Having dabbled in enough Linux over years and still preferring Windows for most of my work, even though I make sure there is a Linux box up and running in the corner, I would say this Linux excels at extremes, i.e. powerusers and novice users who need "restricted" usage. For the rest of the people who fall into the range of not poweruser but want enough autonomy to install and uninstall various software applications, but who do not care to summon script-jutsu Windows still beats out in that experience. I not want to disparage non-poweruser Linux users but they are who they are.

How so? Virtually every linux distribution has package mangers - which mostly also have nice graphical user interfaces. I would argue this is a much nicer user experience than having to search on the web for the installer, dealing with incomplete uninstalls, each application doing their own thing in regards to updates, etc.

Not to mention the sketchiness associated with downloading and executing arbitrary installers from the internet. I bet most of us can get by OK in that situation, but your average user is not going to be able to differentiate two identically-looking installers for their desired software, where one is malicious and the other might be legitimate.

Am I correct in guessing that they all use Linux at your recommendation and ask you for help from time to time? Regardless, I'm glad it works for them. But if they do benefit from your help, keep in mind that not everyone is so lucky. And for individual users who aren't using their computers in a corporate/institutional environment with a sysadmin, the best software is software that just works without any help from a techie.

My father is 74 and he uses ubuntu. I installed it for him and he doesn't know the difference, really.

Most people are just using browsers and I don't know, maybe a spreadsheet once in a while? Primarily browsers. My dad casts videos to his chromecast and reads a few forums, checks his email.

Ubuntu just works for "normal" users. I installed it because I have to help him far, far less than I did when he had windows.

Same with my 81 year-old mom. She has been using Ubuntu for the past 10 years. She even updates it herself (after asking me what she needed to do once).