If you've been using Windows 11, you're probably aware that Microsoft has been in a complete downward spiral for the last couple of years and it has only gotten worse since Windows 10 went EOL. After constantly pushing Copilot in places where it might not feel necessary, to forced security updates that brick their users' system, users have been ditching Windows left and right for its two most prominent competitors. Linux and macOS.

Personally, I have stopped using Windows for a little while now. My main machine has gotten relatively old and even if I ran Windows 10 with the extended security updates program, the system just doesn't feel no where near as snappy as it used to. Constantly fighting with how annoying it was to use the system when I have a good amount of experience with Linux combined with the fact that I got an M1 MacBook Air recently, it felt like a pointless battle. Nowadays, I'm currently running Ultramarine on my main desktop, a distribution based on fedora that comes with a lot of stuff preconfigured.

However, after years of endless criticism Microsoft finally acknowledged the problem in their insider program stating that the next couple of Windows 11 updates will be focused on things like optimization, scaling back their AI features, and many more. Understandably, a lot of users don't trust Microsoft with this. After all, what's stopping a company as large as them from simply giving the people what they want, and then repeating history all over again. Unfortunately, that isn't something we can know for sure, it's only something time will tell.

What I can say though, is that throughout my Linux journey I've said that if Microsoft fixed their main issues I'd have no problem returning to the operating system. Sadly, with a system as complex as Windows built on top of decades of legacy code, it's definitely not as simple as just "getting rid of the slop". However, what Microsoft definitely can do is fix their issues one by one.

Once again, whether or not Microsoft can take back the users that left is only something that time will tell. While it's highly unlikely a lot will return as Linux continues to improve at dangerous speeds, I don't doubt some will return. As always, the people should continue to hold Microsoft accountable. If they were to completely forsake their recent statements I have no doubt in my mind that they will.