I a longtime Windows user, and have used Windows since Windows 3.11. I recently tried out several popular Linux distrubutions recently, to see what they were like. I tried Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian, Elementary OS, and Linux Mint. I was very surprised at how solid some were. Linux was always the OS I had on a flash drive in case my computer had issues. Now it seems like an OS I could dual boot with Windows.
Here is my thoughts on the different distros
Ubuntu 16.04
Pros
Works out of the box
Offers many great software
Stable
Scales reasonably well on a Hi DPI display
Cons
Interface is subjective
Maintained by a company
Fedora 24
Pros
Cutting Edge Linux technologies
Includes newest features
Very secure
Cons
Not for people who want long term support.
Not the stablest of distros
Scaling in Gnome needs a lot of work.
Debian
Pros
Very stable
Great community support
Cons
Is not the most begginer friendly distro
Some drivers do not work out of the box
Elementary OS 0.4 Loki
Pros
Very good clean, easy to use user interface
Excellent preinstalled programs
Scales very well on a Hi DPI display
Cons
Epiphany browser isn’t as full featured as like Firefox
Linux Mint
Pros
Easy to use and familiar interface
Works right out of the box
Includes a wide range of free software
Great for beginners
Cons
Not the best on a touchscreen.
Overall
Linux has matured and gotten to a point where I think it is comparable to Windows. It still have flaws and isn’t as clean cut as Windows yet, especially having to use the terminal on many occasions. However, Linux distros like Linux Mint, and Ubuntu, are excellent and are good for those wanting an alternative OS to Windows or OSX.