I DON'T NEED WINDOWS ANYMORE. ONE FINAL TOOL FREED ME FROM MICROSOFT

IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME COMING, BUT EVERYTHING I RELY ON FOR WORK IS NOW COMPLETELY SEPARATE FROM THE WINDOWS OPERATING SYSTEM.

- BY MICHAEL CRIDER

I've been using Windows for as long as I can remember. It was on the very first PC I recall using, literally on my father's knee. But I don't need it anymore. That's a weird thing to say as a writer for a site named PCWorld. But it's been a long time coming, a slow mix of broad tech trends, feeling betrayed by multiple brands, and a little bit of intention on my part.

To be clear, I still use Windows. It's what I'm using right now to type this, on a beefy gaming desktop (fave.co/4coDMI2) I assembled myself, with triple monitors and all sorts of geegaws attached. But I don't need all that anymore, and for the first time in my adult life, I can see myself transitioning to an entirely different operating system.

That's a big deal for me, and I suspect I'm far from alone. Microsoft might want to make a note of it.

WHY I DON'T NEED WINDOWS

So here's what I mean when I say that I don't need Windows anymore: Every tool, program, and piece of information I rely upon is now essentially separate from whatever machine I'm using at the moment.

I'm writing the words you're reading right now in Google Docs. When I'm done, I'll edit them in WordPress. Throughout my workday, I'm talking with my coworkers and bosses on Slack and I'm chatting with my friends via text, WhatsApp, and some other platforms. I'm managing my own to-do list in Google Keep, updating my work tasks in a tool called Monday, and checking personal and professional email in Gmail and Outlook, respectively. I'm keeping an eye on news and social trends in BlueSky and The Old Reader for RSS.