First off, I generally agree with what you're saying. I think the reason that most people look at Linux and compare it to Windows is because most people start on Windows, so it's what they're used to.

I live on Linux for the most part, so I've gotten used to things, but there are still some things that need some work, especially when it comes to laptops: namely, dealing with resolution issues, external screens, and power management. Most of these things can be dealt with if you're comfortable in Linux, but this stuff is REALLY easy to do on Windows (most likely because the driver support is better there, and will continue to be as long as Windows is the dominant user platform).

Anyway, I think Ubuntu has come a long way, and I'm perfectly happy running it as my main OS, but I can see what the author is saying here.