6 reasons Windows is still the best desktop operating system for everyone

No matter how many years Windows stays at the top of the charts in terms of popularity on the desktop, there’s always going to be someone who says “this is the year of the Linux desktop” or they they’re switching to a Mac. Don’t get me wrong, Windows is far from a perfect platform, but no alternative is perfect, either.

And in fact, I still believe Windows 11 is still the best operating system for most people. Even with all of its flaws, there are a few factors that make Windows easy to recommend to almost anyone buying a new computer. And if you’re wondering why, I’m happy to explain. Let’s get started.

6 Windows is the most familiar

It wins by default

It’s hard to consider this a big benefit that’s intrinsic to Windows, but the fact is it has been the most popular operating system for decades, and because of that, almost anyone buying a computer will already have an idea of what they’re getting into. Sure, some paradigms have changed over the years, but if you’ve used a computer in the past, chances are it still has a lot in common with Windows 11 today.

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Familiarity is a major reason why people choose a product over another, no matter what market we’re talking about. And no operating system is more well-known than Windows, so it makes it the obvious choice for most people.

5 So many hardware choices

Windows is basically everywhere

This kind of goes hand-in-hand with the above, but the sheer popularity of Windows both derives from and results in it being available on basically every device. That means you have a ton of choice when it comes to the kind of PC you want if you choose Windows. Tablets with or without keyboards? We have them. Convertible laptops with a 360-degree hinge? Absolutely. A handheld PC with gaming controls? Of course.

Even in form factors where you can find more competitors, like clamshell laptops, Windows has so much variety in terms of build, design and looks. Every MacBook is a sleek metal laptop, but on Windows, you can get a futuristic-looking laptop with an invisible touchpad with the Dell XPS 13, or get something big and powerful like a Lenovo Legion Pro 7i. On desktops, you can get a fully upgradeable tower, or a tiny mini PC that still has plenty of upgrade options.

There’s no shortage of options when it comes to Windows devices, and you don’t need to do any fiddling to get it installed and running. It’s just available out of the box.

4 Better hardware compatibility

Whether it’s internal or external

With Windows being as widespread as it is, every device manufacturer has to take Windows into account. So if you’re looking to buy things such as accessories or even internal components for your PC, Windows is almost inevitably going to be the best platform for you. Whether it’s a gaming keyboard with dedicated customization software or a capture card to record footage from a game, there’s a good chance those devices will only work on Windows, or work much better on Windows.

And even for the components inside your PC, Windows has a far more robust ecosystem of drivers, so things are much more likely to work and be stable than on Linux. Sure, Linux will work for some people, but everything will always work for someone. Make no mistake, you’re far more likely to have headaches getting all your hardware to work on Linux compared to Windows.

3 Window management

Well, compared to macOS, at least

For this point, ‘ll focus on macOS because Linux has a lot of variance, and many Linux distros have great window managers that are likely even better than Windows. But when it comes to the two options that actually matter, Windows outclasses macOS by far in terms of multitasking.

Putting multiple windows side by side on macOS is a nightmare without some kind of third-party app. All it can do is snap apps to half of the screen, but Windows 11 has already evolved so far beyond that with Snap Layouts and Snap Groups, making it so much easier to get three or more windows on screen at the same time. You can circumvent these kinds of things with apps, but out of the box, Windows 11 is still way better for getting work done in this regard.

2 A more robust app ecosystem

Everything is on Windows

We already touched on things like drivers above, but when it comes to software, there is so much more that makes Windows the primary choice for most people. Think of almost any software you’ve heard about, and there’s an extremely high chance it’s available on Windows, and in many cases, exclusively so.

Let’s say you like Razer’s products and RGB lighting. Well, Razer’s Synapse software only runs on Windows. If you want to edit photos with Photoshop, well, that app is on Windows and macOS, but not Linux. Want to use MSI Afterburner to monitor your gaming performance? That’s only on Windows. In fact, a lot of popular performance tests are only on Windows, too, like PCMark 10 and most of the 3DMark tests. My favorite video editing software, DaVinci Resolve, is on Windows and macOS, but not Linux. Microsoft’s Office suite is also not on Linux, and while most of it is on Mac, apps like Access, Publisher, and Visio aren’t.

Most of these apps are things you can find alternatives on other platforms, but does that really give you the same experience?

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1 Gaming

The big one

Of course, all of the app compatibility points truly culminate in gaming. Windows is, simply put, the platform for PC gaming. There is simply no contest here.

The tides have shifted a bit thanks to the Steam Deck and technologies like Proton making a lot of games playable on Linux, but there’s so much that still needs to be done. Many games simply don’t run on Linux. EA recently dropped support for Apex Legends, and Rockstar dropped Grand Theft Auto V. Other games may just perform worse on Linux or, if they’re on platforms like the Epic Games Store or the EA app, you may just not be able to play them.

And macOS is even worse. While Apple has courted some developers to make games for macOS, there’s so much that simply won’t run on the platform, or in many cases, those games are only available through special versions. For example, Death Stranding and Resident Evil Village are two games Apple has advertised for the macOS compatibility, but if you own those games on Steam, you can’t play them on macOS. The only versions that work are on the App Store.

Windows supports all the major game distribution platforms and the games themselves, on top of having years of legacy titles that may not even be on this kind of platform. No matter how you slice it, gaming is better on Windows.

Windows will reign supreme for a while longer

Even with any flaws it may have, these factors make it very hard for any competitor to come in and knock Windows off the stop spot when it comes to desktop operating systems. Whether you have a tower PC or a laptop, Windows is still the go-to choice, and I don’t see that changing any time soon.