[bscphil]

Story: when my partner's several year old computer was running slowly, I convinced them to try dual booting Linux. Encountered a few problems here or there, but I could help with those. A couple years on, they wiped the old Windows partition because they weren't using it any more. Today they're still using the (now 6-7 year old) computer because it's running fast enough.

On the other hand, they ended up learning some Python and shell scripting as a result, and will probably switch to Arch Linux when the computer is eventually replaced (soon). So while your S.O. might handle Linux just fine, you also run the risk of turning them into an OS nerd. ;-)

[JohnFen]

When my daughter was a teenager, I bought her a laptop and put Debian on it, configured to mimic the Windows look-and-feel. She never noticed, until the day that she wanted to install a AAA game.