BillD - I have a very similar view, but I started earlier. I didn't like Vista's licensing terms, so I stuck with XP. The terms for later versions were even worse and in 2009 I decided to take a serious look at Linux. I found a distribution I liked (MEPIS) and started migration using a dual-boot system. MEPIS is now dormant but it's successor, MX-15, is a great operating system.

I'm also past my allotted span, but with the help of a very active community forum I was comfortable in Linux in a couple of months. I now have XP running on a virtual machine for a couple of programs I need.

I've recently had dealings with Win8.1 and Win10 and I'm very glad I don't have to deal with them on a regular basis. One of the most frustrating aspects is updates - a simple update of a couple of programs on Win8.1 took nearly 15 minutes, plus a reboot. The same thing on Linux takes less than a minute and I haven't rebooted in weeks.

Phil