Having been a Windows user from the very beginning, my answer's gonna be bias; I'd prefer Windows anytime.
One can shun it for being the most infection-prone OS due to popularity but we get to enjoy those awesome apps? Support is strong and there are over 100 ways to tweak Windows to our liking. Sure, Linux does have its own exclusive apps too, but in terms of development, it's still miles behind.
While I have a MBA, Windows will always be number one in my books.
Its not due to popularity, its due to mis-design and conflicting interests within Microsoft. You would need to study their history to understand it. For every way you could "tweak windows", there is an infinite number of ways to tweak Linux. With the source code, anything is possible. Without it, you are always limited.
Yes Windows is miles behind in development, simple reason is that its just a company, with people, departments, planning and goals coming and going. A group develops one thing (like the kernel) another develops the UI, then 10 years later the people in charge of those is completely different and even those in charge are assigned to something different and or additional. Its not unlike a government, in a way. Of course i know you meant the opposite, but you are seriously wrong, you just don't know any better. Linux is community maintained, its literally comparing Bitcoin to the Hong Kong Dollar (a fiat from private banks).
You think the UI changes and later reversing changes was why? Classic UI, 9x UI, "Fisher Price" (XP) ui, blackish (7 ui),
metro modern, later undone, later reintroduces in 10 with a twist? Microsoft literally alienated their own user base with each change. It took Microsoft until windows 10 to finally discover the concept of virtual desktops, introduced in the Amiga in the 80ies. Linux different UIs had them since the 90ies. Examples like that are all over the place, but i would write a book here if you get me started.
You Prefer Windows anytime? Since the very beginning? I doubt you ever used Windows 1.0, 2.0 or even 3.0. Incidentally i have a Microsoft Windows 3.0 box here, its blue and white. I used PCs before windows, and i clearly remember people preferring msdos apps and games. Windows was "interesting", but bloated and in the way, and buggy, so buggy. Often there was some killer app they would launch Windows for, but as soon as they were finished, they would close it. That is from the days Windows was just another "msdos" program to run and close afterwards like the rest.
Many Windows releases were seen as a step backwards, they added some "features" (often unwanted), new bugs, and much higher requirements. Sounds familiar? This hasn't changed since the 90ies. Of course you are biased since you probably didn't use computers before Windows and couldn't know better. You didn't know computers didn't suck, or that things crashing or getting infected or slow down into a crawl wasn't normal. Ever heard of the 3 Rs of Microsoft? Retry, Reboot, Reinstall...
Did you know IBM and Microsoft planned a great OS only to be ruined later by Microsoft while stabbing a knife in the back to their partner? Its descendant is what you use today and its nothing like the original, which was meant to be portable, robust and secure but Microsoft had a different agenda.
The current Windows is just a vehicle for the current Microsoft attempt at the data mining business. Shadowing Google, they wanted to get in the same business since their older model has clear signs of obsolescence. They did try smartphones and other "google things", but failed miserably. Microsoft was always about purchasing something from others and selling it as their own. but alas Gates and Ballmer are gone, not unlike Job and Woz from Apple (with similar results). Microsoft 10 is literally bait for people to give them their data, it was "given free to existing windows users" for a reason. Of course there is a plethora of third party software that does the very same, starting from Google Chrome. Microsoft just wanted IN, but acted too late as usual, and for example lost the smartphone segment which eclipsed their model entirely.
Running windows today after learning these things, is tantamount of masochism. Its like installing a sign in front of your house "Steal me please" (or similar "hurt me because i like it" phrase).
"The pay to get certified" thing exists in Linux as well, the likes of Red Hat will happily take your money so you can have some paper to flash employers with so that is irrelevant.
Of course i don't really just mean Linux, there are plenty of Free and Open Source projects that fit perfectly well, i just mention Linux to remain in topic with the OP, but OSes like the BSDs are perfectly valid alternatives. And you could say the same about Windows, all the proprietary junk out there, even Apple's, or Android (Both may use a free and open source kernel, but its surrounded by blobs. I wouldn't be surprised Microsoft joins them, as some rumors say).
