Correction (July 1): Microsoft recently revised a statement about the growth of Windows' total user base, prompting discussion about the future of the PC market. In 2022,...
Did that myself 6ish months ago. I didn't even allow windows to boot, I went straight to the Mint install USB. I spent some time doing mint live just to check that there weren't any hardware/warranty issues, and then I let the cleansing commence.
Do check the manufacturer's T's & C's - you might need Windows if returning for hardware issues.I take a full disk image of a new computer before powering it up, so that I can restore it exactly as it was when purchased.
Or do what I did, and just overwrite the hard drive without looking back.
pleasing about buying a Windows 11 laptop, and immediately replacing Windows
there really is! I just got a new laptop, and it really wanted me to go through the Lose-dows setup wizard crap. That wasn't so much an MS thing, rather the laptop's idiot-proofing. For instance, I had to hold the power button for a full 10 seconds to get it to hard power-off, and getting a boot menu so I could boot from USB was not as easy as it could've been.
But those initial frustrations were replaced by sheer glee once I did finally get to a linux prompt, and using fdisk was able to nuke all those horrible Win partitions from orbit.
I dual-boot Arch and Win11 (mainly for HDR), and I have no idea what you're talking about. I haven't had any AI forced upon me.
But to be fair, I made the Windows ISO in Rufus (to disable the Microsoft account requirement), and I also use O&O Shut Up 10 and StartAllBack. They've obviously been doing an excellent job of shielding me from Microsoft's bullshit, cause I literally never have any of the problems with Windows that everyone is always complaining about here on Lemmy. There are no ads, no AI bullshit, no Start Menu BS. It's mostly the same Windows I've known since 7, with some modern creature comforts added in over the years.