Why I use Linux

I just realised that if I were to be involved in a conversation and asked about why I prefer Linux over, say, Windows, I wouldn't have a reasonable response. It'd be something along the lines of, "I just like it better." There must be more to it than that.

I'm certainly no freetard, so there must be some practical basis to my choice of operating system. In no particular order, here they are:

• Acknowledges other OSs on install.
• No registration or validation required.
• Personal directory can be put on a separate partition, making reinstalling/switching distros a snap.
• Fast, journalling ext3 file system:
  • Almost invisible crash recovery.
  • No defragmentation required. Ever.
• Easy single-click/command software installation.
• Uninstall really uninstalls.
• Software updates are installed as soon as they're available.
• File system-level security:
  • Inhibits malware.
  • Stops tech-illiterate, snooping family members.
• Runs all of my retro, DOS and old Windows games.
• ISO mounting and CD ripping without any additional software.
• SSH + port forwarding + IP = instant remote access when needed.
• NO CPU-SUCKING ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE NEEDED.
• Installing programming libraries does not require any obscure IDE configuration or path wrangling,
• Strong development tools, e.g. make, SCons, git.
• Terminal is actually useful:
  • Smart auto-completion.
  • Many simple, composable tools for specialised tasks.
  • INCLUDE and LIBRARY paths set to sensible defaults.
  • Everything has a man page for fast doc look-up.
• All UI aspects can be customised with less effort than on Windows, i.e. no hacking DLLs or buying theming software.
• Stronger UI tool-kit coherence than on Windows.
• Full multiple desktop support (no 3rd party solutions I've found support moving windows between desktops, for instance).
• Anything can be changed, and the OS won't complain.

No, it's nothing to do with spinning cubes or freedom-of-information philosophies. I have stuff I want to to, and I've found Linux makes it easier to do than Windows.