Originally Posted by
johnwash1
Sounds as if your trial was a long time ago.
Moreover there are many different Linux desktops, some are very slick, some are very configurable. You can't make a blanket statement "Linux certainly feels like a throwback to a bygone age", that would be like going on your first ever vacation trip and then pontificating "All foreign countries are horrible, I know, I went there!".
There are at least 30,000 free applications for Linux, some are rubbish, some are superb, some are superior to anything you can get on Windows or Mac. Naturally there are specialist areas where suppliers have gone for the biggest market (Windows) and ignored Mac and Linux.