From http://www.embedded.com/design/opensource/204300381 :

Host platform
Although everything I will describe can be also done on a Windows host, I recommend using Linux. It's more convenient, and more tools and utilities are available. And if you rely on a few Windows applications such as Word and Outlook, you can still run them on Linux in emulation using VirtualBox, Wine, or other commercial package. If you're new to Linux, using a Linux host will also force you to learn the new platform faster.

How true.  Those who think they can do embedded Linux development without learning the basics of using a Linux desktop computer are in for a long hard road, and they are missing out on a valuable opportunity to learn a lot about embedded Linux development.  This is the primary advantage of embedded Linux -- there are many things in common with desktop and server systems.  There is a tremendous amount of reuse.  Things can be easily prototyped on your desktop Linux system before deploying to an embedded system.  Instead of viewing the suggested that a Linux workstation be used for embedded Linux development as stumbling block, it should be viewed as a huge advantage.