You are thinking like a programmer and enthusiast would do and not as a common user.
Applying your reasoning to me going on holiday travelling on a jet:
learn how to drive and repair the car I travel in to get to the airport
learn the functioning of the air plane, maybe have a sounding understanding of aerodynamics too.
Sounds ridiculous don't you think?

My impression is rather that the other way round has to be pursued, making Linux pretty, full of colours, full of FREE software, easy to install and update and fully integrated with other operating systems, will make it a viable alternative for what is de facto the operating system(s) of the masses.
The potential of Linux is its flexibility, you can make it as slim and fast loading or as bloated as you like.
Normal users don't want stability, they don't want usability, they want numbers, big GigaHertz, humongous GB, lots of bam bam and little thinking.
Saying “you must choose Linux because makes you think” would not work at all. Saying “choose Linux and see how u run circles around your friends, those suckers” would work much better.

Unfortunately, this is the society of “Big Brother” and “Who wants to be a millionaire” , you give them what they want.

the FS will be last, that way nothing else will work until then and longhorn won't read anything linux can read so you can't share files, just watch