TL;DR I don't get why Linux users are convinced that OEM pre-installation will make desktop Linux mainstream. Especially when they themselves acknowledge that general consumers don't know or care about the OS. Windows and Linux PC hardware are identica

If you take a look at every mainstream consumer Linux device out there you'll likely notice a pattern. Android phones, ChromeOS laptops, the Steam Deck, various IOT devices (i.e. smart watches), etc. In every single case, it's not the software that's selling the device, it's the hardware. The software is entirely inconsequential, as long as the device has all of the same features that Linux brings to the table. This is where desktop Linux different. The hardware for Linux and Windows PCs are identical. The only reason to chose a Windows Dell laptop or a Linux Dell laptop (assuming they are the same model) is the OS. But as the Linux community (you guys) loves to bring up, people don't really care about software. So then why would they try to change it? Especially when the software they've been using for decades (Windows) works just fine for them? What their incentive to buy that Linux Dell laptop sitting next to the Windows one at the Best Buy or Micro Center?

And honestly, what's the incentive for OEMs to even pre-install Linux on PCs to begin with? The only group of people I can think of that would be interested in running desktop Linux, aside from us Linux nerds, are PC gamers. Valve is making SteamOS better and better for gaming by the day. I can realistically see SteamOS becoming the standard PC gaming OS, or at least standing shoulder to shoulder with Windows for PC gamers. But PC gamers are always going to be knowledgeable enough to install their own OS, or at least figure it out. In this case, I don't see PC gaming OEM like Legion or Alienware pre-installing Linux. I see them most likely just continuing to ship Windows devices as usual, and PC gamers installing whatever they want after purchase, as they are now.

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P.S. Before anyone mentions this (because I know someone will find some way to bring it up), I'm strictly talking about DESKTOP LINUX in this discussion. I understand that every server every runs Linux blah blah blah. That's cool. But also irrelevant to the discussion.