My daughter’s computer programming classes (Year/Grade 11) use Bazzite. Asked her teachers about the choice, and their selling point was old/low end laptops would run it - making it easier for parents cost wise. A nice change from previous years needing Windows or Chromebook.

Windows 11 was stress. I was spending far too much time keeping it the way I want it - stable, no cloud, no AI. A four hour call with MS tech support (that went in the most idiotic circles) kinda sealed the fate of my new desktop build (old one had a failing MB, no choice but to finally upgrade hardware) and switched both it and another desktop the next day.

Much less stressed now, even when things go weird and wonky.

Absolutely this. I was spending 2-3 hours a week making my Win11 box stable.

Once a month I had to redo all the sound drivers, as with each reboot sound would get quieter and quieter until I was running a lottery of which program wouldn’t be affected any given day and suddenly have it’s volume loud enough to shake the house.

I upgraded CPU/MB after the MB failed, MS cancelled my Win11 licence. I realized I still was spending stupid amounts of time keeping things working, and I am very against all the AI being shoved into every Windows book and cranny.

The first week of ditching Win11, I was tinkering everything because New Shiny, but now things were working I’m not even sure I’ve spent 3 hours in the last two months tinkering.

That was adorably fun.

Narrowed down to the one I chose, and now I have my next choice if to test run.

How much of the drop can be attributed to people who were trying different distros before settling on one?