On today's chart 875K views since yesterday

Linus Tech Tips asks who could actually live without Windows

Ludwig, Corridor's Niko and Hacksmith's James explain why an operating system can be frustrating and still hard to leave.

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Linus Tech Tips Story of November 12, 2026Trari Newsroom

No. 52 on the daily chart No. 4 on the Tech chart

Why this story? One of the most watched videos since yesterday, with 874,885 views.

Imagine A World Without Windows

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1:42Ludwig uses a Mac for basic tasks but says his streaming workflow still requires Windows.
2:07Niko uses Windows for VFX and rendering alongside macOS and Linux, while objecting to updates and clutter.
3:24Peter has left Windows and computers behind entirely, working with heavy equipment instead.
8:23Niko criticizes ads, preinstalled software and engagement tactics that get between him and his work.
10:45Guests identify what they would miss: classic pinball, straightforward gaming and task management.
15:34Despite his complaints, Niko says a world without Windows would not be better.

Ludwig Ahgren has a Mac for planning and everyday tasks. Streaming is another matter: "If I basically want to stream I have to use Windows right now."

That practical dependency gives Linus Tech Tips' "Imagine A World Without Windows" its central tension. The guests have plenty of complaints about Microsoft's operating system, but removing it would not necessarily improve their lives. The video has drawn roughly 875,000 views since yesterday.

Linus Sebastian brings together people whose computers do very different jobs: Ludwig, Corridor Digital's Niko Pueringer, Hacksmith Industries' James Hobson, developer Dan S. and concrete truck driver Peter. Peter supplies the most decisive departure: he has stopped using computers entirely and works with heavy equipment instead.

For the others, leaving is more complicated. Niko uses Windows for visual effects and rendering alongside macOS and Linux. James relies on Windows for general business work and Linux for hardware development and embedded systems. These are not people waiting to discover an alternative. As Linus puts it, "Every single one of my interviewees is significantly invested in another platform already."

Niko's objection is less about whether Windows can do the job than what it demands along the way. He criticizes ads, preinstalled clutter and Microsoft's attempts to push engagement. "To me it's very much a tool, and it's kind of clear Microsoft wants it to be more than a tool."

Yet his answer to the title's thought experiment is equally direct: "A world without Windows would not be better." Ludwig also argues against having fewer options. Familiar gaming support, task management and even classic pinball enter the discussion of what would be missed. Viewers have picked up that last detail, pointing Ludwig toward Linux versions of the old game.

The video includes paid thermal-camera sponsor segments. At the close, Linus returns to his own experience of switching: several participants in an earlier Linux trial stayed with it, and he says he used it for months longer than required.

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Where next?

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A different discovery todayVideo taking off 23x its usual first dayJimmy Kimmel takes on Hegseth's "doozy" of a press conferenceThe monologue moves from a Thomas Massie impeachment filing to Trump phoning C-SPAN, then closes with a parody trailer for Melania: The Series.Channel: Jimmy Kimmel Live · Story of November 12, 2026

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The facts

Channel: Linus Tech Tips
Subscribers: 16,900,000
Channel views, last 7 days: 25,839,267
Channel views, pace per day: 6,794,341 (on a normal day: 3,087,051)
Video published: November 11, 2026
Video views so far: 874,885 (less than a day online)
Video views, pace per day: 1,330,597

The numbers

The Windows discussion drew a substantial audience before its first day was complete. Comments had already more than doubled the channel's usual first-day total for regular videos.

subscribers

16,900,000

no significant change in the last 7 days

total views

9,994,578,760

views per day

6,794,341

typical day: 3,087,051

the video

views

874,885

likes