Maximum PC

Capable people in either systems will result in lower TCO's. However, my brother in law is a fantastic Windows Admin, his TCO is low. Some of my finance buddies are fantastic Linux Admins, their TCO is low as well. If I were to put dollar amounts and line them up next to each other, Linux TCO will probably be lower due to its license-free nature. This isn't a hard-nosed end-all-be-all argument, but a mere 'opinion' generated analysis.

At my present job, we have a high TCO because our NetOps guys aren't as good as some I've worked with in the past. It won't matter if it's Linux or Windows, you need good guys at the helm, otherwise, it'll all just sink and suck.

I think that Linux is probably lower, but that the difference is minimal so you take whatever is easier to get. If you are buying new servers (from Dell, HP, etc), Windows is basically free. CALs are pretty inexpensive too. You only need enough CALS to cover your simultaneous users anyway.

Yeah, that definitely is a major factor. Any intelligent person could use Windows just fine for years without getting any infections.

If the user is truly stupid, then any system that does not completely deny them access to install applications is just as vulnerable as the next, whether you have to type in your password or not.

This!

My momma always said that stupid is as stupid does.

Its free. It doesn't cost anything to try, it doesn't cost anything to use for a lifetime.

Choice. You can choose and change everything from your desktop environment to your distribution. You can even roll your own.

Customization. Linux is infinitely customizable. Everything can be changed and tweaked to make it your own.

Stability. Once your system is setup things don't break unless YOU break them.

Low maintenance. There is no need to run/update anti-virus/malware programs. No need to defragment. No licensing restrictions or DRM to worry about.

There is a wealth of free software that is readily available and easy to install (on most distributions).

Sorry, I read the first two pages, and skimmed the rest.
I like ubuntu because I like to mess with stuff. I love googling. It's fun to mess with stuff, and fix things that go wrong, even if they bug most people. Like today, I had a pulse problem in Ubuntu that was reporting my sound as null. The solution was simple, but it took 5 minutes. Nevertheless it was fun.. for me . I love linux. But then again, I love to experiment, I bought Vista as soon as it came out, and I'm going to buy Windows 7 as soon as its going to come out. I'm even contemplating replacing my motherboard and getting a copy of OSX so I can get osx86. (And just because 650i SUX).

Okay, I'm done. Sorry if I repeated some of what was in this thread.