, outside of shear inertia, is content creation and gaming. However, even these are falling to Linux.

Without Builders, you don't have software, and without software, you don't have users. This is why Microsoft needs Windows Lite.

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[–] busted_Anoose@aussie.zone 1 points 4 hours ago

Linux mint is perfect for my needs, and its pretty cool once you get used to doing stuff in terminal, although its still very user friendly for most. Microslop can suck my nuts.

[–] CalvusRex@lemmy.world 32 points 1 day ago (3 children)

10 years ago I would have said maybe. Now? Practicly everything that you run on Windows will run, in some form or another, on Linux. Even the hard to crack gaming is now becoming a non issue. There really is no point in Windows any longer.

I had no idea how easy gaming had got since my last attempt with Linux. That was until the most recent Microsoft bugs erased all my files... I was so enraged I didn't even try to recover them, I just installed linux mint. Found out I could indeed play the couple games I've been holding on to windows for. Haven't booted windows since.

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[–] vane@lemmy.world 34 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I remember saying that in the early 2000s...

[–] Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] ilinamorato@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

I wonder if they see the constant, gigantic updates to the framework distributable and think that's a bad thing somehow.

[–] minorkeys@sh.itjust.works 23 points 1 day ago

You need to abandon windows. You know their goals. You know they can't be trusted. Stop giving them chances to get it right and fuck you.

[–] ilinamorato@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)

and developers

Windows developers largely use Windows Server or Enterprise, neither of which have telemetry, spying, ads, or AI, depending on group policy.

I'm a little confused by the inclusion of .NET. Most Windows developers actively use that.

[–] Zizzy@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 1 day ago

A lot of games actually require it too

[–] baatliwala@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago
[–] ian@feddit.uk 6 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

With many critical apps still running on Windows only, Windows needs to get worse!
To push those software companies over to embrace Linux finally. Then the users can follow.

[–] LodeMike@lemmy.today 10 points 1 day ago

That's just Windows without a lot of the bad stuff. Microsoft will never do it because they earn money from it.

[–] greyscale@lemmy.grey.ooo 19 points 1 day ago (7 children)

We have that. Its called Arch. And I've done .net development on it.

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[–] Jaysyn@lemmy.world 24 points 2 days ago

It's easier to just use Linux.

[–] terabyterex@lemmy.world 29 points 2 days ago

the fact that you list .net shows you dont have the knowledge to make this claim

[–] ohlaph@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago

I logged out back in December and haven't used or needed Windows since. Fedora Linux is my pick for a Windows replacement.

[–] Magnum@infosec.pub 43 points 2 days ago

No .NET 😂 what's still running after that?

[–] dual_sport_dork@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago (2 children)

What you're describing is the LTSC IoT editions, which are what I run on my Windows boxes.

https://massgrave.dev/windows_ltsc_links

[–] cardfire@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 day ago

Seconded. I moved to Win10 LTSC IoT on some, Bazzite on others, and haven't looked back.

I'm never loading naked spyware Win11 again.

When forced to move off win10iot I'll go to win11iot for anything mission critical for windows.

But by then I'd better be 90% MacOS/Linux.

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[–] echodot@feddit.uk 17 points 2 days ago

What is wrong with .NET, it's very useful when running applications which require it which of course is basically every application in a corporate environment.

But yeah all the other things are fine.

[–] phoenixz@lemmy.ca 17 points 2 days ago (1 children)

windows lite

So you mean Linux? No telemetry? No ads? No AI? No .net? Also just works? Also free? Also free as in beer?

Yeah, people need Linux

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[–] DacoTaco@lemmy.world 12 points 1 day ago

Do i have news for you, youll need .net.
Either for windows stuff, or for your games ( most likely launchers )

[–] DupaCycki@lemmy.world 34 points 2 days ago

Windows losing noticeable numbers of users is a huge net gain for society. Hopefully it continues, regardless of Microslop's actions.

[–] lil_baka@ani.social 33 points 2 days ago

Microsoft is losing Builders fast.

Good.

This is why Microsoft needs Windows Lite.

No, Windows needs to lose more users. Hope they never change.

[–] AdamBomb@lemmy.world 118 points 2 days ago (4 children)

.NET is just a runtime, not problematic at all, and definitely doesn’t deserve to be lumped in with ads, spyware, and AI.

[–] Reality@feddit.org 47 points 2 days ago (11 children)

It's probably Microsofts best product

[–] harmbugler@piefed.social 19 points 2 days ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Probably Microsoft's best stupidest name too, except maybe renaming the remote desktop app to "Windows App".

[–] Pyro@programming.dev 5 points 1 day ago

I hate that rename so much, it makes it impossible to search anything about it. Another fun fact is the process name for "Windows App" is Windows365.exe 🤦

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[–] Eternal192@anarchist.nexus 149 points 2 days ago

If you want Windows Lite then you might as well commit to Linux.

Plenty of YouTube videos on tons of different distros for anyone to find their starter distro that's similar to Windows.

[–] MrScottyTay@sh.itjust.works 32 points 2 days ago (1 children)
[–] kogasa@programming.dev 19 points 2 days ago (10 children)

Nothing, bias from the .NET Framework days probably

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[–] Reygle@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago

If a "lite" version removed their ability to spy on you they'd have to charge you $4,000/year for the privilege, just to make up the difference.

[–] lechekaflan@lemmy.world 13 points 2 days ago

Install Linux, Problem Solved.

[–] heartSagan5@lemmy.zip 2 points 1 day ago

Isn’t this just Windows Embedded?

[–] mereo@piefed.ca 47 points 2 days ago

The author of the blog is living in dreamland. Microsoft will never release Windows Lite because, to management, Windows is a conduit for AI and subscriptions.

Linux is the answer.

[–] tixooo@lemmy.zip 63 points 2 days ago

to little, not late. Been a avid windows user since `95, used all of them up to 11 no exception, pivoted 3 years ago to linux, and at this point there is literally not a thing that will bring me back. Linux is 1000x better for me, free of charge, more polished, faster, better looking, no BS, and if there IS any bs, i can move to another distro that i like. There is literally not a single thing. Those kernel level anti cheat games... fuck em, i got 1000's of games to play that work on steam and gog and uplay and battle.net and all other platforms flawlessly no problem and been waiting to play em.

[–] reksas@sopuli.xyz 14 points 2 days ago

why would they? the telemetry, spying and bloatware is the whole idea for them. At least for regular users. We are the product and the data they harvest from us and ads they force on us is the point. And why would they care, majority of people just sticks with whatever was presented to them first. No matter how much bloat and spyware they add, majority will never care enough to do anything about it because it doenst directly affect them beyond slowing the computer down, which they think will be solved by buying a new one.

[–] ryper@lemmy.ca 54 points 2 days ago (3 children)

Microsoft is not going to remove .NET to attract software developers when they want developers to use .NET. Not having access to software that uses .NET probably wouldn't be a good trade off for how little removing it from Windows would do to make Windows lighter.

[–] fartsparkles@lemmy.world 56 points 2 days ago (3 children)

.NET is arguably one of the better things to come out of Microsoft. The CLR only runs when a .NET application is running so it’s not bloat, and it’s pretty lightweight as far as a VM goes with JIT. It’s well documented, has public standards, is cross platform, and released under MIT.

I’m a Unix/Linux greybeard so I’ve no real skin in the game. But given how C# has become the defacto cross platform game development language of choice for both Godot and Unity engines, .NET deserves a little credit.

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