Can't speak much about the gaming aspect and I don't know if Mac fares much better. > CS software is almost never optimized for OS OSs. CS = Computer science,

Can't speak much about the gaming aspect and I don't know if Mac fares much better. > CS software is almost never optimized for OS OSs. CS = Computer science, right? May I ask what kind of optimizations and which software you're talking about. > Simple things like watching videos and listening to music requires proper OS configuration because of codecs not being free as in freedom. That really depends on the distro. Ubuntu, Pop!OS and some others too come with non-open drivers and software installed or show a dialog on first use asking users whether they want to install those things. The barrier is low enough for my non-tech friends and mother to understand. Your experience might be a little dated. > nothing available for Linux that has a GUI is enticing to me Hmm... that's a pity. They are quite simple and fast to use. Thanks for the response