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All the finishes that you've named off are embossed finishes, so while they are different, they're not too far off from each other. Air cushion finish is the standard on the bulk of decks produced by Bicycle. Linoid finish is the standard on most Tally Ho decks. As best as I can tell, magic and performance finish are the most similar to each other. The basic truth behind these finishes is that (speaking from experience and the many decks that I own), the performance coat is the more slippery of the four (closely followed by magic finish), while the linoid finish is closely similar to the magic finish, and air cushion seems to follow last in the order of the four. I believe the reason for this difference is due to how much air each respective finish allows between the cards (with performance coat seeming to allow for the most air). It is also claimed that performance coat and magic finish allow decks to last longer than the average deck with an air cushion finish. This claim really depends on how you care for the cards, but I'd be inclined to agree with it.
That said, no, the finishes aren't all the same based on how the cards feel, but is there a huge difference between them to make one superior to the rest? Not really. Decks with these four finishes will handle relatively similarly, and in the end since all four are embossed finishes (rather than smooth finishes) any deck with a finish you named will fan, spread, and flourish without any issues. As a final thought, I'd focus more on how to care for your cards and what you can personally do to make them last longer than which of the four finishes is the best. The obsession with comparing embossed finishes with each other is overrated.
I'm sure Don Boyer will chime in soon with his valuable and well-informed opinion as always, so I'll keep my comments brief. I appreciate Illusionists Foundation willingness to help, but unfortunately a lot of the information in the above post isn't entirely accurate, and perpetuates some common misunderstandings about these finishes.
Technically speaking, a finish is actually the embossing pattern on the paper-stock, while a coating is something applied afterwards.
- Air cushion finish is a term Bicycle uses mainly in reference to their embossing but it has lost its specific meaning and they put it on virtually all their decks.
- Linoid finish and Cambric finish are terms dating back to when different production methods were used; Bicycle continues to use them because they are associated with their different brands (Tally Ho, Bee), but in reality today they are identical embossing patterns, and both would be considered "Air Cushion Finishes" by Bicycle.
- Magic Finish and Performance Coating are simply different names for the same coating applied to the cards.
I'd also suggest that Illusions Foundation check out the detailed article that I linked to earlier, which covers all of this and more, and should help correct any common misunderstandings:
Analysing the quality/handling of a USPCC deck: four key elements
http://www.playingcardforum.com/index.php?topic=10265
