Objectively, huh?

Yes huh

I can have a package installed by the terminal before Discover (the GUI for installing packages) even opens

Just lying again. You'd have to go and search what words to type in first.

And going to a website to download an executable to install a specific piece of software, which you need to give permission when executing to get through the firewall because (to your system) it's just some random executable, isn't?

I don't know what you aren't understanding about this. All 3 OSs have package managers that function similarly. What I'm talking about is when the software is not available in the package manager....

Then having that executable check for updates when launched and sending you to the website to download a new installer

You've really never used Windows before, have you? That's once again not how it works. Maybe give it a go and come back after you've got some experience.

Is Microsoft paying you?

You could make an argument for such a thing insofar as time is money. And like they say "Linux is free so long as your time is worth nothing."