Hrqls: I can agree with you mostly in all points. Btw. chessmec said he hates windows :)) But I don´t care.
Yes, the main problem (but for linux users it is its advantage) you need to have some acknowledge and it is more difficult to understand and learn using it, but I think when you find how works all applications on it you can tweak it and use it how you like it. But....with Windows you can do that too, maybe in not so "deepest" way, but you can.
The problem of windows is it is more vurnelable to viruses, trojan horses...etc because of its majority. It´s true.
But didn´t you thnk sometimes that user and it´s behaviour (browsing, ignorance) caussed all problems and then....you can only pray .

About MAC I think the popurality is based on its marketing which is excellent. No doubt about that. But when you come to see closely on its hardware, software, op.syste "TIGER" you realised that has nothing to do with good and stable alternative. Yes, it look great, it has interesting desing, but nothing more apart that. And it is very, very I say very expensive. You can spent your money more effective using intel,amd and windows or linux. Just one example:
it use slowly G5 processors, old ATI 9600 graphic cards, old PATA hardrives...and everything for more amazing 1000$. And Tiger?
Each new uptade is considered as a new system (they are crazy, aren´t they?), so when you buy for example MacOS 10.1 and you want to upgrade to Mac OS 10.4 you have to buy as a new system. And it cost a lot of money inspite of fact it is based on UNIx system...yeah, it is the way it goes.

Any comments appreciated... (MAC fans, where are you? but not blame please)