Actually true but for another reason ... When my relatives ask for help on Windows I apologize and tell them I'm a Linux user.

It depends. Many people just need a web browser and an OS they can't break. Google discovered that and mainstreamed it.

A non-expert trying to use Windows on the internet in three early 2000s had a near 100% chance of filling it with malware.

When I was using Windows around 2012, when I had a very low amount of computer experience, I would commonly wipe and reinstall Windows due to how often it got filled with crap.

Now I have a couple Windows installs that have been going strong for years. One of 'em has shady proprietary Chinese factory flashing tools on it, and a full development environment for TI graphing calculators. That was my old computer; I don't use either of those tools anymore so my new computer doesn't have them.

I've found that the correct answer for non-technical people is a Chromebook. They're the most bullet (or idiot, depending on how much you like them) proof option.