Rules as written state that when you learn a language you get the ability to read it as well. With the linguistics power you get the language with suitable exposure.

I was thinking that you wouldn't necessarily get it if you never saw an example of the writing, but was thinking that when presented with a suitably large sample of text and a logic + Intuition (or the knowledge skill Linguistics) test based on the complexity of the language that you could pick up the skill at a 1, like the power says.

And I'm sorry if this has been covered before, but my search fu returned no hits.

I don't see how that should be a problem. You can learn languages either way. Obviously, later on, for being good at a language, you need to speak, listen, read, write.
But this adept power provides you with a skill 1. That's super basic.

It is, however, really nice with the linguist quality.

And even nicer with rating 3 learning stimulus nanites.
Those allow you to raise all those new language skills you get to 3 with zero karma.

which will make them 3(4) with Linguist quality

3(5) actually. Linguist is +2

augmented max is x1.5 rounded down. So it is 3(4).

is the skill aug max calculated differently than attribute aug maxes?

Yes, it's current skill*1,5 round down.

Derp. Why do I keep assuming Sr4 is anything resembling internally consistent

To maintain your sanity.

Meh. Sanity's overrated.