Sure, here it goes:
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Ever find yourself diving into something new, not sure if you’re ready or just curious? That was me recently, taking a wild jump into the world of Linux. Now, I know my way around IBM PC-DOS—yeah, I’m dating myself a bit—and every version of Windows since I ditched DOS. Except for Windows ME. Seriously, who used that? Oh, and I’ve been a Mac person since 2009. But Linux? That’s uncharted waters for me.
So, why now? I’m holding this Legion Go S handheld thingamajig from Lenovo. It’s on loan, and as they say, when in Rome… Linux seemed like a fun detour while I also gear up to review the Asus ROG Strix G16 gaming laptop. Seemed like a multi-tasking sort of adventure.
Booting up the Legion, I found myself in SteamOS—great for gaming, I guess, but wasn’t quite my jam for productivity. Enter KDE Plasma, a window into this new Linux world. You get there by pressing the power button, waiting for a little menu, and choosing your adventure from there. Easy enough.
But let’s talk about this machine’s setup. It’s got just two USB-C ports! That’s it. I mean, come on. I wanted to type, browse, the usual—and bam, snag one: no USB-A. My mouse and keyboard are USB-A. Ha, jokes on me. Thankfully, I have this random stash of USB adapters. Crisis averted, I fumbled through my stuff and got them going.
It felt weirdly familiar, like a more colorful Windows, but maybe that’s just years of habit speaking. Still, not without quirks. Ever feel like déjà vu? That’s how this desktop felt—like I’d been there before. Strange, right?
Anyway, once I’d maneuvered past the initial USB chaos, I wanted a browser. Edge is my go-to, mostly because all my stuff—logins, whatnot—is neatly synced there. But wow, the download speed nearly put me to sleep. Eight minutes for a browser? Yikes.
The device’s tiny screen quickly became another hurdle. My eyesight’s not what it used to be. Enter the Espresso Displays 15 Pro. Perfect, though getting it to work was an act in patience. Plug cables here, there, and everywhere. Eventually, I got it to display beautifully. Victory!
So there I was, tapping away on Word online (because, again, I live on the edge), blissfully ignorant of the impending touchpad disaster. You tap it, and it… reboots? Yep, straight back to SteamOS. After a rinse and repeat of the crash cycle, I got smart. I opted for my trusty external monitor and keyboard combo, avoiding the treacherous touchpad.
When I needed to pull some images off a FLIR camera, I engaged in a complex dance of unplugging and re-plugging. It worked, but not without a small juggling act that felt like tech Jenga.
Did I get the review written? Mostly. If you ignore the tech hurdles and my moments of haphazard navigation, Linux didn’t completely defeat me. KDE Plasma was a curious little sandbox to play in, if you don’t mind occasional frustrations.
Let’s be real: it’s not the tool for missions impossible. But if the Legion Go S is lounging around and you’ve got adapters to spare, it’s got some potential. Just set your expectations, and it might surprise you—or not.
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There you have it, something straight from the trenches of figuring out technology in a not-so-polished way.
