I love Linux but I wouldn't suggest a hard switch like that. You'll just end up unjustly annoyed at Linux and begrudgingly back on Windows, then you'll just fee

I love Linux but I wouldn't suggest a hard switch like that. You'll just end up unjustly annoyed at Linux and begrudgingly back on Windows, then you'll just feel totally sad about the state of the modern desktop computer. That happened to me several times. Try Linux, it's free and most distributions are as easy to install as any desktop application. Ubuntu + Wubi is exactly like installing a Windows app, it's how I transitioned my home machines. But if you 'dread the prospect of having to learn', you won't like it, you won't like anything that isn't whatever you're already using. That also happened to me several times, so I'd just boot into Windows for a while until I felt more interested in learning. Not switching anything is another option. The walled garden is not new. If you need Office for even 1 thing, have to do work on just 1 IE only website, can't live without even 1 DirectX powered game or do any MS specific dev (.NET, SQL Server, etc) you're already stuck on Windows for at least 1 machine. If switching between OSes is too painful, as it is for most, then you're stuck on all machines. Dependents inherit all dependencies. Dependencies are like a helpful drug with bad side effects, only what is necessary should be accepted. And like with drugs, there are distributors, consumers, pushers and addicts. Which labels apply just depends on everyone's intentions.