As noted on GoodDesktopDistributions?, every distribution that exists only as a "desktop Linux", simply tries to be Windows.

LINUX IS NOT WINDOWS

As soon as people take this idea and realise that they are not locked down into simply trying to emulate what Windows is and does, they'll get much further. It's what makes MacOSX so successful.

Important differences between Linux and Windows

• Linux is built on the CommandLine and the UnixWay. If you can do something in a graphical program, chances there is a scriptable text mode way of doing the same thing, probably using the same library.
• You should never have to reboot unless you're replacing your kernel or changing hardware.
• Software won't just stop working for no apparent reason, requiring a reinstall, on Linux.

• You (can) know precisely what your computer is doing at every point.

  1. You can look at a process list and be able to name exactly what all the processes are, what they are doing, what the consequences of shutting them down would be1?
  2. you can look at a file and know what it's used for and what the consequences of changing it would be. Since most files are plain text, you can edit them with any text editor (and, as with point 1, you can select which text editor to use, vi(1)/emacs(1)/pico(1)/nano(1)/jed(1)/...
  3. If you really want to know, you can read the source (then wiki about your experiences so everyone else can benefit!)
• Theres more than one way to do it. (Although not all the ways are sane)
• No dependance on a GUI, The machine is perfectly usable via a CLI only.
• Multiple users can use one machine simultaniously

1?: for example

• Shutting down cron(8) would mean scheduled tasks would not be actioned.
• Shutting down inetd(8) would mean that many network servers would not be available.
• For most processes you can just type "man(1) psname" to find out what they're for, and that is certainly not like Windows. -- JaredWigmore?