"I should add that I've helped several friends who use Windows 7 get rid of malware, popups, and other unwanted garbage that Microsoft's software didn't prevent getting into their computers"
I sorry but malware, popups, unwanted garbage are not only because of of OS.
You get popups mostly through you browser and all browsers let them in on all OSs.
A lot if not most of the malware which is a genaric term now, if mostly because of poor surfing habits not because of a failure in the OS. And also because of disabling security or always running as administrator. Case in point, everytime that Apple gets hacked at Pwn2Own is because of going to a bad web site.
Virus's are also called malware now but there are a seperate breed to most of the other forms called malware.
I am not sure what 'unwanted garbage' is but most call that what vendors put on their computers when sold. Again that is not a fault of the OS.
Every year, EVERY OS issues numerous security updates. Okay, maybe MS more than others but every one issues them.
Just as an addon, my Ipad has 3 or 4 security updates since Ios 7 has been released in Sept 2013.
