[GordonS]

I agree with a lot of what you are saying, but wanted to add a counter-anecdote about updates.

We have 3x Windows 10 laptops, a MBP that dual-boots with Windows 10, and a Windows 10 tower. On top of that, I also run a Windows 10 VM.

All are running Enterprise edition (I have the Microsoft Action Pack, which includes 10x Enterprise eds licenses), so it doesn't force updates (though it can be a little naggy at times, but I think that's fair enough for security updates at least).

All machines are kept updated at least weekly, though I stay away from the bigger "feature updates" until they've had time to bed-in.

I haven't had a single problem at all with Windows 10 updates during the years I've been using it.

As an aside: even as a relative Windows fanboi, Windows 11 seems like a pointless and unwanted exercise in moving things around and making colours more garish for no reason - a waste of a version bump.

[_Understated_]

For me, the errors were rarely major although I do remember an update breaking access to my printer: that required reinstallation.

I sometimes had network issues after updates. Things like Outlook not being able to connect as the icon in the tray showed I wasn't online despite being online.

There were others, all fairly small but they were part of a pattern of worsening quality... they seem to be prioritizing looks and features over stability. Visual Studio is guilty of this too: feature-tastic but less stable than older versions.

Borked updates can be worked around: I disabled Windows update and put up with them but add to that the notifications, infantilization, less control, dark patterns and it all adds up to a "different" Microsoft than the Windows 7 days.

I was a bit of a fanboi too: Microsoft's ecosystem got me to where I am today in my career but no more. I'm done with the tech oligarchs and their increasing levels of control: Linux works really well for me and my clients use it for their infrastructure so no better time than the present :)