I wish I could try the Linux CNC route but I had a go with Linux on an old laptop a couple of years ago and it's just too 'nerdy' for me. Some swear by it but it seems so much more complicated than DOS or Windows. It certainly wasn't just a case of popping a CD in and automatically installing and running it. (It may be now?)
Hi Phil,
Linux has improved leaps and bounds, depending on whether your "couple of years ago" was actually 2 years ago, or more like 5-10 years ago.... I've installed Linux Mint on a few laptops now, and in general it's been very simple, with the desktop being ready in anything from 10 minutes to about 45, depending on the hardware. Worth trying again, if you have a spare machine lying about.
As for the "nerdiness" of Linux itself - yes, it's definitely more of a "hands on" OS than Windows, but most things can be accomplished without resorting to a terminal window these days (or, in Windows parlance, a DOS box). Avoid the likes of CentOS though, or anything RedHat based; they're more industrial strength Linuxes than Ubuntu or Mint (both Debian-based), but I find them harder to manage and less intuitive through the UI.
At home, I now use nothing but Linux. Still using Windows 7 at work, and apart from the fact my network card is slowly dying, I've so far had not had to re-install my machine (unlike my Windows 10 colleague, who is up to 2 rebuilds now)...