I can only speak for the user groups I am familiar with. One such group are web developers, another visual effects artists in VFX studios. The majority of VFX studios run Linux, and the commercial software consists of applications like Maya, Nuke, and Houdini. These are the industry standard applications used in film and broadcast visual effects. Other high-level software is for example DaVinci Resolve.
One of the sole reasons for many VFX artists in those studios to dual-boot into Windows is Photoshop. In 3d and VFX related forums I regularly see users that work in that industry ask for Linux ports of a Windows/Mac image editor.
I work freelance in that industry, although most of my work is web/app related. I also create small games for the web and mobile. And I teach web related stuff as well. From my experience with other developers and VFX artists I can tell you that many people working in these industries would welcome a good image editor working on Linux.
App images solve the issue with Linux compatibility - they work without a hitch in all modern Linux variants. Download, double-click, and it runs. Done. No discussion here, Ken. They work, and installation is easier than most Windows software.
I run a dual boot system currently. The only reason for me to use Windows at this point is really because of InDesign, and testing websites/games. My intention is to run Windows in a virtual box at some point next year, and forget about the dual boot.
...about Windows 10...
*Warning Windows 10 rant*
I installed Windows 10 a week ago, because Microsoft is choking updates for Windows 7 - I installed a fresh version of Windows 7 SP1, and it categorically refused to install critical updates. It is a known issue. Some tech writers have decided MS is doing this on purpose to force more Win7 users to update to Windows 10. I suppose I fell for this scheme, because I decided to shell out for Windows 10 (no longer freely available). Not exactly inexpensive (especially seeing that Apple provides updates for free).
Installing proved to be HECK. First time around, Windows 10 installer had no issues formatting my Revodrive SSD raid PCI card, and it installed. The desktop appeared, and Win10 decided to update everything. All good, except that it ALSO decided to install a Nvidia display driver that BROKE the system. I then had to reformat the Revodrive, and install Win10 once more. NO GO - it refused to install. I was about to give up, when I decided to first install Windows 7 again on the same drive (which had no issues formatting and preparing the partition), and then I could convince Win10 installation to format and install on that drive again. Nuts. Totally nuts. (And this does not include the issues getting the partition to boot correctly in the first place in both Win7 and 10 - lots of BIOS tweaking).
Of course, after installing Windows 10 for a second time I was prepared for the automatic updates debacle, and I had unplugged the network cable. I downloaded the newest Nvidia video card driver on my old Win 7 tablet, and copied it to a Kingston USB pen drive that I had just purchased for these installation tasks. Too bad, Windows 10 refused to work with that USB pen drive. It took me two hours before I figured this out, all the while I was thinking the pen drive got corrupted somehow. I still had an old pen drive, and used that one instead - and Win10 did recognize it. More time wasted. Remember, that pen drive worked on all the other machines - except the new WIN10 installation. Sigh.
All in all it took me the better part of TWO days to get Windows 10 installed and up and running. Compared, Linux mint installed within an hour, and everything worked - even a high resolution screen. Installing the Nvidia drivers was just as easy as on Windows 10.
Next problem: Windows 10 refuses to work with my third display. Windows 7 had no issues, but Windows 10 does, of course. Double sigh. I have been unable to fix this so far. Nothing works. It might be a cable problem, I've read. But why does it work in Win 7, and not in Win 10?
Another reason I am not that happy with Windows 10: the privacy settings and problems. Oh. My. Gods. Seriously? After booting into the Windows 10 desktop, I was confronted with a start menu just BRIMMING with junk and adverts for MS office, and other stuff. Now, I would expect that from a free update - but I PAYED for this upgrade! And then I discovered that I had to turn off all sorts of personal data sharing stuff all over the place. WOW. And I cannot even turn off the data sharing completely. And Windows 10 keeps bugging me with reminders to turn on SIRI. Yeah, sure.
Did you know that if you use the quick settings for the Windows 10 installation that your machine is used in a peer-to-peer setup so that other users' Win 10 machines download updates through YOUR machine and bandwidth? (At least, that is how I understand it works.) And it will record and upload your use of applications to MS servers. I just do not feel comfortable with that at all.
And my biggest fear is that Windows 10 will at some point in the future stop working again on my machine due to the miserable fact that the automatic updates CANNOT be turned off, or even delayed. The Pro version can at least delay a lethal update until Microsoft fixes it, but what if an update kills my system? This has happened a number of times before with Windows 7, and there at least I had the option to only install updates I really know would not cause issues. Not so in this case. "Just set up a restore point". Yeah, sure. Restore, and that update is installed again. What's the point?
This morning Windows 10 decided to suddenly slow down to a crawl. I mean, it took an hour for Windows to restart, and the second time it took 30 minutes to login to the Windows desktop. No reason for this. Now it works again, and after some research it seems on certain setups the power management may cause these issues intermittently. The solution (hopefully) is to turn power management off, and run in high performance scheme.
An hour ago my machine decided to run at normal speed again, and I turned all the power management stuff off. Let's see how it works out.
In a nutshell: I hate this. I really do. I never objected to Windows before, but this time I am starting to become fed up with Windows. Linux Mint never does this, it just works - and fast. And no privacy issues. More secure as well. Most applications run and feel faster and more responsive in Linux mint than they do in Windows 7 or 10 anyway.
And what is up with that rather bland and ugly Windows 10 interface? The flat styled buttons look messy, and often it is unclear what is clickable and what is not. My wife thinks it's a throwback to the beginning of the nineties of the last century. I agree. Although PhotoLine does look better in Win10
Sorry for the rant. I lost a day of work today due to the inexplicable Windows 10 slowdown issue.
More than ever I personally would love to see a Linux version of PhotoLine.