Windows is pushing towards a model where it is dependent on an external server when the OS is installing. It may never fully get there, since people will always want to join windows machines to domains, which is the one bypass that still works.
Linux long ago switched to a model where it is dependent on an external server every time you install anything (package managers). From what I've seen, if you ask for help on actually installing something yourself you'll usually get told to use a package manager instead.
Of course you can always compile from source and manually resolve dependencies on Linux, but that feels like a lot more work that bypassing some account creation. So, for me, Windows actually feels like the better option for a system actually under your control.
Eventually it will become a cloud OS and you'll be expected to pay a licence (with the purchase of your computer or a boxed copy) and an ongoing subscription fee to use it like with Microsoft 365. I expect Apple to go the same way.
Windows is pushing towards a model where it is dependent on an external server when the OS is installing. It may never fully get there, since people will always want to join windows machines to domains, which is the one bypass that still works.
Linux long ago switched to a model where it is dependent on an external server every time you install anything (package managers). From what I've seen, if you ask for help on actually installing something yourself you'll usually get told to use a package manager instead.
Of course you can always compile from source and manually resolve dependencies on Linux, but that feels like a lot more work that bypassing some account creation. So, for me, Windows actually feels like the better option for a system actually under your control.
Eventually it will become a cloud OS and you'll be expected to pay a licence (with the purchase of your computer or a boxed copy) and an ongoing subscription fee to use it like with Microsoft 365. I expect Apple to go the same way.