I understand the distinction between Windows-based
"executables" and Linux, but when I say executables, I'm referring to
the graphical environment whereby you can click on an icon or the name
of an application and have it open (hence "execute" a program). Why
wouldn't that terminology also be ok in Linux, even though all
"executables" cannot be identified by their suffix, as they can be in
Windows? To me, comparisons between Linux and Windows are valuable by
pointing out the similarities and the differences because new users
really won't learn Linux well without being able to make the
comparisons, it seems, unless they have never used Windows in the first
place.