Linear pull brakes offer one big thing that cantilever brakes don't – stupid-proof setup.

With cantilever brakes, especially if a Shimano straddle cable isn't used, setting up is very flexible (i.e. wide range of mechanical advantage vs. clearance) but involved. If the setup isn't exact, the brake will often feel weak or spongy, or both! However, with good setup, the brake will perform no worse than any linear pull brake while still offering the user flexibility. Even with an experienced wrench, proper canti setup is a 5-minute per end job.

With linear pull brakes, setup is a 30-second affair – line up the pads, clinch down, adjust for pad clearance, center if necessary and it's done.

When comparing cantis to linear pulls, please ensure that 1. the brake pads are the same, and 2. the mechanical advantage adjustment for the cantis matches the linear pulls. Otherwise it's not an apples-to-apples comparison.

Finally, see Sheldon Brown's website for detailed instructions on how to properly set up a cantilever brake, and why that is so.