> Most people that complain that Linux isn't ready for the desktop are complaining about not being able to run specific applications, so it's not ready for mainstream use.

I complain because Linux on the desktop keeps going backwards. The Gnome 3 transition is probably the most recent example of this. For me, Linux is actually further away from being a useful general purpose desktop than it was five years ago; the desktop development process seems to be to make progress then oooh squirrel.