When comparing Windows to Linux then you have to take into account that
most people get Windows pre-installed so it seems easier to use because it
just works. Once you re-install Windows then you see the difference is not
as simple as that.

To use Windows XP after a re-installation then you need all of the driver
disks or nothing works. That usually means feeding the provided disks as
needed for some time until it was back to where it was. If you do not have
the disks then you need to search and download them. Some OEMs get around
this by providing a restore partition which includes a disk image for the
pre-installed state. No driver disks are needed.

Linux does things differently. Most of the time you do not need any
drivers. The kernel includes the drivers. In some cases you may need a
driver. This is usually the case for older, rare or very recent hardware.
There are no guarantees whether your equipment will work out of the box,
but chances are better than Windows XP without any driver disks. It is
worth the effort to find out. You should know by using the Live disk.