Honestly, it wouldn't have been a bad place to be if they hadn't destroyed it from the inside. Windows on ARM is super stable. You can still build your own computer, or at least buy one with user-swappable parts. Linux has become much easier and wasn't too bad to use even a decade ago, but it was nice being able to have a non-Apple computer running programs and getting work done that was just there to do the business. I'm speaking as one that attempted to use the kool-aid for a few years after Apple stopped using user-swappable batteries, memory, disk, their hardware upcharges are pure asshole insanity. I'm fully capable of using Linux, compiling my kernel, modifying driver source to work around problems, but, I don't want to when I'm just trying to pay my bills. Streaming media services come and go with Linux support, hardware support is often lacking until the work is done to make the hardware work correctly. Windows, for all it's .... windowsness .... worked. Until the last 8 months when they decided to put a molotov cocktail under the hood and see what happens.

Apple is headed this way too, now that they don't have SJ to errantly blow up the current tech to try something new and random (although, had he survived his cancer, he'd have just gone Musky with age like a lot of that generation has, mmmm leaded gas!) Apple will hold on just a bit longer because iOS gave them one new platform reboot (ish) to live off of, while Microsoft is still kicking around technical debt until the end of time.

Oh, edit though, I've been migrating my machines to Linux one by one now. Not going to bother sticking around to see that Windows train wreck continue.

Your not too dumb to learn linux. I know it seems scary, and a lot of the autistic people that like it will try to convince you it's only for really smart people. But at the end of the day a lot of basic tasks are actually easier on linux. There are some that are harder gaming used to be very difficult for example. Although thanks to valve, and the steam deck for the most part if it's a steam game you can just click play and it's probably going to work.

But as an example of a more basic thing, let's say you want to install an application.

Windows: go to Google, type app name, make sure it's the real actual website officially for that app and not a sponsored result or some other fake website, find the download, pray it's not buried in a bunch of fake download buttons, double click the exe, be careful to make sure it's not installing any toolbars or other packaged bullshit, finally get your application.

Linux: there are some variations (apt dnf pacman) but all of them work the same, for arch it's "pacman -Syu " id argue thats WAY easier. If it's not in the main repos chances are high it's in the AUR (arch user repository) so you just yay -Syu . It's not harder (imo) just different.

I've actually had a number of pretty average computer user friends let me help them transition to Linux because of the crap Windows is doing lately. And after getting used to the differences they agree that Linux is not actually harder, it's just different, they grew up with windows, they are used to how things are done on windows, so it seemed difficult just because it wasn't the same. But once they got used to it they would actually agree that a lot of things are actually easier.

Now whether or not you want to put in that time to learn those differences, and change how you use your computer, is an entirely different question that you have to ask yourself. But you are not too stupid to learn Linux because realistically it's not any more difficult than Windows is

Come on, you are on lemmy. You are not quite dumb.

If you can use windows, then you can use Linux. The effort of switching is not really any different than the effort of switching to Mac.

Try a Linux variant that isn't arch.

You are not too dumb to learn Linux. If I learned how to use it then you can. Start with with something simple and easy to install such as Linux Mint or Ubuntu and you will inevitably learn more as you go on. If you can read, type, point, click and observe then you have all the skills required to install the aforementioned distros.

Most beginner friendly Linux distros have installers. You just need Rufus and a guide to making a bootable USB (its like 5 steps)

If you've never had to dig into a registry file or obscure hidden folder path in Windows, you aren't enough of a power user to ever have to in a Linux distro either.