you can pretty much just read the headlines:
https://www.npr.org/2006/10/12/6252448/hp-spying-scandal-offers-window-into-board-battles
https://www.pcmag.com/news/hp-accused-of-quietly-installing-spyware-on-windows-pcs
https://www.cio.com/article/260587/hp-spying-scandal-a-timeline.html
this is all ignoring their bricking of their own printers when you try to use 3rd party ink, though widespread enshittification is making that particular bullshit more common among different brands
it took me forever to work up the gumption to ditch the thing i’d been using for decades too-- as someone who knew zero about linux (and still don’t know much more than zero), seeing other people in similar situations make that switch definitely helped me to take the leap of faith. now windows is gone and i’m never looking back