Those "feature updates" are the number one reason I kept using Windows 7 until I could run it with GPU passthrough on VM and then used that for gaming for about three years until I figured out that OVMF's secure boot support was blocking nVidia's drivers from loading properly with Linux VMs.

I had used Win98SE for about five years before I started to dual boot to WinXP and then I had used WinXP for about as long before I started to dual boot to Windows 7, so the possibility of an OS forcing me to adjust to a new way to access its settings perhaps even twice per year without getting paid for having to deal with that just doesn't appeal to me at all, especially when I still have most of my old daily drivers in more or less working condition and thus reminding me about times a much more major OS version number change was needed to alter the way I use my computers and it couldn't happen without my me making an effort to allow it to install, rather than having to find ways to keep it from installing on its own.

I tried getting into Linux a couple or few years ago. Even had a ton of help from fellow GOG users. Just couldn't get it to do what I wanted it to do - which was game comfortably.

I hear SteamOS is fixing that issue. We'll see.

Ride windows 10 out for long as possible.
Then see what he landscape is like and If Steam OS is any good\ released at all for games, and machines that are not the Steamdeck.
Mac os for anything else.

I only stopped using Windows 7 in 2022, and only because most newer games and new versions of steam need 10.

What are you smoking and where can I get some?

No idea why anyone would say anything so absurdly wrong when you can look at the source code and see for yourself it has nothing to do with Windows. Not to mention that "Windows at a core cpu level" is meaningless babble.

Deleted got quotes messed up.

This.

Yeah that's not true at all, but OK.

First, let me say that I am not a hardcore gamer, and as a cybersecurity analyst have a massive mistrust of all things Micro$oft (starting with their including malware in an update to force upgrade to Win 10 - but that's another conversation). My main box is Linux based (Ubuntu) with Windows running in sandboxed VMs. For gaming, all of my GOG stuff are the Windows versions (mainly because the Linux ports tend to get the short end of the proverbial stick where patching is concerned). All of the games (offline installers, of course) run perfectly fine via Bottles, and I stay independent of Micro$oft. My library is relatively small (120-ish titles), but includes Robocop Rogue City, all of the Batman Arkham games, Plague Tale, and so forth - and all run flawlessly. For the record, I am running an Intel I7-12700, NVidia RTX3060, 64G RAM. An added bonus is the ability to block the games from internet access, so even if they want to "call home" they can't.

And Win7. Of course Win7 didn't feature tabs, so it's probably irrelevant to the discussion, but that's how Notepad has always worked, to my knowledge. You can open as many instances of the same document as you want, all in their own instance of Notepad.

My first Linux started with a zero in the version number.

That also means I'm well aware Linux is awesome in many regards, but cant do certain things well - namely not run Windows games well.

If they make Windows 12 subscription then I guess I'll get over my need to have a Windows computer at home.

You and possibly millions of other people (and me). Either that or I'll keep my gaming system offline and running an older OS, just like I do now with Win7.

Lutris runs single player windows games very well. Modern online multiplayer games with anti cheat, not so much.

I was impressed when Bottles ran most of my GoG stuff flawlessly (single-player only), and even some of my non-GoG titles (AvP2 runs better than on a native install...?!?). The only games I have not been able to get to work to date are the original Half-life (on CDRs) and Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb (I have it running in a Windows 7 VM)

Right with ya there. This is exactly why I have things setup as I do (Linux backbone with multiple sandboxed Windows VMs running on top). Micro$oft is completely out of the loop... :) Windows 12... 13... 14... It does not matter what they do... <grin>

Wine is pretty excellent these days. And if that's not how you like it, there's Proton, too.