I've been suspicious of user-led development (e.g. open source), expecially Linux. Its popular to put in new features; less so to test, endure backward compatibility, control user experience. So it doesn't get done (much) in Linux.
My cohort have a phrase they attribute to me: Linux is not ready until they get the 'Have Disk' dialog.
Eh, I don't agree. Linux has been "ready" for my usecase for more than a decade. There's pros and cons to each certainly, but I find Linux much more pleasant to use than Windows, and I like actually being in control of and able to modify the software I run. Until I can do that, Windows is not ready for me :)
Right. But the point is the vast, vast (non-HNer) use case is not in favor of Linux. For every 1 Linux-on-the-desktop person, there are what, 1M others?
Only because the disto does it for you. If they mean because the driver is distributed from a centralized repository over the internet... that's how it works in Windows too, only Windows also has the option to use alternate media and a stable enough driver ABI to have that make some kind of sense.
I don't know if API stability is a barrier to adoption or not, but I was just explaining my experience with both platforms. For me, I don't much care how many people use Linux; I just want to use my computer how I like to, and Linux suits my needs best.
My cohort have a phrase they attribute to me: Linux is not ready until they get the 'Have Disk' dialog.