so, i gave @elementary 8.1 a good try. i can safely say that it's still not for me all though i really want to love it. but i can also say that it's the one. it's the release that i think a lot of people have been waiting for. it's great and if you were interested in elementary, you should try it!
it's not for me because elementary has a strong vision of what it wants to be and i happen to need more flexibility than needed. the lack of a clipboard manager is a big issue for me for example. but for the scope of this project, this is a niche issue.
elementary 8.1 is a huge success at being what it wants to be. which is a cohesive, beautifully and consistently designed, accessible os for the average user. it comes packed with everything most people would need and some amazing accessibility features which i believe, are the silent killer feature of this project.
this is an os that deeply cares about its user and it has to be commanded for it. it knows who it wants to target and it doesn't apologize to who it doesn't. the truth is, elementary os is not for a lot of people. if you go out of your way to try plenty of linux distros and write short reviews for them, chances are... it's not for you. no, it's for a silent minority of users that have specific needs that consistently go unaddressed by the wider linux community and projects.
so even if it keeps turning out to not be for me, i want to keep supporting it and keep an eye for it. elementary 8.1 is the release you may have been waiting for, perhaps without knowing it, so give it a try! it's one of the most beautiful and thoughtful project out there.
and if you do, throw a few bucks its way if you can afford to do so. these kinds of projects need all of the help they can get. keep the beauty and accessibility alive. 
