See, I run a stripped Windows for playing games that don’t run under linux. I update it regularly and nothing intrusive was re-added by updates. The other systems I use are linux and macOS, with each OS having its purpose.
In acknowledge that Linux is not intrusive and that you have to have PiHoles and other DNS sinkholes for a basic protection, which is hard for regular people. But in the end you have to look at peoples needs and if somebody insists he needs Windows, and you are knowledgeable in IT stuff, make it as secure and clutter free as possible.
Yea. It‘s affected, too.