Eliana Willis

Yes, you can get a lot more from Linux if you know how to do shell programming and the like. But that’s also true of Windows and PowerShell. With both operating systems, you don’t need to know the deep ins and outs of either one to get your work done. So why would you move? Well, for starters, Linux is far more secure than its rivals. Looking ahead, as Ed Bott points out, many of you may end up facing a security disaster if you keep using Windows 10. Also, Linux, unlike Windows 11, will run on pretty much any PC you’ve got lying around. Linux doesn’t require much in the way of a computer to do just fine. For example, I have a 2007-vintage HP Pavilion Media Center TV m7360n PC with a 2.8GHz Pentium D 920 dual-core processor, 2GBs of RAM, and a 300GB SATA drive PC that’s still running Linux to this day. Good luck running any modern version of Windows on that!Sure, it used to be hard to install programs on Linux, but that’s no longer the case. Under the hood, things can still be complex, but now almost all distros have application stores. These days, installing Linux programs is as easy as picking and clicking. If you still need some Windows programs, you can always try Crossover Linux to run them on Linux. It won’t run all Windows apps by any means, but it runs many of them surprisingly well.In any event, since most such programs, even Adobe PhotoShop are now available as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), there’s less need than ever for Windows-specific programs. Indeed, we’re moving to a business world where all you really need is a web browser to enable you to use a Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) platform. The future of the desktop aside, unlike Windows, where your only real choices today are Windows 10 or 11, there are hundreds of Linux desktop distributions. On top of those are numerous Linux desktop interfaces, each with its own distinctive look and feel, such as KDE, GNOME, Cinnamon, Lxde, Xfce, and many more. Most distributions have a primary user interface, such as Fedora and GNOME and OpenSUSE and KDE, but also enable you to pick from one to three others. Since you’re just starting with Linux, I recommend you stick with the distro’s main interface.What’s a would-be Linux desktop user to do? Luckily for you, you don’t have to try them all out to find a good fit. The key question is: “What do you want to use Linux for?” For beginners, I look at what’s the easiest to pick up, the best overall Linux desktop, the simplest Linux for Windows users, and the easiest Linux for users with older machines. More

STR/Getty Images Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg says this is the year artificial intelligence will start to make possible autonomous software engineering “agents” that can take over significant programming tasks. “2025 will be the year when it becomes possible to build an AI engineering agent that has coding and problem-solving abilities of around a good mid-level […] More

ZDNETThere are too many mobile apps and not enough buzz to keep users engaged. While most apps are advertising-driven, paid apps are the most viable business model — 5% of apps offer subscriptions, yet they account for 48% of all revenue.Also: 7 apps that helped me escape the cloud – and protect my data privacyThat’s the state of the mobile app economy, explored in a new market analysis from Aarki. There has actually been a decline in mobile app downloads, the report states, noting an overall 2.3% decline in global app installs for both iOS and Google Play. App downloads in the US declined by 3.4% to 10.6 billion in 2024.Decline in mobile app downloadsThere is intense competition for screen space. Smartphone users explore 40 to 100 apps annually, but only 10 to 15 become daily staples. Devices typically hold 80 to 100 apps, “making users uninstall unused apps and intensifying competition for user attention.”Retention of current mobile users is key. The Aarki study sought to make connections between primary apps being downloaded and users’ affinity for other apps. This app ecosystem — what the study’s authors refer to as the “app hive” — may provide clues to the affinity between what, to a casual observer, may seem to be unrelated apps and help app designers and developers achieve higher retention rates for increasingly valuable screen real estate.Also: How I changed my default apps in MacOS – and you can too, in seconds”For example, users of a casual gaming app may also engage with shopping or music apps — strategic insights that drive both retention and acquisition simultaneously,” the study suggests.App users have an affinity for puzzle games  The study’s authors looked at several major categories of apps:Gaming apps: These comprise the leading use case for apps, accounting for 41% of all iOS and Google Play downloads. Since 2021, however, global gaming app downloads have dropped 6% year-over-year. Photo and video apps: At least 10% of users download these types of apps. Shopping platform apps: Preferred by 8% of users.Entertainment and productivity apps: These account for 4 to 7% of downloads.  The study examined app user journeys and interactions between apps to develop profiles on what users of specific apps prefer to see on their screens. The purpose was to “identify which users are likely to explore complementary app categories, allowing for more targeted acquisition strategies.”For example, fintech app users also like puzzle games (22%), entertainment (15%), and casual games (15%). Shopping app users also have an affinity for puzzle games (46%), casual games (14%), and word games (12%).Also: How to clear your Android phone’s cache and make it feel like new for 2025Those who use lifestyle apps have an affinity for health and fitness apps (37%), puzzle games (16%), and shopping (16%). More

Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNETIn the fall, Microsoft unveiled its latest Copilot AI features and placed them in Copilot Labs, Microsoft’s home for experimental features only available to Copilot Pro subscribers. Now, one of the standout features is moving out of Copilot Labs and into Copilot so all users can access it for free.Available to all Copilot usersOn Wednesday, Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman shared via an X post that the Think Deeper feature was made available for all Copilot users at no additional cost. The feature leverages OpenAI’s O1 reasoning model to deliver higher-quality responses to complex prompts.  Today we’ve made Think Deeper free and available for all users of Copilot.This now gives everyone access to OpenAI’s world class o1 reasoning model in Copilot, everywhere at no cost.I urge you to give it a try. It’s truly magical. Think Deeper helps you: pic.twitter.com/nzccl0tdhL— Mustafa Suleyman (@mustafasuleyman) January 29, 2025

The o1 model was trained to “think before it speaks,” and as a result, takes a bit longer to process your query — around 30 seconds, according to Microsoft. This is especially useful for STEM-related tasks such as coding, analysis, and advanced math problems. Other use cases include in-depth advice and planning. More

Microsoft/ZDNETI like to access photos, phone calls, messages, and other features from my iPhone directly on my Windows PC. Though I rely on apps such as Microsoft’s Phone Link and Intel Unison, I wish I had an easier and quicker way to use my phone on Windows. That’s why I’m looking forward to trying a new option from Microsoft.Now rolling out to Windows InsidersAs described in a blog post published Tuesday, Microsoft is currently previewing a way to connect and use your iPhone directly from the Windows 11 Start menu. Now rolling out to Windows Insiders on the Beta and Dev channels, the method follows the same type of integration previewed for Android users last year.With the latest Beta or Dev builds for Windows 11 installed on your PC, you simply open the Start menu and select your type of phone (Android or iPhone) from the right pane. Following the instructions then allows you to connect your phone from the Start menu.Also: The Microsoft 365 Copilot launch was a total disasterOnce your phone is connected, you’re able to view its battery status and connectivity, access messages and calls, and keep track of other activities through the Start menu. To exchange a file between your phone and PC, for example, just click the Send Files button. That’s a handy feature for me, as I often need to retrieve photos from my phone to my PC. More

Kerry Wan/ZDNETThe “middle child” often gets a bad rap, but the new Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus More

Over time, our PCs can become cluttered with software to the point that speed and responsiveness can be severely impacted. It’s not just the amount of software we have downloaded — our systems may also become bogged down with inert registry entries, hidden files, and fragmented, leftover files from uninstalled software. Also: The best password managers: Expert testedA clean-up every so often is an important part of keeping our PCs operating at their best and freeing up space. But is there a better way than relying upon your operating system’s default uninstaller, which may not be able to remove every component and file? Specialized software uninstallers can provide a cleaner uninstall of legacy software and remove some of the bloats from your system securely and effectively, tracking down and removing the files that default programs cannot.  What is the best free software uninstaller right now?The best free software uninstaller is Revo More