Windows is no easier to install (or even harder).
I’ve installed both recent windows and common distros many times by hand (where unattended wasn’t trivial) and found everything except latest windows 11 quite similar (including arch) and very easy. Current windows 11 afaik needs registry hacks but I’ve not installed one yet.
Yes it is possible to create disposable-isque api keys for different uses. The monetary cost is the cost of privacy and of not having hardware to run things locally.
If you have reliable privacy friendly api vendor suggestions then do share. While I do not need such services now, it can a good future reference.
Nope, these services almost always require user login, eventually tied to cell number (ie non disposable) and associate user content and other data points with account. Nonetheless user prompts are always collected. How they’re used is a good question.
Exactly. I currently have a notebook which is very well made. But it still sucks that I had to pay the windows license which is of no use : (