Yeah it's hit and miss. There is a learning curve and if you screw up early on then it can be a nightmare to unravel the mess.
Getting your node channels lined up properly and maintained really affects the user experience.
Experimental as it is, I've found that running my node on a Raspberry Pi has been the smoothest ongoing experience. Much better than an old laptop or something.
I think once a dedicated gadget comes onto the market where people can plug and play things will significantly change.