Only system updates, of course, as app updates don’t require rebooting.
In any case, the “drop people on an empty desktop” approach has been a point of contention for a while; I still remember user testing done 5-6 years ago at Endless, with people not really understanding how to launch applications with GNOME; people were familiar with phone/tablet launchers, and even with Windows and its big “start here” button.
Showing the applications grid was one of the first changes Endless made at the time, and it was pretty clear in multiple cases that it helped people moving forward with what they wanted to do with their computers.
Not everyone has a Zen-like predisposition to an empty initial state.
Of course, the pendulum swings, and some people are upset; but before using the five most terrifying words in free software (“just make it an option”) maybe we can iterate a bit, and try to see if this change does improve things.