This is a pretty biased representation. You're assuming that there either is no official website for the windows app or it cannot easily be found, and that the

This is a pretty biased representation. You're assuming that there either is no official website for the windows app or it cannot easily be found, and that the linux app is in the distro's software center. You've presented the worst case scenario for windows and the best case scenario for linux. A recent example of one of my installation experience for a certain application: - Download tar.gz file from official website - Move to appropriate installation folder - Extract files from archive - Look at readme contained within for further instructions - Give execute permissions to the install script - Execute install script - Copy location of app launch script and create shortcut - Download icon from google image search and add that to the shortcut so it looks right A lot of steps required the googling how to do it and/or using the command line. Would normal users go through this? Would they even be able to in some cases? It's been claimed anybody who needs special software is already advanced enough to know how to do this. Ok, maybe, but I also don't want to have to, it's a pain. Admittedly what I outlined is not the normal case of installing an app. Usually it is very easy with the software center. You can't hand wave away the shitty experience for anything that's not there though. Even with the technical knowledge to get it done, who wants to? Installing the same program for Windows would have required downloading the .exe from the official site and running it.