Pop isn't really that minor anymore, specially in Linux gaming. And its backed by an actual company.
It ships with more up to date hardware support then Ubuntu.
Fair point, from personal experience would you say people tend to stick with Linux if you recommend Ubuntu and they actually give it a good try?
yes although there's an uncanny valley. I've given a lot of older family members linux laptops and they do just fine given that they mostly browse the web. At the other end devs do fine with linux anyway. Problem is still the people in the middle. Even on the most mainstream distro there's still frustration if they work with software they can't replace and that's still often the case.
For new users Ubuntu is by far the sanest distribution because it ships with codecs and drivers, is backed by a sizable company, and has by far the widest software support. Only Linux enthusiasts are obsessed with snaps.