[spirilis]

Having used Linux for the past 12 years in one capacity or another, I will say that UNIX-based O/S's (excepting MacOS X in this statement) are more for "power users" than anything and when introducing them to a non-poweruser/non-programmer type of computer user, one should not expect anything but be happy if they like it.

MacOS X is more my idea of an "O/S to end all O/S's" for desktop users and with what little experience I've had with it I haven't felt like it's stifled me in any way, but again I really don't have much experience with it.

Windows is what it is. I don't use it because it's a "nice user interface", I use it because a lot of applications only work on it. Frankly I prefer my GNOME desktop environment in Ubuntu Linux with multiple virtual desktops and programmed hotkey sequences (using an app called 'keylaunch' for some of them).

I rock the best of both worlds, though -- Linux runs on the baremetal hardware, and Windows XP runs inside a VMware Virtual Machine, so I can use Windows apps when needed.