This Ubuntu-based distro might be the easiest Windows escape route yet
This Ubuntu-based distro might be the easiest Windows escape route yet
https://www.makeuseof.com/ubuntu-based-distro-might-be-easiest-windows-escape-route-yet/
Publish Date: 2026-02-28 14:30:00
Source Domain: www.makeuseof.com
One of the things that makes switching from Windows really difficult is habit. After years of using the operating system, you have built muscle memory that helps you scale through the day in the most efficient way. Even some of the best Linux distros for Windows users underestimate the significance of this.
I found a lesser-known Linux distro that actually gets it. For the first time in years, when I want to talk about the best distros for Windows users, I may no longer default to Linux Mint, Zorin OS, and Ubuntu. There is now AnduinOS, and its resemblance to Windows 11 is uncanny.
It mirrors Windows where it actually counts
A behavioral sense of familiarity
After installing AnduinOS, the first boot was disarming. It felt like I was staring at Windows 11, just with a different skin. The layout was an almost exact clone of Windows 11. I did not need to Google anything to understand where to find whatever I needed. After years on Windows, it immediately felt like I had been using AnduinOS for some time. I could see the resemblance even in tiny details, like the weather widget anchored in the lower-left corner.
The engine running the system is GNOME 48. But if you are not technical, all you will see is Windows. And it shows in the way you instantly start navigating the interface without hesitation; you are on familiar ground. I press the Super key, search, right-click, and pin; within seconds, I’m toggling light and dark mode.
I have used several Linux distros over the years, and none has ever felt this natural coming from a Windows background. There is still a cognitive shift, as you would expect. No matter how similar, AnduinOS is still Linux. However, with AnduinOS, this is the smallest cognitive shift I have ever experienced.
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