I'm afraid that Linux is still not ready for prime time. Here's the
problem: The product or service that is first on the scene gets to set
the expectations. Well, not the first, but the first to capture the
public immagination. The Eight bit computers were cheap enough to
capture the imagination of folks who could not afford the more expensive
ones. But they also got people accustomed to what computers could do.

A funny aside is that I used to buy stuff for my Commodores in a toy
store. :-)

Back to why Linux is not yet ready for prime time. The early distros
suffered from not having drivers and such. I gave up on them. By the
time I tried my first Ubuntu distro Linux was more of an option to me
than it had earlier. But I never installed any of the earlier versions.
I did install Ubuntu 10.10. I used a spare HD on my main computer.
[Right now the side panel is off so that I can easily swap hard drives.]
But the 10.10 Ubuntu cannot run lots of av files that are standard in
the PC world. The problem that the johnny come lately's is that we
already have needs and expectations.
Yes, there are many, many apps available that will do the things that PC
apps do. But long time computer users can't/won't just dump their files.
Those who use alternative operating systems and/or hardware like to say
that those who use the mainstream ones are sheep, blindly following the
majority. I say, if you like using those products, find. Don't trash
those who follow the path of least resistance. Better the devil you
know than the devil you don't know.