Microsoft is pretty smart in one respect. To the general public, it's "Windows". Maybe releases ("Windows 10" or "Windows 11", but IMO they should have stuck with 10 forever). But not every individual variant flavor. Your average Windows user doesn't know if they've got "Home" or "Pro" or "Server" or any other variant -- they just have "Windows".
Apple is even smarter in that respect. They have releases ("Catalina", "Monterey") but there are no variants like "Home" or "Pro" or "Server". It's "MacOS", done. Easy to choose.
A Windows user who is looking to switch to Linux doesn't know how to sort through a dozen Pro/Con distro distinctions.
IMO Linux will never get the wide acceptance it deserves until the number of distro choices in the "Best For Beginners" articles narrows down to one "best".
(BTW, it appears to me that Mint is the clear winner for Linux beginners.)
So why confuse things? Pick the #1, trumpet it to the heavens, and if you must present additional choices, list the others as "Alternatives to the best".
I guarantee you'll see Windows -> Linux use pick up substantially.
" IMO Linux will never get the wide acceptance it deserves until the number of distro choices in the "Best For Beginners" articles narrows down to one "best". (BTW, it appears to me that Mint is the clear winner for Linux beginners.) So why confuse things? Pick the #1, trumpet it to the heavens, and if you must present additional choices, list the others as "Alternatives to the best". I guarantee you'll see Windows -> Linux use pick up substantially. " That seems to be what Ubuntu attempted, which gave rise to Mint. But that is due to the user base being different than the typical Windows user. I think most of the latter overall simply stick with default settings, and just use it for basic functions with no much of attempts at customization and enhancements - the ease and breadth of of which is still extensive, thank God - and do not even know the keyboard shortcut for the Run command nor use it.
But while I am sure there are plenty of Linux users who fall into that category, many more (than Windows users) are hobbyists, and includes those for whom the Linux kernel offers digital scribes vast freedom to create their own custom OS. Plus, no matter how much one OS is advertised, as long as there is no real compelling reason to switch, users will usually stay with what they have. Imagine if the reason to switch to Windows 8 from XP was just because it was advertised as better.
But for me, Linux actually lacks the ease of functionality, enhancements and manner of customization that I have with Windows for free (aside from my initial cost of $29.00 years ago, thank God) - now Windows 11 (but with ExplorerPatcher) and thus 7+ Taskbar Tweaker and Open-Shell-Menu. Etc.
