In a word, no. Hardware manufacturers want their customers to enjoy using their purchase so they will have chosen a suitable version and probably tweaked it a little to make it perfect for that device. They probably don't even call it “Linux”, Nokia's Maemo and Google's Android are both Linux-based, as is Ubuntu on Dell laptops. There is more about Linux versions here.
Employers, especially in the public sector, are gradually switching to Linux systems to save taxpayer's money and to ensure that their (or more properly, our) data isn't tied up in proprietary systems they cannot control. Users caught up the in change, or employees thinking of a job change to an organisation that uses Linux will have to learn some new skills, but much of what they already know about computers will still apply.
Rote Learning or Comprehension?
Reluctant computer users that have painstakingly learned a whole lot of key presses and sequences to get through whatever they have to do but without understanding what any of them mean, are in for a bit of a culture shock. Not too much since a surprising number of those tricks will still work, [Ctrl][S] for example still saves the current file and [F1] opens 'Help' on most free software.
Users that are used to clicking on the third icon from the left to do something may find that their new software puts the same function in a different place and calls it something different, which can cause some gnashing of teeth for a while, but it's like driving a strange car, you might turn the windscreen wipers on a few times instead of the indicators, but the major controls are much the same and serious accidents are unlikely.
For technically inclined users who enjoy tinkering, looking for settings to tweak and defaults to change Linux is a joy because there's a whole load of new ones to play with.
New Applications
Probably the biggest change for most people is in vocabulary. Because Windows and Microsoft Office have been so popular for the last 15 years many users have got used to referring to Word, Excel, Internet Explorer and rather disregarded the fact that there are, and always have been, other word processors, spreadsheets and browsers.
Many gadget suppliers are aware of this so on Netbooks and SmartPhones unfamiliar software names are often played down and the description emphasised to make it obvious what is needed.
On desktop PCs and laptops that is not so common and some users have panicked when they realise they can't install, say, Word. Rather than rush back to the shop for a refund it makes more sense to check out the alternative, free, software. The manufacturer will have installed a selection of applications to cover the basics, and most include a simple 'Add Application' or 'Get More Software' button that makes a host of free software available.
Compatibility
Few people work in isolation, any computer user needs to be able to swap files with other people, and many access more than one system themselves – home, work and mobile.
In an ideal world everyone would use standard file formats so that a spreadsheet, text document, image or media file would be accessible to everyone regardless of the operating system they use and the brand name of their software. These formats do exist, there are Open Document formats for office work (.odt for text, .ods for spreadsheets and so on), there are standards such as .jpg, .png, .svg for images and .pdf for complex documents.
The long domination of office work by Microsoft, and to a lesser extent the world of image processing by Adobe, has led many users to believe that their proprietary formats such as .doc and .psd are 'standards' and as a consequence such users expect everyone else to cope with them.
Free software such as OpenOffice, tends to use genuine standard formats by default, but the developers are realists and know that in the real world compatibility with common but non-standard software is essential. In most cases free software users have no trouble opening Word or Excel files and using the 'Save as' feature can produce files in proprietary formats to share with other people.
OpenOffice in particular can be set up to save in Microsoft Office formats by default, and many hardware suppliers that install it do that before they ship their products, users don't need to think about it.
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