Linux Mint 21.3 Virginia: a great point release.

I've  Linux Mint 21.3 Virginia for a couple of weeks now, and coming coming from 21.2 Victoria it has been quite a nice upgrade. While it isn't a groundbreaking upgrade, the OS feels great.

Personally, the one of the best things that came with the upgrade is being able to verify the ISO image with a right click. Which is important for me, since I like to make a live USB of the newest release of Linux Mint to make a clean install when needed, or just install Linux Mint on a new Laptop when I upgrade my system.

Another thing I like, is that testing to move to Wayland started with this Linux Mint release. While Wayland isn't expected to come at least until 2025, the fact that testing has begun is a good thing.

To be honest, with each new release Linux Mint cements itself as my go to Linux distro. It has the right balance of offering access to the modern software without braking things by being on the bleeding edge. As such, it just works and it gives me what I need to being productive at work and access I need to relax on my free time.

I'm looking forward to Linux Mint 22 later this year, while I expect it to come with a bigger set of changes it all points that it will be just another great release by the Linux Mint team.

Linux Mint: just keeps getting better.

I've been using Linux since about 2008, when I decided to use Ubuntu 8.04 (Hardy Heron) on my laptop because Windows Vista kept crashing on me multiple times a day. And since then I've using a Linux distro on my personal laptop, and since 2020 on I also started using it for work.

Since 2019, I decided to move from Ubuntu to Linux Mint full time. What motivated the move was that Ubuntu stopped using Unity, and started to use GNOME. And to be honest, I simply don't like GNOME 3 and Linux Mint's Cinnamon is a far better option for my use case. The only thing holding me to using Ubuntu was that I liked Unity and that I was used to how Ubuntu works.

Yet, ever since I made the jump to Linux Mint I can say that it has become my favorite OS. It just works, and it does it in a way that makes my life easier. And since it's based on Ubuntu, I can do all what I'm used to do when I used Ubuntu as my go to OS.

The best thing about Linux Mint, is that with each release it focuses on improvements that feel like an evolution of the OS, rather than trying to change things just to be on bleeding edge of Linux development. That means that things just work and changes tend not to break things.

I just like that Linux Mint feels like an elegant OS, that can be used by users that just want a OS that enables each user to do her or his thing, without getting in the way. The most important thing, is that you don't need to be an expert to use it.

And even if you are a computer expert, Linux Mint is a great option for those who just want an OS that is a great platform to use if you just want an OS that doesn't get in your way after you set it up to your liking, and you don't need to be on the bleeding edge of Linux.

Unless your user case means that you need to use Windows, or macOS, Linux Mint is a great option.

NothingOS 2.5 is a great upgrade.

When the public beta for NothingOS 2.5, which is based on Android 14, for Nothing Phone 1 came out I decided to give it a try. So far, it is a solid upgrade for the device. For my use case, there hasn't been any issue and to be honest the battery life has seen an improvement.

The changes, and tweaks, made to the user interface have for the better. Even though I already preferred Android for use in my smartphones, NothingOS proves that Android is a solid base. So much so, Google Pixels are the main competition to Nothing Phones so far. I would consider the Motorola Razr as a possible option, mainly because I'm interested in flip phones and I like Motorola, but the price makes me doubt about making the jump.

Later this year, or early next year, I might choose to upgrade my smartphone. So far, all points out that Nothing will continue to be my smartphone of choice.

Android.

The more I use Android smartphones, the harder I find it to move the iPhone. The question is more about which Android smartphone OEM I'll choose at the time come for me to replace my current device.

Although I consider the iPhone to be great, it simply doesn't give me what I want the user experience I want on my smartphone. Meanwhile, I can get Android devices to fit my needs like a glove. Not only that, smartwatches using Wear OS also are a better fit for me.

Android devices give me what I want on my smartphones, while Wear OS smartwatches make for quite a great side kick.

I'm planning on changing my current smartphone, which is a Nothing Phone (1), by the end of 2024. So far, the main contender is the Nothing Phone or the Google Pixel released in 2024. And the best thing about Android, is that there will be more options to consider by the time I come to a final decision.

