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As for your C++-to-Java example, I now understand what your idea of 'flexability' is. It's not just learning how to do the same thing you were doing before in a different enviroment (ie - learning how to write letters in Open Office instead of Word), it's learning how to do something completely different because your OS isn't up to the task of doing what you were doing before. I know that in your case, it was more a case of your pocket book than it was the OS or its apps, but your example still applies. If I make a living writing database frontends in Visual Basic.NET, I can't do that in Linux. Flexability would be picking up a Linux alterantive that would allow me to write VB.NET apps using a different tool. But as it stands now, I'd probably have to pick up on Kylix, basically having to learn an entirely different language (Pascal or C++). That is NOT flexability .. that's pretty much abandoning everything you know, and that is NOT a workable solution for a lot of people.

Finally, you made this comment, "...Oh, you can do all the things in Linux that you can do in Windows". I'm sorry Darius, but it is true.

Ok, so you're telling me that every piece of hardware that currently runs under Windows (and I'm talking about mp3 players, scanners, printers, digital cameras, drawing tablets, PDAs, and even down to that toy mouse my friend recently bought his daughter that interfaces with the computer) will work under Linux as well? And are you telling me that every single piece of software that has ever been written for Windows has a (functional) Linux equivalent? Even if the answer is yes to both questions, certainly you would admit that in a lot of cases, your options in Linux are severaly limited by comparison?
I agree with you that you don't need Windows or Word to write letters, but I also think your belief that Most users check email, write documents, balance a checkbook, play Freecell, etc is a bit misleading. This does accurately describe most people, but from my experience, it's only about 60-70% of what a 'normal' person does on their PC. The big question is, is Linux going to have problems with the other 20-30%, and from my person observation, the answer is yes. For example, my friend likes to create & print calenders with Winnie the Pooh characters all over them. How the hell do you do this in Linux? Unless Di$ney has licensed some company to create a software alternative for Linux, I highly doubt it is possible. I know, it seems like a really bad excuse to stick with Microsoft, but then again, it is one of her 'killer apps', and everybody certainly has their own killer apps.
Yes, I am completely aware that Windows can't do everything Linux can, but I never made this claim either.