Yes, it’s very different. It’s the difference between having a kitchen full of tools to make whatever you want (but you need to learn to cook), versus going to a restaurant where things are made for you, but you can only order what the chef decided to put on the menu (and they secretly spy on everything you do, sell information about you, “reset” your table on their whim, etc.).

A lot of people have put a lot of work into making Linux much more accessible than it used to be, but that’s just a thin veneer over a much more complex machine.

Do you like taking things apart and seeing how they work? Switch to Linux.

Have you ever tried programming? Did you hate it? Stick with windows.

Do you want to spend hours twiddling with your computer, eventually getting it to do exactly what you want, the way you want it? Switch.

Do you want to just learn which button you’re supposed to press to make things run and never have to think about it again? Stick.

I’ve been using Linux for about 25 years. Love it. Highly recommended. But it’s not for everyone.

Yes and no. Depends. What‘s you use cases? Can Linux fulfill them? Did you check that?

The situation may be different with bleeding edge Framework laptops but in my experience installing the mainstream Linux distros (e.g. Ubuntu, Fedora) is in general significantly less work than Windows, assuming you’re on supported hardware. This is because Linux drivers are baked into and distributed with the OS compared to Windows where you have to go find and install them after-the-fact (there are a few notable exceptions to this, mainly Nvidia). So basically your hardware either just works if it’s supported or doesn’t if it’s not.

Linux on the desktop has a bad reputation from earlier years of poor hardware support and general user-unfriendliness. These days though, if you stick to the mainstream distros, the experience imo is almost Mac-like in its simplicity. And if you graduate to wanting a more custom experience there’s a whole world of options to explore later on.

I’ve been using Linux exclusively for over a decade and it’s honestly amazing to see how far it’s come. Join us, you won’t regret it!

Coming from Windows, you have to forget most of what you’ve learned when coming into Linux otherwise you may hamper yourself. Volumes are not represented as drive letters, for example. The commands you’ve learned for command prompt or PowerShell don’t all translate to the bash terminal. The paradigm is different. It’s like learning a new language.

As long as you’re willing to “let old things go” you’ll have an easier time learning. There are some things that you can connect an equivalent to in Windows once you start getting into Linux, but don’t try to do that at the beginning.

That said, I suggest finding out which Desktop Environment you like first. Every distro has their own default desktop environment, and some are modified/custom version of an already established desktop environment.

I personally love Gnome because it’s simple. It has less options presenting themselves which makes it easier to learn and get your head around. It’s different enough from Windows that you don’t try to use it like Windows subconsciously.

KDE Plasma has a lot of options and customization settings but I felt overwhelmed when I tried it. It looks reminiscent of Windows which lulled me into a false sense of familiarity. I personally don’t think it’s a great place to start if you’re coming from Windows mostly because of that.

There are many other desktop environments so I suggest trying different distros out. You don’t need to install most of them since they typically have Live USB available to try without installing (boot into USB and play with it). Once you find something that you like, you can install it.

If you decide to go dual boot so you have Windows (for gaming for example), I suggest installing each OS into their own separate SSDs. If you’re using a FW13, then you don’t have that choice (but you can probably install Linux into one of those USB expansion cards or an external USB flash drive if you’re still not fully committed but still want a Linux OS that’s not read-only like a Live USB).

You can’t do the opposite (Windows on USB) because it is not allowed unless you trick it (search for Windows Go).

If you don’t game and don’t need Windows to be installed on bare metal, you can also install Linux on the internal SSD and run Windows in a virtual machine. This way you can fully commit to Linux while only booting Windows in a VM for those rare moments you need it.

Also most single player games work in Linux so if you’re not playing something that requires Windows for DRM (like the Call of Duty series), you should be good with Linux as the main OS on bare metal.

Give it a go. I use windows, macOS and Linux. Love all three and use all 3.

If you’ve never used Linux before, try Ubuntu or Pop OS. I use pop OS for my dev laptop.

Try Linux. You’ll feel lost, confused, it’s a bit frustrated at first because you will realize how much Linux is the same as windows, but a bit different. The small everyday task are going to be “small learnings” and will take longer than usual in windows. But Linux is not changing a lot against your will every major release, and all functions added are there to add something that users need, not to generate profit. In the long run, it pays off because it makes sense

Linux easier and faster than windows

Yes

If you want to escape windows, BSD or linux are the options you have usually. BSD is much harder tho.

As for linux, depends on what skill level distro you use. Debian is an average skill level distro as is devuan. I have had wireless mouse issues with one of my computers on devuan, but that could and probably is an anomaly.

Linux is for you if:

You want to escape windows badly If you are willing to learn how to make things functional in a new OS type situation, takes some patience I will admit, the first two years I switched back a few times let me tell you, especially the first.

But if you want your computer to not die within a few years due to malware, or really, ever for the most part, linux is definitely for you.

Btw, wine-staging can help bypass the gaming issue. Although, not all of them. If you like triple A games, it could be a mess. If you are like me and think triple A games suck massive dong, then you will likely not be missing much. The newest and only game I would ever have interest in would probably be starcraft 2. Currently, not working for me, but my comp is old so… yeah. Idk

Anywho, your mileage may vary.

10 years of linux for me so far, possibly more. I switched to it hoping to escape gaming, due to the toxicity. But no longer a problem for me.

Anywho, I would say, ZorinOS might be a good ubuntu alternative. It looks extremely flashy like windows whether its their xp design, or their newer ones which look similar to 10, etc… its likely a good way to get the proprietary support you want and the open source security you desire.

IF you want a challenge, anything artixlinux-like or archlinux-like.

But I doubt you do, given your frustration, more mentioning this in general for anyone. Avoid text mode installer installations is a given probably for you. IF you want to figure stuff out, you can always use virt-manager or virtualbox to test which linux is best for you. Or disk clone your windows before you switch to save all your info that you need.

Many tactics exist, hope you have a good one tho!