PC Master Race

Sorry for being broad, I refer to completely unnecessary and unused programs as bloat. Like the AI component and cloud connectivity in Windows' Notepad, or the Start menu's adware and the fact that it is an inefficient React app, or the big one, Internet Explorer. Last I checked in the files (which was 6 years ago now) that was still installed alongside Edge. On Linux, the easy to install-and-start distros are full of potential bloat - I mean software that was never asked for, and may not be wanted, such as LibreOffice Suite, NVidia proprietary graphics drivers, or the big one - a Desktop Environment that mimics Windows.

But circling back to AI, the fact that it is a "link to a cloud service" doesn't take away it's pointlessness, and using their models is far, far worse than using a local or even decentralised one.

I would be interested in a few other points, were they not absolutely untrue. For one, Linux was literally created by Linus Torvalds in 1991 on a budget, non-ECC 386 desktop PC. And Windows, or any software, cannot "fix" bit flips -- but turning it off and on again can.

As for any potential actual issues, I recommend trying Linux again - but a maintained distro; avoid the distros which are heavy on the preinstalled apps, because like you say, a lot of the frequently recommended ones are "just works" distros with every app one might need; and format a storage drive to a Linux friendly filesystem. I mean, Windows' NTFS usually runs fine in Linux, but ext4 or ZFS puts the system in a more level playing field.