I consider that the core of Windows (the NT kernel and win32 api) is actually a very polished gem but it is encased in layers of upon layers of barely polished turds ( winui, the win11 shell, the over agressive telemetry, forced ms635 integration, etc..)

Makes sense, given that allegedly Windows NT is very much next gen OpenVMS... https://www.itprotoday.com/server-virtualization/windows-nt-...

The kernel might be a polished gem but win32 API?

Practical is a term I'd use as win32 has managed to survive to this day but that came with a boatload of hacks and problems. It's ugly.

When you run Steam games on Linux that mostly goes via a version of Wine, which implements win32.

Yes, win32 is ugly, and so is x86.

The kernel is fine, it's all that crap they keep shoving into userspace that's the issue.