I believe you can simply zoom, using ctrl-+ or ctrl-scroll wheel. It's a common pattern that works across applications in windows and OSX, but for whatever reason isn't implemented in the file menu of Ubuntu systems. Maybe for open-source-y political reasons or maybe because component X of Y system included in the file menu already uses that shortcut. It doesn't matter - the existing knowledge of how to zoom in is useless, and you're stuck figuring out the new system.

Again, it's just one example. Others are far worse: try to figure out how to play a song or some other audio into a skype call by piping data directly into the mic input channel. It's pretty trivial in windows, and there are third party tools with easy to understand GUIs if you can't figure it out on your own. On Linux you'll be futzing with jackd configs for hours.

In many FOSS applications ctrl -/+ works too. I've had to mess around with audio and video on Windows too, it's not pretty. It definitely does not "just work". I've never needed to pipe data into a mic input channel on Linux. These days one probably wants "pavucontrol".

I don't like arbitrarily changing UX either, but it's not like Windows doesn't have that problem. I had massive switching headaches moving to the new "ribbon" based stuff in Microsoft Office.

Of course neither side is perfect, but I am thoroughly unconvinced by the "unusable" argument. THere are definitely biases with ignoring the headaches that Windows forces upon users.

Nobody in this thread said that linux is unusable.

OK I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt an assume you don't use Linux much... But both of your examples are not accurate.

For your first example ctrl double swipe on my trackpad works pretty much everywhere and ctrl +/- works everywhere except my terminal where ctrl-shift +/- does the job.

As for your second. This is not a common use case that any non-technical person would even think of trying. If you needed to I would suggest ignoring jackd (whatever that is) and using the gui for pulse audio control.

ctrl-+ does not increase font size in the file menu. Try it. Icons get bigger, font size remains the same. If you can find a way to increase the font size, even with unity-tweak-tool, I'll eat my hat.

The second example is used by people who play video games all the time. People do it for skype/ventrilo calls during gaming sessions constantly. It may not be a common use for _for you_ but it is not as rare as you appear to think.

You want to change your gui window fonts right? On XFCE you type appearance into the whisker menu and go to the fonts tabs. I'd never wanted to do this before but it took all of 10 seconds to figure it out. No idea how to do it on windows/unity/osx etc but I'm sure I could figure it out within a similar time.

My neighbor, son, daughter, friend, mailman all probably can provide an answer?

I do IT support in the small town I live in. I always advocate Kubuntu / Ubuntu / Gnome (I just throw them at it for 10 mins each and whichever one they like most they get) and they are no more capable of fixing something wrong with their computer on those distros than on Windows.

But at least I can ssh into their rigs after the fact and fix them remotely. Trying to get them running teamviewer every time there is a problem on Windows is a nightmare.

Also consider the #1 reason I get called is because people install some virus or spyware or clickjacker by clicking and running random stuff off the Internet. On any Linux based distro none of that stuff works so what ends up happening is my repeat customers every 2-4 months are Windows users and the dozen or so clients I have using some flavor of Ubuntu might email me once a year like "can I run X?" and I just go look on playonlinux if its supported or not. Libreoffice opens all the old Doc and XLS files fine, their printers work, their wifi works, they can use their crappy 1995 webmail client from their ISP no problem, and they even get neat perks like having their phone rings show up in their desktop notifications if they use KDEConnect.

Please, do provide an answer. And I mean a real answer of real things they actually did, that is comparable on Windows and Linux, as opposed to marketing crap someone else told them about that they then mis-stored in their own heads as false memories.

My experience is that there is no substantial difference in the amount of "fucking around" you have to do with Windows or Linux. I had to install custom graphics drivers from third party sites, install custom keyboards, mess around with random settings, especially after upgrades between different OS versions.

Please show me an actual study instead of talking about personal anecdotes.

You have provided personal anecdotes to support your position and demanded "actual studies" to refute your position.

I do not think you are truly interested in changing your mind.

I provided personal anecdotes in response to other personal anecdotes. The point is to show that these types of arguments are flawed - of course I won't change my mind in response to others' anecdotes, when my own are different - will you?