>Rather than a "small minority that can".

I'd also like to add my voice as one of those who have used linux for over ten years with excellent out-of-the-box support for hardware. Often, linux will even offer a better experience by including support for obscure hardware out-of-the-box. No internet connectivity or hardware driver media required.

I realize my experience is anecdotal. However, for me and many others it seems, linux just works.