Microsoft Windows is a closed platform, while Linux is an open one. You could make the same argument, but that doesn't change the fact that there are a lot of things that Windows has going for it that Linux does not. While there is a subsection of power users who are fine with Linux, it's nowhere near what it needs to be to appeal to the masses.
I understand why an open platform is important to you, but it should not be treated as the only metric that matters.