Despite the tight bond between Thinkpad fanatics and GNU/Linux users, most distributions are far from optimal on laptops without extensive and thorough fine-tuning. If not for TLP having OK defaults and similar community tools making daily-driving bearable, I would not be able to wholeheartedly recommend GNU/Linux to anyone who isn't on a desktop. At this rate I don't think this clunky mess will ever shake its server-first roots.
On that topic of server-first, I find it humourous how hordes of the mentally-warped are racing to rebuild already shaky foundations in Rust - an equally shaky language that shouldn't be used for anything beyond AI coded programs prime to leaking memory - despite constant squabbling from all ends asking them to stop. All of this going on all-the-while basic OOBE features desperately needed are glossed over and ignored for "just read the wiki bro?" is the status-quo at this point. I'm well accustomed to fiddling around with this hunk of shit at this point, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't like the damned thing to pamper me every once and a while. Imagine if there was a Windows-esque OOBE setup tool that came bundled with "modern" distros in the same manner as Calamares is for installers? Just a simple setup that automates most of the heavy lifting behind a simple GUI interface with buttons. The casual userbase would explode in the matter of months, forcing M$ to actually try and appeal to user requests again.