I used to have those programs that scan your device and install your driver for you on a CD drive. It was a eureka moment when I figured how to find the vendor and the product Ids and then use it to search for the correct driver on the internet. It was infuriating when the same model had different hardware in it and you have to figure out the correct one to get Wi-Fi and Bluetooth working.
It was shocking trying out Linux distros and seeing it included everything already.
Those programs are still around. The current favourite among PC builder is snappy driver installer. It is actually more useful now than a couple of years ago because a couple of major vendors like Intel have decided that it's a good thing to purge all drivers of EOL products from their official website.
And yes I can definitely echo your experience. When I first installed Mandriva Linux in 2003 it was quite a shock to see everything work out of the box on my 2001 computer.
It was shocking trying out Linux distros and seeing it included everything already.