I do not care what the fuck you use, just avoid Manjaro, Clear Linux or those weird distros. Use Ubuntu, Debian, Arch, Fedora, anything mainstream, secure and solid. Snaps or not, everyone is in the same camp - pro-usability.
I suggest using either Windows 10 AME offline beyond EOL, or Windows 11 with Ameliorated playbooks, as secondary option to Linux to ease the transition and have a compatible OS for games/software.
Slowly reduce Windows dependence even if it cannot be fully ruled out. If you can use Windows offline, it can be the second best outcome.
Also, consider a separate $20-30 128/256 GB SSD for Windows. Isolation is one of the best things you can do.