No kidding. The same < 1% "dead-enders" who engaged in the OS/2 v. Windows wars in the 90's have now switched to Linux. They make the same old "Microsoft is stupid/evil/incompetent" etc. claims while MSFT keeps selling millions of copies of Windows per month. These Microsoft competitors, however meager, do serve a useful purpose by keeping the pressure on MSFT to improve Windows.
I think it would be fun for these bashers to actually produce a plug-n-play system for their favorite OS that's as good as Windows. After they've pulled all their hair out trying to create a pnp system that doesn't hang all the time, they might gain a little respect for Windows.
Gates has also presided over product unveilings where windows crashed, and sales meetings where MS provided demo computers infected with viruses. All in a day's work.