Many people first used Windows not by choice, but by mandate -- there was no other option and the Microsoft monopoly made sure it stayed that way. (unless you bought a Mac) My guess is many people have found the MS experience frustrating and a general PITA, but there was never any other choice. They had to live with the shoddy time wasting experience Microsoft called computing.
Now given the option of having their "desktop experience" on their "phone" or "pad" I am sure many people are interested in real alternatives. My prediction is no matter how hard Microsoft tries to play the "we are the future of computing because we invented everything" song and dance, most users will chose iOS and Android for exactly that reason. Hi-tech karma at its best.
Lots of good examples, but this one is worth repeating
The Nehalem Xeon runs 1.8 times faster, generates 7.3 times as much heat and costs 22 times as much as the D510 Atom. The performance is 7.7 times faster, but when you factor in the price-to-performance the Atom is 3 times better than the Xeon solution. Interestingly, the TDP/performance ratios are almost identical for both processors.
And Bill, I would say you were not the only company to go down because you believed:
For special and expensive systems such ideas may be useful, but it is hard to beat air for commodity systems because it is free, there is plenty of it, it cannot spill, it does not put excess load on the floor, it is inert (to electronics), and it can be easily recycled.
Anyone can make an omelet with eggs. The trick is to make one with none.