I use both BSD and Linux (OpenBSD and NetBSD, plus Debian and Ubuntu). BSD has its strengths over Linux, and vice versa. They are similar enough that moving from one to the other isn't too awful.
I think it's far easier to set up a graphical Linux than BSD (although to be honest I've not tried FreeBSD yet). BSD does feel a little more efficient though.
I use Debian on my server and my router because it was the first open source OS I tried. Yes, I run them without a GUI. (I want the RAM and CPU cycles for routing and serving, not for graphics. Also, I almost always remotely maintain them, which is easier and faster with ssh than with a vnc connection.)
I think that there is a far larger number of so-called newbie Linux users simply because it's a more approachable OS for the average person. I'm not an IT person by profession, but I'm pretty computer savvy I think, and I still find BSD to be a little intimidating. I'm getting more comfortable with it, but I'm orders of magnitude more comfortable with Linux right now. That having been said, once I get that comfort level with BSD, I'll be tempted to use it for these applications instead, since it is so efficient-feeling.
Linux is to BSD what Windows is to Linux. You're going to get some less sophisticated users. Don't appraise the operating system by the users you see. Appraise it on what it can do for you.
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