For example, I might end up choosing the Samsung Galaxy S that comes out for 2024.

At the end, it all will come down to what Android OEM gives me the best value for my money. And that's what I love about Android smartphones, there is a wide selection of devices.

Firefox: my favorite web browser.

Hard to to believe that Firefox became my go to web browser all they way back in 2008, with Firefox 3.0. Before that, I sued NeoPlanet, and Opera. I stopped using NeoPlanet when it was discontinued, and Opera never really felt all that good as my daily driver.

Though I've tries Google's Chrome over the the years, it just doesn't work as well for me as as Firefox does. Chrome is my second place web browser, but it is far behind Firefox.

Microsoft Edge is the only other web browser I use regularly, solely for work. Basically because I wanted to try a web browser than Chrome, and the other options available just aren't available on Linux Mint, or just didn't worked for me.

So far, Edge is working well enough that it can over take Chrome but not well enough to displace Firefox as my favorite web browser.

I might give Opera a chance in the near future, since some of the people I trust have recommended it saying that the new released have improved a lot. So, it might be a good time to give it another chance.

I'm an Android fan.

Since I got an Nothing Phone (1), a year ago now, the more I've become convinced that Android is quite the best mobile OS for me. NothingOS has only improved with each upgrade, that I've seen 3 in a space of a year.

Currently I'm on NothingOS 2.0.4, which is based on Android 13, and as whole the user experience I've had so far has been quite a good one for middle range Android smartphone. So much so, that feels a bit better than I expected it to be. It not perfect, but it's more than good enough.

So much so, that so far I'd only outside the latest Nothing Phone, I'd only consider replacing it with the Google Pixel Phone,  Samsung Galaxy S, or a Motorola razr device. While I consider the iPhone to be a great option, Android smartphones just work better for me.

With each new version of Android, the more I like it. Specially with smartphones that have the specs that best suit my needs. And what I like the most about the Android ecosystem, is that it gives me a wider selection of devices to choose from.

To be honest, I'm not against moving to the iPhone. It's more that I don't see the benefit of doing so, since most of the people I interact with professionally and in a personal level don't use an iPhone. Actually, the ones who use an iPhone are the odd ones.

Not only that, most of what the iPhone offers is not really relevant for me or Android offers an equal or better option for my needs.

For now, I'm just waiting for Nothing to release the NothingOS based on Android 14.

Linux Mint: my go to Linux distro and the one I recommend to most people.

I've been using Linux Mint continuously since 2017 not, and it has proven itself to be the best operating system for my needs. To be honest, I've being jumping between Linux Mint and Ubuntu since 2012, but since Ubuntu replaced Unity with the GNOME Shell with Ubuntu 17.10 (Artful Aardvark) update Linux Mint became my go to Linux distro.

The Cinnamon, Linux Mint's desktop environment, had all the bugs that irked me ironed out at the time. As such, making the jump was only natural since I don't really like the GNOME Shell. And since the version that came with Linux Mint 18.3 Sylvia, it only has gotten better.

And with each update, Linux Mint has proven to be the best choice for me. Besides, that Linux Mint is based on the LTS version of Ubuntu is something I've come to appreciate. It has made Linux Mint just an stable operating system, that just works for me. It might not ship with the bleeding edge of most software, but it supports the latest versions of the software I use on the regular basis like Firefox, Thunderbird, and Spotify.

Most importantly, it fully supports the hardware of the laptop I use as my daily driver for personal and professional use. And I've used 2 different laptops since 2017, and both worked like a charm with Linux Mint. So much so, that I've made the move to using Bluetooth headphones since they work for me and they just work.

And since Linux Mint is based on Ubuntu and Debian, all the software that works made for them can be used on Linux Mint. Even software served as Flatpak works well, giving users even more options.

Linux Mint is a distro that just works for casual users, and for users just want a Linux distro that works and who don't want spend time under the hood to make it work for them.