I'm mostly self taught (with Associates Degree), and continue to learn. I have 25 years of experience in both hardware and software, with my focus on software in the past 15 years.
I was actually going to follow-up with an observation about that... because Windows itself is a new shiny. And it DOES have some nice things. But in the end I'm going to wager that you'll eventually find yourself frustrated.
FYI, I also work in a work environment steeped in Windows, and I cut my teeth on Windows 3.11.
Like you, I love to tinker, and Windows became a distraction for me. Not only was I always looking for stuff, I was constantly cleaning... I found that it's not the day-to-day of Windows that bogs you down, it's the accumulation of cruft over time which creates the need for a constant cycle of clean-up. Registry cruft, temporary cruft, prefetch cruft, etc. I found that with Linux, if things got a little slow or glitchy, a reboot remedied the situation... every few weeks... maybe. With Windows, it became a weekly issue, sometimes daily. And over time the little things would pile up and I added additional clean-up tasks. After a few months of using Linux I was amazed at how much I didn't worry about maintenance. I was free to work, but also explore, without the nagging concern that I would inadvertently introduce another glitch to the system.
But what about the issues you mentioned, with customization and the choice over-load? Well, when I started exploring Linux, about 7 years ago, I decided to take a rather disciplined look at Linux. The criteria had to be that I didn't get too distracted by the OS and was able to find solutions to being able to WORK. In doing so, I actually disciplined myself to be more focused and somewhat more time conscious. This has really boosted my ability to learn new things, new PRODUCTIVE things. Because many of those shiny things that Linux can provide actually help with productivity. And because of keeping my focus on production, I've been able to expand my expertise regarding VoIP telephony, clustered virtual systems, networking, firewalls, monitoring, and now programming. All the things that I found so frustrating to learn on Windows, I was no longer shackled. Don't get me wrong, I still get distracted on Linux... but I'm much better off.
So, I'd suggest a couple things, instead of switching OS...
1-Work on the GTD (Get Things Done) type of methodology and work on self-discipline.
2-Delve into the WSL and apply your Linux knowledge to that and don't get sucked into the Windows software quagmire.
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I do say I love Linux, it is a cross between the freedom and my own self control, or lack of that is my issue.
Add the fact that Windows isn't that bad these days and there is WSL, it works for me.
It all comes from observations of my own behavior.
I was actually going to follow-up with an observation about that... because Windows itself is a new shiny. And it DOES have some nice things. But in the end I'm going to wager that you'll eventually find yourself frustrated.
FYI, I also work in a work environment steeped in Windows, and I cut my teeth on Windows 3.11.
Like you, I love to tinker, and Windows became a distraction for me. Not only was I always looking for stuff, I was constantly cleaning... I found that it's not the day-to-day of Windows that bogs you down, it's the accumulation of cruft over time which creates the need for a constant cycle of clean-up. Registry cruft, temporary cruft, prefetch cruft, etc. I found that with Linux, if things got a little slow or glitchy, a reboot remedied the situation... every few weeks... maybe. With Windows, it became a weekly issue, sometimes daily. And over time the little things would pile up and I added additional clean-up tasks. After a few months of using Linux I was amazed at how much I didn't worry about maintenance. I was free to work, but also explore, without the nagging concern that I would inadvertently introduce another glitch to the system.
But what about the issues you mentioned, with customization and the choice over-load? Well, when I started exploring Linux, about 7 years ago, I decided to take a rather disciplined look at Linux. The criteria had to be that I didn't get too distracted by the OS and was able to find solutions to being able to WORK. In doing so, I actually disciplined myself to be more focused and somewhat more time conscious. This has really boosted my ability to learn new things, new PRODUCTIVE things. Because many of those shiny things that Linux can provide actually help with productivity. And because of keeping my focus on production, I've been able to expand my expertise regarding VoIP telephony, clustered virtual systems, networking, firewalls, monitoring, and now programming. All the things that I found so frustrating to learn on Windows, I was no longer shackled. Don't get me wrong, I still get distracted on Linux... but I'm much better off.
So, I'd suggest a couple things, instead of switching OS...
1-Work on the GTD (Get Things Done) type of methodology and work on self-discipline.
2-Delve into the WSL and apply your Linux knowledge to that and don't get sucked into the Windows software quagmire.