If he spent half the time it took to write that blog post on config, the problem might be solved.

That solves it for him. But how do we make the world™ better™?

Promote alternatives to expensive and adversarial operating systems that limit your options.

Even if someone isn't inclined to be computer literate, a shared understanding that the interface can be tailored to your preferences and that many flavors of interface exist, would lead to improvements IMHO. This is already normalized in the Linux world, but that world is very small.

Desktop shells may be the answer. I use Noctalia with Niri and it's a smooth ride. Were I not a NixOs nerd I'd recommend this setup to any noob.