"Linux, by contrast, has hundreds of APIs and about as many user interfaces, so you can’t just switch seamlessly from one version of Linux to another. The version you use can greatly alter the appearance of your computer screen, the way programs boot and execute, and various other things, all of which make it quite difficult to develop software that consistently runs well on all Linux systems."
That's a mix of true and false statements. The false is that UIs necessarily change by distro: Different distros pick different default UIs, but all of them can run all the same window managers and desktop environments. My telling you I'm currently running Ubuntu tells you nothing about how my screen currently looks.
Also, switching from one distro to another is hardly a difficult process; switching from one computer to another is more annoying.
It's true to some extent in that some distros ship with modified kernels, but that usually isn't a problem for anyone: The changes distros make tend to be invisible to most applications, which sit directly on higher-level APIs anyway.
Finally, implying having fewer APIs is a good thing is disingenuous: An API is a tool and, therefore, a way to organize thought; having fewer APIs implies artificial restrictions on thought.
"Linux, by contrast, has hundreds of APIs and about as many user interfaces, so you can’t just switch seamlessly from one version of Linux to another. The version you use can greatly alter the appearance of your computer screen, the way programs boot and execute, and various other things, all of which make it quite difficult to develop software that consistently runs well on all Linux systems."
That's a mix of true and false statements. The false is that UIs necessarily change by distro: Different distros pick different default UIs, but all of them can run all the same window managers and desktop environments. My telling you I'm currently running Ubuntu tells you nothing about how my screen currently looks.
Also, switching from one distro to another is hardly a difficult process; switching from one computer to another is more annoying.
It's true to some extent in that some distros ship with modified kernels, but that usually isn't a problem for anyone: The changes distros make tend to be invisible to most applications, which sit directly on higher-level APIs anyway.
Finally, implying having fewer APIs is a good thing is disingenuous: An API is a tool and, therefore, a way to organize thought; having fewer APIs implies artificial restrictions on thought.