Operating Sytems - The Windows Syndrome

I've been around long enough to experience just about every computer operating system that has come along. Many experiences with various operating systems were short lived. I attributed their short life to my not liking change. After pondering on it for some time I now realize change wasn't the reason. There are two factors that actually discouraged me from giving an operating system a good chance to prove itself.
The first and probably the most important factor was it required thought and learning to effectively use it. In many cases I didn't learn my way around an operating system well enough to realize and appreciate it's potential.
My second reason is one I think the majority of computer users have. I call it the Windows Syndrome. I started out computing using DOS. When Windows came along I jumped on the windows train and stayed on it all the way from Windows 3.1 to Windows 7. For the most part it was a successful experience. My problems came when I would try another Operating System. I would expect it to look and feel like Windows. I've conditioned myself to operate in a Windows environment and I found anything else uncomfortable. Some of the current Linux distributions are very Windows like, but they still require certain tasks to be done differently. They aren't necessarily any harder to use than Windows. But they are different enough that it takes a certain amount of learning for a user to use them with comfort. I'm quite sure that if a new computer users first experience was using a Linux application such as Ubuntu they would have uncomfortable feelings when trying Windows for the first time.
Fortunately my love for Netbooks and portable internet devices has opened me up to learning new operating systems and the way I use them.