If you're not doing anything crazy, there's no reason linux should be any harder to use than Windows.

Once you're up and running, daily life will be pretty straightforward.

Plenty of great advice in the other posts that I won't rehash. One thing I didn't see mentioned is using a live boot to try out linux. You can basically run it off a USB stick before you install it to get a feel for what it's like. Most "beginner friendly" distros will have tutorials on how to create the live disk. Example for Pop!_OS: https://support.system76.com/articles/live-disk/

I think it depends on what you plan to use it for.
If it's just browsing the web or basic usage (email, watching videos, etc.) it's perfect for a tech illiterate person. You have distros that just work, like Mint, or Pop!_Os (compared to distros like Debian that can require a bit of tinkering, or Arch/Gentoo where you need to tinker a lot more). I'm not certain but I think these distros work well for gaming as well.
If you have specific needs for software like the Adobe suite, Excel or audio/video software, it's still possible but definitely less accessible.

As far as the difference between Linux and Windows, I'm not sure you'd notice much if you stay at the surface. The main difference is the fact that you actually own your system and you can literally do what you want with it (even irreversibly break it).

I really think you would have a great time with either "Linux Mint" because of its rocksolid philosophy of not breaking stuff or shipping "beta software".

Otherwise a safe option would be a Linux variant with professional support options - just in case you need it. ZorinOS, Tuxedo or Pop_OS! are the most common ones.

Personally i'd take Linux Mint, which in most cases works flawless out of the box. The premium options are nonetheless also great options.

Assuming your laptop has hardware that has Linux support—wifi cards manufactured by certain companies are what typically make things difficult—a just works distribution like Ubuntu, Mint, and Pop!_OS will have a gentle learning curve for doing things that you want.

Mint is almost purpose made for people new to Linux or for people who just want to use their computer. It also has a large and friendly community around it, so there is community support, if you get stuck or confused on something. My parents, who are no tech people, have been happily using Mint for a couple of years now, with far less headache compared to Windows.

As others have said, the installation of whatever distribution you chose will probably be the most intimidating aspect of switching to Linux. It doesn't require being technically savy, just a willingness to learn and follow the procedures. It will be helpful to have your phone handy when you are doing the installation, so you can look things up incase there is something you don't understand.

If there is anything on the laptop that is important to you, back it up. The simplest way to install Linux will make whatever on the drive inaccessible. Additionally, find and record your Windows product key, just incase you want tk go back to Windows.

Linux has come a long way and is very user friendly now that even non-techie people can hit the ground running when using it. Similar to what the other comment mentioned, installing it is like 80% of the hard part. Just pick a distro that is recommended for beginners (i.e. Mint), and read up on a guide for creating a bootable usb installer. Distros like Mint make it very easy to install, you just need to know how to boot it from a usb drive.

Yes. Linux is good enough for everyone, whether they like it or not. :)

Probably the most important thing to ask before you do anything is, do you have someone who can fix the computer if you screw it up? Installing Linux means removing Windows, so if you get half way through and get stuck, you're going to be left with a computer that doesn't work. Will you be able to recover it, or have someone who can?

Once you're on the desktop, most of what you do is going to be very similar to Windows, except most of the programs will have different names. I would imagine that the vast majority of people can use Linux once it's installed, especially if they're in your situation, where they're not used to computers and don't have any habits from Windows.

It can be a great experience. I used to work in a program for teaching informatics to people who didn't have access to technology, and we used linux. The results were great. Most people who came from a phone-only background would feel more comfortable with gnome as a gui, so I'd recommend a gnome-based distro for you, like ubuntu, pop os or fedora. Don't think too much about the distr, just pick one and give it a try. And don't forget to post your experience here later.

Good luck!

Your biggest tech challenge will likely be in installing linux. So take your time and work through a tutorial.

Linux is a fundamentally different OS from Windows. Some desktop environments resemble various Windows versions, while others are very different: they might be more Mac like, or more mobile like, or completely unfamiliar.

Installing programs is generally easier on linux because the default is to use the package manager (basically an app store) rather than downloading sketchy programs off websites that all want to update on their own schedule and all want to start when you boot the OS. Just search them, set updates to pop up weekly or whatever your preferred schedule is, and your package manager will do the rest.

Troubleshooting is harder for new users but easier for experienced users: it typically requires more work that can be daunting for casual users, but it lets you get much deeper into the OS to fix problems, where on Windows you might just be stuck waiting for a patch.

Compatibility is usually the biggest frustration, since many programs do not release a linux version, so you need to find alternatives or run them in a compatibility layer. Both of these solutions can sometimes cause problems getting the exact functionality you need, whereas if you’re using the natively supporting OS it may be smoother.

Thank you so much everyone. I'm very likely going to try the live usb method with linux mint probably. I really appreciate all the advice.

You shouşd definetly give mint a try it is one of the most just works distros. great for beginners, maybe test the software you want to use on the live environment before installing, if all goes well than give it a spin.

Ok i'm reading up on this sub and not arch seems to be the consensus for a newbie. I want to download smth and just have it there without thinking bout it the way it is with windows. Not a hobby that i spend hours on.

Apparently theres many versions of linux you can get?

I'd say so - since you're coming in relatively cold you're probably not so used to Windows that you'd get frustrated with how Linux works compared to it, and if you're just using it for regular, everyday stuff like web browsing there's practically no difference.

I'm going to reframe the question as "Are computers good for someone tech illiterate?"

I think the answer is "yes, if you have someone that can help you".

The problem with proprietary systems like Windows or OS X is that that "someone" is a large corporation. And, in fairness, they generally do a good job of looking after tech illiterate people. They ensure that their users don't have to worry about how to do updates, or figure out what browser they should be using, or what have you.

But (and it's a big but) they don't actually care about you. Their interest making sure you have a good experience ends at a dollar sign. If they think what's best for you is to show you ads and spy on you, that's what they'll do. And you're in a tricky position with them because you kind of have to trust them.

So with Linux you don't have a corporation looking after you. You do have a community (like this one) to some degree, but there's a limit to how much we can help you. We're not there on your computer with you (thankfully, for your privacy's sake), so to a large degree, you are kind of on your own.

But Linux actually works very well if you have a trusted friend/partner/child/sibling/whoever who can help you out now and then. If you've got someone to help you out with it, Linux can actually work very very well for tech illiterate people. The general experience of browsing around, editing documents, editing photos, etc., works very much the same way as it does on Windows or OS X. You will probably be able to do all that without help.

But you might not know which software is best for editing photos. Or you might need help with a specific task (like getting a printer set up) and having someone to fall back on will give you much better experience.