I’m all for tinkering but as we know, Windows is not “ours”, it’s Microsoft’s and they allow us to use it under their terms. Google-owned Android is just pure shite. If you don’t believe me, feel free to make an offer on the 6” tall pile of useless Android tablets I’ve bought over the years that ultimately self-destruct and can’t be restored, despite many hours of dinking around in with Android Studio, apk-bridge and all the rest of their tools. You can’t restore a turd.
You seem like a glass half empty kind of person.
The best way to make Windows or Android “yours” is to actually get the devices or operating systems to do what you want it to. I appreciate the customization opportunities with Android but many have difficulty dealing with many of the Linux distros various eccentricities.
I never get rid of any electronic item because we have lots of storage space and I occasionally like to go back and play with my old devices. So, I have a large collection going back to the late 1970s including some very rare and interesting items. I appreciate each and every item for what they are.
All of the Android and Windows tablets that I still have with the exception of a Barns and Noble Nook with a bad digitizer are mostly still working. Of course, the weak point in nearly all old portable electronics are the batteries and the capacitors in the power supplies.
Google doesn’t really “own” android. Most androids come bundled with Google Play Services since most people use them, but you don’t have to. If your bootloader is unlocked (admittedly uncommon since OEM’s don’t want to warranty accidentally bricked phones), you can install a custom, completely degoogled android OS like Graphene or Lineage.
It’s not android’s fault that some fly by night Chinese companies installed it on basically disposable tablets. That’s like blaming gasoline for the Ford Pinto falling apart in your driveway.