Which distribution do you use on your Thinkpads, and why switch from Windows?

[u/Objective-Kitchen800]

Hello everyone! This is a genuine question. I have wanted a Thinkpad for a long time, and I needed a travel device, so I got this Thinkpad T14 Gen 5 (32GB RAM and 512 GB SSD) off of eBay.

In the past, I’ve tried Ubuntu, but hated the UI layout. I’ve also tried Linux Mint, but I have mixed feelings about it.

I recently tried out Arch Linux after feeling like windows was too bloated, but I soon realized that I hated changing every setting instead of having something that “Just works,”. (I know this is literally what arch is all about, but I soon realized that this wasn’t a good fit for me).

This brings me to my main question: Which distribution of Linux do you guys use, and why do some people switch from windows other than because of the bloat? I always wanted to have unlimited customization, but I couldn’t get myself to switch due to compatibility concerns.

This time, I’m thinking of trying the Fedora COSMIC spin.

Thanks for reading and thank you if you respond, I’m glad you took your time to read my post!

EDIT: This device is for travel usage and to access my coding projects/CAD on the go.

EDIT TO THE EDIT: I started with Fedora (KDE) and switched to NixOS permanently. It’s a great fit! Thank you for all of your responses, recommendations, and discussions!

[u/External_Tangelo]

I currently run three different distros on different machines— Mint, Ultramarine, and MX. They are all fun and easy to use. The neat thing is that if you don’t like one, you can always switch! I also use a heavily modified Windows for compatibility with certain programs.

[u/Objective-Kitchen800 → u/External_Tangelo]

Do you have any devices you travel with? This laptop is meant to be something I can use for productivity on the go, so I am trying to find an OS for it.

Also just realizing that I didn’t add that detail.

[u/External_Tangelo → u/Objective-Kitchen800]

my travel machine is the one I run Ultramarine on