...it's a shame so many people are turned off Linux because their work requires exactly this or that application.
That's not the only reason people are turned off by Linux. Until Ubuntu came along it was pretty much a techie only OS. If you have to know command line scripting to get an OS running or to get a piece of hardware working with your computer then it's a showstopper for most people. Ubuntu has changed that for the most part. Maybe they weren't the first but they are certainly the most public. So now the choices for most people are: OSX (Common perception: expensive), Ubuntu (Common perception: a poor man's Windows), and Windows (Common perception: there are other choices?)
Top Ten Things Overheard At The ANSI C Draft Committee Meetings: (7) Well, it's an excellent idea, but it would make the compilers too hard to write.