ped7g: So once you remove one of the two pillars why I can fully understand somebody still picking Windows OS even in 2018 (although I find it ridiculous, because if you bite the bullet and switch now, find some second-class open source alternative for the SW you so desperately "must have" in windows, and start working on improving that open source alternative, within 5-10 years you should have something even better ... plus the other 10k+ SW packages already available today) - what's left? HW support? Just buy HW which is known to have drivers for linux.
Cavalary: Since you mentioned that "start working" bit, just wanting to use the computer and the software, not write it or otherwise get involved in creating or improving it.
But in my case it's this, because I would want to switch but can't:
1. Solid, easy to use but also complex if needed or desired, application-level firewalls. Some options still exist on Windows. On Linux if you ask you're told it's not needed. One, that's false if you want to control and monitor outbound connections. Two, not talking about "needing" (from what point of view?), it's a matter of wanting. Without something like Comodo Firewall, I feel like I have my pants down, so not going there. And on that matter, security software (as in the "antivirus" part too), way more and better options on Windows (though admittedly a few exist on Linux too). Again, don't talk of need.
2. Installing and updating programs just like on Windows, not dealing with walled gardens (repos). No, I don't care why it's done or why it may be "better".
3. Compatibility with games. Actually running on it normally I mean, not through Wine, looking for libraries (if they come with the installer and it checks and installs if required, that's fine), scripts, what not.
4. Gaming mice. Look for any with Linux software.
But that first one is the main thing. I'd really want to get away from Windows after support for 7 will end, and would mostly deal with #2 I guess, for #3 I'll see between dealing with it and setting up a Win 7 VM which won't need any updating since it'd just be there for said games, and for #4 as long as those that store settings onboard and can work on any OS like that will work, could have a rarely used Windows install if the VM won't work for this (again no need for updates) in dual boot, or maybe even on another computer, and just plug it in there in the rare moments when I'll want to change some setting. But fully controlling and monitoring what connects where, with prompts in case of attempts that don't match rules and advanced settings to "play" with if desired is not negotiable.
As I don't want to steal this topic completely side-ways, consider this response as brief as possible and more like pointers for further search/reconsideration/discussion, which I don't want to bring here:
1) you can certainly configure firewall like that on linux (by config files), but I'm not aware of simple GUI app for that (it's highly likely some exists, I just never sought for it, and also it may be outdated/buggy, etc...) But overall with linux SW, keep in mind most of it is free (both in price, and in what you can do with it) - what you get is baseline. If you don't like it, you can invest your time/skills/money to get something else. Similar like in windows, except that base-line being already ready, while in windows there's nothing except 3rd party commercial SW (windows firewall used to be a joke, maybe it's better now). But the 3rd party commercial SW on linux is hugely less available... so you have some point with this, especially if you "don't want to get involved", but you will pay the "price" for that somewhere (like being locked to windows), you can't have miracles for free. Once you will realize that price and take it into account, maybe you will see more value in having second-class SW solutions which make you "free" in any way you wish, compensating for lack of particular feature. (I find it hard to believe there really are no good GUI SW for this, but then again, most of the linux users who need to fiddle with firewall are happy with command line configs and need scripting, so maybe there really is no good FW GUI)
2) ?? not sure what you mean, repositories are just an option. Smooth, simple, resolving dependencies, nice to use, but optional. You can of course always download some binary and run it, as you wish, that's how GOG distributes games, you download their installer and run it on your system. You will of course run into many troubles if you would want to install everything in your OS like this, probably getting into absolute dependency hell and all sort of conflicts, but as long as you mean few extra apps installed on top of regular OS, then it works normally.
3) *some* games are native. For those it works like you want except minor details, like GOG installer doesn't install dependencies for you, but you have to copy/paste it from the game-store page... if you know what you are doing, this is trivial, but for new linux user this may be somewhat confusing. Also sometimes they don't list some dependency, then the real hunt starts and that's like bug on SW vendor side, but happens (way too often). Again, your point is valid, because *some* games only. But if you are waiting until all games will be released for linux, you will simply never leave windows. Then again there's enough linux games to play for decades, it's just whether you are willing to give up on particular game which may be not available. (and lately wine/proton/lutris covers many of those too, but I don't like that solution, it's just extra hassle... and I have plenty of native linux games to play, so I usually just give up on the win-only titles)
4) no idea about those (logitech has quite some support for their peripherals, but I guess there's million of better peripherals vendors for game mouses, and probably most of them not even considering linux support), so probably another valid point for you.
Overall, seems to me like you are a bit confused by what linux is, expecting problems where they are not (#2), while insisting it should work mostly like windows (it will not, and also most of those differences are usually superior, if you understand the philosophy behind them and align with it), and putting very little value into your computing freedom.
So I don't think you can migrate without serious issues and bad-taste. I suggest you to stay windows for the moment, but open your mind and try to re-evaluate how locked you really are, what that means for future, and how those compare against things like not having certain games or commercial SW available (or only through VM/wine/..., which is always workaround, not real solution). Once MS will push even harder for the Win10 SaaS, you will be ready to evaluate when it starts to be worth to give up on some of those things which are problems, and switch. I mean, windows is at the moment ultimate game-launcher OS, so if you are using PC mostly for gaming... then again as daily OS linux is so much superior, that the compromises in gaming are easy to accept for me.
