Do you really need kde at all then? I started using a much more minimal setup (dwm) because of a similar experience and everything is rock solid, it's so refreshing! I was on mac for years as it stayed out of my way for most of the time but that stopped being true in the last few years -- maybe get a loaner and try it for a bit before you commit to it; I can imagine swapping out of frustration just to find your new setup is equally annoying wouldn't be fun!