Yes but it's an extremely old example and not at all indicative of the environment around owning a Linux-shipped laptop today.

Have you owned and used an XPS 13 Developer Edition? Because now it just looks like you're driving around the internet for examples of things that prop up your argument.

I have one I use every day and have for the three years I've owned it. It works great on Ubuntu and Arch Linux. No complaints.

Not at all, showing that it isn't the walk in the part that gets sold even when buying hardware that is shipping with Linux in the box, and far from what most people get at best buy and friends with other desktop OSes.

It is always the other people's fault that Linux doesn't quite work, but "my system works just perfectly", when in reality keeps being the same hit and miss as always.

No, it's not your fault and that's not what I'm saying. I also think people often fall victim to selective amnesia for what doesn't work well on their Windows or macOS machines. Off-hand I can recount an Xbox app that will fully freeze my system often enough to be annoying and a macOS work machine that would completely freeze when waking up from deep sleep while docked to my monitor.

What I am saying is that most people looking to make comparisons should start by comparing Linux-shipped machines for a baseline standard. I've just told you that everything on my XPS 13 Developer Edition shipped fully working, without any user intervention. Am I the lier and your Medium article the true arbiter? That's up to you to decide. But maybe go out there and give one a shot yourself that isn't ancient, like a Framework (Framework is Linux-supported but not shipped; other alternatives include the Star Labs' line, System76, and Tuxedo) and tell me your experience. You can always install Windows after.

Both are right and both are wrong, that is the whole point with Linux Desktop since forever.

My anecdotes are also based on hardware bought with Linux pre-installed on them.

While System76 and Tuxedo are good options for technical users, the best buy audience will never get to them, at very best they will buy an Android or ChromeOS based device.