Oh, then what happened when they removed the good old menu and added a tiled one which is hated by the majority of their users? They needed to readd the old one in some form in the latest version.
Try Telegram, Linphone or a WebRTC service. Skype is truly bad on linux but Discord served me and my friends well so, check your developer's internet connection.
> Normal users don't want and/or need that much choice.
No need to take it. That's why ubuntu is a popular choice.
> Say what you want about the (many) flaws of Windows, but you can't deny that one of the easiest out-of-the-box-this-thing-just-works experiences.
Except when it doesn't install the right drivers(compared to distros like manjaro) and when you get a crappy browser by default or when the menu just crashes or fails to find what is certainly there. Or when you need to suspend your work because it's Update Time Like it or Not™. It's definitely not the best out-of-the-box experience, but the one which is the most advertized with the most misc software.
> Try explaining the difference between Arch, Ubunutu, and Debian to a normal consumer and their eyes glaze over before you even begin.
That's not true. Their main differences are how they handle software releases, install/update software and how you install them. If you're not a complete digital analphabet you'll understand such easy concepts.
1 - Do windows have better backwards compatibility? Not according to my experience. For example plenty of old games run better with linux+wine than with new windows versions.
2 - X is not a UI API, Qt and GTK+ are. You're thinking about the graphics server which's not any better on windows(better isolation, maybe?).
3. Why is choice a bad thing? Even if fragmentation is a drawback it's not an important one.
4. Singular UI vision is the worst - just look at how clunky are all windows UIs. They're needlessly complex and uncustomizable. They also assume that their users are stupid but they aren't. I like nice and user-friendly UIs like KDE and cinnamon and clever UIs like i3 and awesomewm. I've installed linux for many non-techie users and they quickly learned how to use their desktops - and for my surprise they started to prefer using the terminal over the software center.
5. Not sure how windows is better there. Maybe you got used to it.
6. There IS accessibility support but not perfect.
Please, go on. But in the reality the actual reasons are these:
1. Regular users(or people in general) don't like change.
2. Missing apps: adobe suite, ms office, specialized apps(at schools and offices) and the most hyped games.
3. ms has far better marketing and makes deals with governments, schools, universities and hardware vendors/sellers.