Define "desktop". To me, a minimalistic desktop that is lightweight and leaves plenty of system resources for programs to run is a better "desktop" than a bloated memory hog like Windows (and even the heavier "desktop environments" in Linux) can be. I prefer fluxbox/blackbox/ratpoison to KDE/gnome/xfce/etc...I run fluxbox on my OpenBSD desktop at work that has 2 GB RAM, even though it takes less than 100 MB of RAM when sitting idle. I find it easier to hit Ctrl-T and type out CLI commands manually than navigate 15,000 wizards/menus/windows/dropdown/tabs/buttons/whatever to accomplish some task. It's the same reason I prefer vi to graphical editors.

So superior for who?

Windows = chew ram, linux = not so much.
(Discount 64 bit because it always chews ram).

Exactly.

As I linked to before:

https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+bug/1

Innovation is an extremely major goal for FOSS.

To me, a good desktop is one that is easy to customize, fast, easy to hack, unable to interfere with the user's work, good-looking, and quick to load. Only GNOME Shell fits that description.

I've heard good things about it, GNOME 3.0 will have it as an default, but never seen it in real life. It looks too flashy for my taste. Old GNOME is good enough to me.

I went through a Beryl stage where everything was flash and bling and such...then I realized I was spending more time oohing and ahhing over the eye candy and not getting anything done, so I switched back to fluxbox haha.

There is no such thing as which OS is better. The real answer is which OS is better for you. Everyone has their own criteria why they use the OS of their choice.

You claim linux is an inferior desktop. Those are your words. Your experience with linux. But there are others who have success with linux as a desktop. Personally, I've done very well using linux.

Linux+ magazine (January 2010) issue, which I have, did a feature article called "Linux Movies". The article talks about Hollywood deploying linux workstations and the popular software used like Maya, Renderman, SoftImage, Houdini, Combustion and Nuke to make the special effects and more.

Here's a list of movies in the magazine article.

Star Trek (2009)
Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen
Xmen Origins: Wolverine
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
Monsters vs Aliens
Disney's UP

There are more movies that was done in linux. Do a google search like linux hollywood and you will see more articles and more movies done with linux.

Yes, windows has the desktop market share. But don't discount linux as a desktop. There are people and industries using linux in a desktop/workation environment than you may realize.

^
Smeeze, this is the very code that was compiled into the ELF I wanted you to run. Sorry, I really wanted mattvdh to see, since it was his post I used the carat on.

Blessed are the righteous conspirators against proprietary software that businesses wrongfully call "pirates".

Umm, piracy is wrong, which is one of the things I love most about gnu/linux and foss software. I'm in the sun. More than that, in the tiniest most insignificant way I contribute (just a smidge) by running dev, beta, and even alpha software, and by sharing what little I know about how it all works with someone that knows a little less than me.

Having said that, I do know real pirates, that praise M$ and call linux/foss software communism (not meant as a compliment) and act as though it is just half assed, stolen code, yet don't own a single legal copy of that wonderful M$ software they so staunchly support as great American captialism. They have various justifications for circumventing the licensing. The consider FOSS programmers to be stealing from companies like M$ by offering software free of charge. I'm assuming that's what you actually meant.

Well, simply put, FOSS is freedom. Communism is not. Where M$ got that idea I have no clue.

And yes, I actually meant the M$ lawsuits that falsely, wrongly and unlawfully accused Linux/FOSS of patent infringement. Here's the problem: M$ trying to advocate software patents in the first place! M$ doesn't care who they harm, basically M$ is a bull in a china shop.

Try watching mythbusters...
A bull does basically no damage to a china shop LOL.

Here's a fun exercise for you. On your Windows system, check the versions of all your programs - everything on the start menu. Then look up the programs online, find out what the latest version is, and find out how many security vulnerabilities there are in your version that aren't in the latest version.

Unless you've paid special attention to keeping everything up-to-date, or have very little non-Microsoft software installed, it's likely this number will be high. It will almost certainly be high on Joe Luser's system.

Then, know that most malware attacks infect systems with vulnerabilities that have been patched - but the patch hasn't been installed.

Finally, the majority of Linux systems will update all software present, using one update manager program. (Apt, yum, emerge, pacman, whatever). Perhaps the biggest problem with Windows is not a problem at all for Linux.

again the minimum requirements to run XP is a a 233mhz w/ 64MB RAM. How is this bloated? It runs great on a 1ghz CPU w/ 1GB RAM.

I don't think you are accustomed to the Windows workflow environment and that's why you seem to prefer typing, which is fine, but just because you aren't used to it doesn't the process any faster. Why are you running the wizards anyway (besides for program installations)? Those are for noobs, you can use cmd's and there's plenty of shortcuts.

If you're a programmer then Linux might make sense for you, but if you use software as a tool and for entertainment Windows is clearly the better OS. Linux is not designed for the end-users, where as MS has designed it to be noob proof.