This article is well written and says what needs to be said. To me, the only reason that Windows is easier to install than Linux is that when you buy a computer someone has already done it! If you have to do both yourself, then many modern distros have the lead over Windows in terms of ease of installation.

I recently installed PCLinuxOS Mini-Me 2008, and I added tons of packages. Using the "mklivecd" script, I created a live DVD. I ran the live DVD on my friends laptop, but we could not get a graphics screen. We tried again, using the Vesa Video Safe Mode, and, while still running live, set up the wireless internet and installed the ATi driver and got the correct resolution using the wonderful Control Centre that is used by PCLOS and Mandriva.

We were spinning compiz-fusion desktops, etc in no time. Needless to say, we installed it alongside WinXP as a dual boot.

Could you imagine that in Windows? Creating your own private distro if you like, passing it you your friend, running it live from a CD whilst you sort out a recalcitrant video system, and once sorted, play with it a while, before installing.

By the way the installation itself took about 15 minutes.

One of the advantages of continuous software updates is that when you add another program (from Synaptic?) the people looking after your distros repositories can ensure that programs are using a consistent and contemporaneous set of library programs, thus maximising stability. Compare this with dll hell in Windows.