For most home users the simple reality is that Windows is more suitable - if you want to read that as 'better' go ahead, but it's not what I meant. Please don't try and tell me that any given Linus distro is better for your 'average' PC user (who can barely turn the darned thing on) because it simply isn't.
Ubuntu is, hand them a live cdrom, the installation icon is on the desktop. It's a guided installation. It's no more difficult than using a restore dvd from Apple, Dell, HP/Compaq. BTW, some of those manufacturers will install it as ordered and it comes pre-installed already for the one's that do somehow find a way to turn on the computer. Last I checked, Ubuntu loads into it's desktop the same way OS X and Windows does in terms of just turning the computer on. The live cdrom is a scripted and automated restoration that has the capability to customize for specific hardware for that particular system. It takes less time to format, install and be up and running with Ubuntu than it does to install MS Office 2007. You are right, in that it's a unique way to install it, but if the masses can be trusted to use a restore dvd from any of the big pc makers for OS X and Windows, even my mother should be able to answer the relatively few questions Ubuntu prompts during a live cdrom installation.
Within 20 minutes or so, you are surfing the inteernet. Auto updates take care of that from Ubuntu repositories if that's required. You get Evolution, whhich is no more difficult to setup than Outlook or Outlook Express. You get an Office Suite already installed. And with the internet, you can go to Ubuntu.com and get your free tech support thru their free on-line forum. Ubuntu answers simplicity every bit as much as OS X and MS Windows thru Canonical's web site Ubuntu.com.
Let's move on to applications. If you need them, for Apple or MS OS's, get your wallet out or pirate them if you still can ? Not with Ubuntu, they are freely available thru Synaptics Package Manager or the Add/Remove Programs in, dare I say it, a very logical place for them to be, called "Applications" on the menubar at the top of the screen, one of only three menu's that drop down. If the masses are too ignorant of what applications do what in Windows or OS X, they aren't going to be any more knowledgeable in Ubuntu. So they're screwed either way. Funny thing too, if you install Ubuntu it automatically maps existing ntfs drives and makes them available. Ubuntu has full NTFS support for reading and writing files to NTFS partitions. It's been perfected since version 7.10. Will Windows or OS X do that ? I don't think they will simply because they make it hard to dual boot, which means they don't want Linux on their hardware or to share. You're either an Apple or MS guy in their bleak, proprietary worlds full of propaganda of how they are either cooler than the other guy.
Anyway, I see your next argument is that Linux, Windows and OS X do all these things, so that doesn't make one better than the other. But what does make one better than the other is the price. Linux is free, across the board, OS and applications ! For 99 % of what the world does with Photoshop on OS X, that can be done on Windows with Photoshop. So how is Linux better ? Well you can install Photoshop and use Wine to run it if you absolutely have to pay for Photoshop. Or you can run Gimp and do exactly what 99 % of what Photoshop does with a free program that Ubuntu gives you. And guess what, the next version of Gimp is free too. If one is sophisticated enough to use Photoshop at an advanced level. Gimp is just as easy/intuitive, not to mention capable. So there you have another example of an aspect where I feel Ubuntu is simply better than the other two. Ok, next, web browser and surfing the internet, surprise, all three use Firefox and it came with the OS. Guess what, we're back to cost, you had to pay for OS X and Windows, Linux is better, it was free and came with it and dare I say it, it's not hard to find, it's one of 3 icons next to the drop down menu items. Office Suite, depends what each gives you. Last I noted, on many systems Apple won't put Appleworks in the computer software bundle. Windows (read that to be Dell/HP/Compaq), they might give you WordPerfect, but it's doubtful you'll get Office 2007 with Vista, even a stripped down version. So Ubuntu, they give you Open Office for free and it's already installed. You don't even have to do anything more than boot into the desktop to have an Office Suite available in, dare I say it, the same place you can Add/Remove Applications. Again, Ubuntu Linux is simply "BETTER" !
Here's more, with Ubuntu there are "NO" key codes when you install an application, no license agreements limiting usage, you can install it on as many systems as you want, give it to your friends and family. Again, dare I say it, Ubuntu Linux is better. Ubuntu applications are unattended repository installs, they are the same as system updates. That's similar to Apple's free programs iTunes and Quicktime, but what happens when you run out of freebies for Apple. Get your wallet out, it's time to buy those application. I think you get the picture by now and you should realize Linux is better, especially and specifically Ubuntu. Want to download a dvd, get Sabayon Linux, nearly 4 GB of OS and free applications. There's another one that's better than OS X and Windows and you can download it while you sleep at night.
Sabayon Linux Project Website
Damn, I wound up having to explain it anyway, even though I tried to avoid that..
