I've been using QubesOS for years, and I highly recommend it. Not only for security (which of course), but also for the cleanliness of not polluting your computer with a myriad of dependencies for projects you just tried once.
And of course, the high-risk activities that we all have to do at some point (now at least their risk is limited to their virtual machine) :
- curl|bash or similar
- pip install, npm install etc
- run any random github project
- sudo install the drivers of my Brother printer
- install zoom
- plug random cheap USB devices to eg update their firmware
I'm very happy with Qubes OS, using it as a daily driver for many years. It helps to organize your digital life and gives a great sense of security and control over your computer. I tried to list its advantages here: https://forum.qubes-os.org/t/how-to-pitch-qubes-os/4499/15
I installed Qubes OS last year. First, the installation was not smooth. I had to play with the UEFI BIOS settings to get the installer work. It can be picky with respect to hardware. That’s OK, but it’s unclear what works and what doesn’t, and you have to spend time searching the internet. If you look at their FAQs and forum, you will find all sorts of known problems that may arise just around the installation and booting. Then, the updates sometimes failed (and were slow, but that was OK). The main problem was that after a short while, one day it stopped booting, and I had to spend time in forums again. It felt unpredictable and fragile.
For an operating system to be used as a daily driver, it has to be stable, and reliable. The laptop may be forced to shutdown, even during an update installation. Some functions should always work: boot, WiFi/ethernet, HDMI, etc.
I would love to replace desktop Linux with Qubes. I work in Qemu VMs anyways. I would probably give 4.2 another go.
And of course, the high-risk activities that we all have to do at some point (now at least their risk is limited to their virtual machine) :