TL;DR: see title
Linux has many issues, but in comparison with other operating systems the only one that actually makes it a worse option is certain apps and games not working. Sure some distros suck, but you can just use the good ones. Sure drivers can be a pain, but plenty of distros do them for you. Yeah you'll have some issues with Bluetooth or wifi or something like that sometimes, but no more often than on windows (mac too probably but I've never used Mac so idk).
Maybe you hate how windows is set up, maybe you hate how some de is set up, just use one that you like. Dont like gnome? Well despite many distros using it, it is not the only option. Try kde, try cinnamon (I hate it but it would be unfair to ignore it), try cosmic when it comes out or popshell in the meantime. Don't want to lose your current os and be stuck here? Use a VM or dual boot.
All that works fine, it just takes a second to set things up how you want them to be and then you can just use your computer. With a "beginner" distro (I'd recommend pop os, tuxedo os, or mint) cli should be optional in everything you'd actually be doing. The only thing that is a genuine problem with Linux as a whole is that a lot of apps and games just aren't compatible, be they a less popular app who's users rely on it or a really popular game that refuses to enable Linux compatibility in EAC.
I know that projects like wine (and proton) are around and are making a lot of progress here, but this problem still remains the only one that an average user with a distro intended for normal use will be expected to deal with. What do y'all think?
Edit: fixed(?) spacing, hopefully it's easier to read now
Edit 2: wanted to add that as far as I've seen, most of the time people have like one app that doesn't work or doesn't work properly while everything else works fine, and they are either unable or unwilling to switch.
Linux is the best it’s ever been but it’s still too complicated for normal people. Most people don’t even know what a VM or a driver is. I would disagree that drivers are no more of an issue on Linux than Windows. You can plug upwards of 99% of devices into Windows and they’ll just work. Barely and vendors provide support for Linux, not that that’s the fault of anyone really. I can understand why vendors don’t want to commit resources and Linux can’t have built in support for everything.
I haven't had any device that wasn't recognized by Linux in 15 years. Do you have examples of hardware that "normal people" use and does not work?
Archer T3U, a usb WiFi adapter.
One example would be the Xbox wireless controller adapter for PC. All my friends use it and so do I, and the first thing I noticed after switching to Linux was that was not plug and play.