Windows effectively switched to a freemium model over the decades and I believe Linux getting better as an operating system had a significant impact on this switch. Windows 10 and 11 can be downloaded from Microsoft's website and can be installed and used on your device without any extra steps.

I tested out a Windows install on a virtual machine and it made me realize that even the installation itself takes 5-6 times longer compared to Linux. The OS runs worse than a Linux VM on the same computer. I has first had experience of computers working better once a Linux Distro has been installed on it. I'm not even talking about some lightweight niche Distros that are meant to be used in old systems. A Distro like Fedora or Mint (which are considered bloated by some) can provide a faster, smoother and better secured OS that is many orders of magnitudes more private.

Ads You Cannot Escape*

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fdcrTf0_M4

There are some options to turn off the ads. Most regular users will not even dig through the setting to make those changes. Keep in mind that once the trend is to have ads in your OS, Microsoft could even remove the feature to turn off the ads and tell the users to buy Windows 11 pro.

Select Your Desktop Environment

What users will spend most of their time directly interacting with is their Desktop Environment. I have come to love Fedora with GNOME. There are many options available. Take your time to test them out and pick what you consider to be the best for your use cases.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSg_Phk30FU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvYDEEYiIJI

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I Prefer To Stick With macOS. (42.86%) 3 / 7 I Am Already Using Linux. (28.57%) 2 / 7 I Am Interested In Trying Out Linux. (28.57%) 2 / 7