Primarily because the CAD app I use (Rhino3D) doesn't have a native Linux version ('tho it supposedly runs on WINE), and the CAM software doesn't seem to have anyone running it on Linux.
Plus, at the outset of another startup, we decided to go Open-Source everything, and tried to setup a real-time version of Linux and the CNC control software. All of it supposedly up and running with only a few dozen steps to setup in the people supposedly running it. Despite decades in networking and a bit of Linux experience, I quickly got swamped in the massive undocumented bugs in setup/config/complile, and brought in a guy who had a full-time Linux shop, and who I knew from working with him previously that he was very good. He thought 'it's a new version, but no problem'. A month later, we still had nothing running and the investor/partner pulled the plug. So the swamp of poorly-documented / undocumented / mis-documented hiccoughs literally killed that startup — death by 1000 cuts.
Sure, it is probably better now, 15 years later. But so is this environment, UNLESS they tie it to another online acct.
So, basically, I'm pretty much now in the business of slinging atoms instead of bits, and the overhead is no fun, and just not worth it (yet). Plus, the overhead of working around the MS carp turned out to be pretty small. Just disable the Wireless at the right time in the W11Pro install (I think it is worse in teh Home version).
Games are the main reason for me. I want max performance on my high end gaming pc and I want all the things to just work, including 7.1 surround sound (and atmos later) and HDR and gsync and all my accessories and all the anticheat etc.
I know valve have done great stuff but is it good enough yet to run everything on a AAA game on 4k ultra with hdr, gsync and 144hz?
HDR no (although it's progressing). 4K Ultra, gsync and 144Hz on a AAA game, yes. Anti-cheat is going to continue being a problem so long as Microsoft allows these kernel level things and devs keep doing it.
I left windows for ps4/5 and mac a decade ago but have been toying with the idea of a beefy proxmox server with pci passthrough for a nice windows gaming setup which going by LTT videos is more then capable enough to run AAA game. It’s still windows but at least it’s a vm and your hardware can be shared with a primary Linux desktop vm etc
Not yet at all anticheet just working but you may be surprised. Where Wine works it can even give higher framerates; rarly lower. Whilst I am sure some accessories are better in windows; an old gameport Sidewinder (ms hardware) works better in Linux.
Sounds like a huge pain to deal with. Why not switch to Linux and be done with it? Genuine question.