Linux's biggest handicap seems to be ease-of-use issues. These "ease of use" issues also underlie Unix-based Mac OS X development, but we're counting on Apple to make it Mac-like enough with Aqua so joe-consumer can use it.
In case you haven't heard, a start-up called Eazel is working on creating a consistent/standard GUI for Linux. What makes this interesting and relevant is that a couple of the founders worked on the original Macintosh project (including UI) in the early 80's.
Here are some screenshots from the gui: Eazel Screenshots (new) and iFrance.com screenshots. Of course, "feel" and functionality play a large role in the GUI as well... but we'll have to wait to comment on that. While there are other reasons to like Linux, Apple's work on Mac OS X is going to make it more difficult for Linux to gain mainstream success.
