7 reasons I use Pop! _OS Linux Distro as my daily driver

Pop! _OS is a popular recommendation for Linux beginners and gamers alike. But what are some of the reasons why Pop! _OS stands out from other Ubuntu-based distributions available? Why should you consider it a daily driver for your computer?

I switched from Ubuntu to Pop OS three years ago and it has been my daily driver ever since.

Let me highlight the benefits of choosing the operating system of your choice.

Reasons to choose Pop! _OS over other Linux distributions

Note that some of the reasons listed may be entirely subjective as to what you want and expect from your desktop experience.

With that in mind, let me highlight why I chose Pop! _OS as my main operating system compared to other Linux distributions:

1. Separate NVIDIA / AMD ISO

If you have a system with an Nvidia GPU, it is not possible to get it to work New (an open source driver for Nvidia cards).

Well you get a working display but you cannot take advantage of your graphics card.

For example, you will encounter stuttering and performance issues on almost every task that needs to utilize the GPU.

Hence, the proprietary Nvidia drivers are the only solution to getting things right.

And in order to conveniently add the proprietary driver straight away, the distribution must include it in the ISO itself or offer a separate ISO with Nvidia’s newest proprietary driver available.

While you can always manually install the proprietary drivers, it is not always a flawless experience.

The process should be similar to installing Nvidia drivers in Linux Mint for most popular Linux distros if you’re curious.

Driver Manager | Linux Mint (cinnamon)

Note that sometimes you may need to fix or reinstall the correct driver (or an older version of the driver) in order to use Nvidia graphics properly.

However, if you get a separate ISO for Nvidia-powered systems or an Nvidia graphics installation mode (like Zorin OS), the tedious manual installation of Nvidia drivers is eliminated.

It’s not just about user-friendliness, but Pop! _OS always works immediately with the Nvidia ISOs offered.

I had problems with Linux Mint, Ubuntu, and a few other distributions when I tried to manually install the proprietary drivers. Pop! _OS is a breeze for my system with Nvidia graphics.

2. Automatic tile manager

Without a tile manager, you’ll have to constantly drag and drop (and move) your active windows to organize them for quick access.

So a window tile manager makes it convenient to automatically organize the active windows of any application you launch.

Of course, the experience with a tile manager differs depending on your screen size, but even if you have a modest 27-inch display, it should be a noticeable experience.

I use it all the time, even without a large monitor (or a dual monitor setup).

I’ve never used it on a laptop before, but at the end of the day an automatic window tile manager (which you can toggle on / off) sounds like a useful feature.

It helps improve your multitasking skills without necessarily having to move to other work areas.

3. Ease of use

Why do you think Ubuntu is one of the best Linux distributions?

For years it has managed to offer an easy-to-use modern desktop experience.

What is impressive is that System76 has succeeded in polishing the user experience in Pop! _OS a notch higher than in Ubuntu.

Therefore, Pop! _OS is not just another Ubuntu distribution, but the presence of an application launcher, application library, dock, workspace adjustments, and various other tweaks result in a unique desktop experience.

For my use case, it feels better than Ubuntu. Not to mention, it also includes some of its tools like Popsicle this will come in handy later.

4. Newer Linux kernel

Pop! _OS 21.10 with Linux kernel 5.15.8

Ubuntu may not offer the latest and greatest of the Linux kernels, especially when it comes to LTS versions.

However, Pop! _OS tries its best to offer the latest Linux kernel releases for the LTS releases as well. For example, Ubuntu 20.04.3 LTS packs into Linux Kernel 5.11, but Pop! _OS 20.04 LTS packs Linux Kernel 5.13.

This might not seem like a big deal to most users, but Pop! _OS pushes newer Linux kernels faster than most other Linux distributions.

If you want your latest and greatest hardware to work well with Linux distributions, Pop! _OS is a fantastic choice.

5. Application launcher

The application launcher is incredibly useful for quickly launching an app or navigating between active windows.

The ability to access the launcher via a shortcut (or maybe an associated macro as I use it) makes it one of the fastest ways to launch applications and navigate between them.

Of course, you can install tools like Ulauncher to accomplish the same thing. However, it comes in handy to have it pre-configured and ready to use right out of the box without troubleshooting.

6. Fast upgrade process

While Linux distributions are usually straightforward to upgrade, Pop! _OS tries its best to refine and improve the upgrade process with each update.

For example, Pop! _OS 21.10 introduced improvements that prevent conflicts in the upgrade process and enable a seamless process.

In fact, with just a few clicks, I upgraded from Pop! _OS 21.04 to 21.10 without any problems.

7. Strives to improve the modern desktop experience

Pop! _OS might not be a lightweight Linux distribution, but it does focus on delivering a premium experience for modern desktop users.

While there are many good Linux distros for older computers, targeting newer generation hardware is equally important.

Pop! _OS does this incredibly well when you consider that System76 is also testing the distribution on the latest hardware configurations with its laptops.

In addition to this, Pop! _OS also offers out-of-the-box tweaks that make it easy for a user in terms of the operating system experience. While Linux is about tweaking your system and taking control, Pop! _OS seems to be successful in making it a mainstream option and a viable alternative to Ubuntu that might prove to be better for some.

Bonus: package updates

System76 recently switched from Launchpad to its own repositories with the Pop! _OS 21.10 release.

It should allow them to push updates faster and take control of packages to ensure the best experience for users.

This should also make the Pop! _Shop more useful. Another reason to keep using Pop! _OS on my machine.

Wrap up

Pop! _OS does a lot of good things.

And if you are confused about choosing a Linux distribution that is easy to use, compatible with the latest hardware, and suitable for different use cases, I would recommend Pop! _OS.

The above reasons are why I tried to switch to Zorin OS and Linux Mint even after a few months.