You said — “If dumb people run as root they can always accidentally “install” a virus. No software is more secure than the users. They always have been and always will be the biggest security hole. Assuming the install base grows eventually Apple will have to contend with the “always root double click on anything” crowd. As long as you’re not in that crowd you probably don’t have to worry, truth to tell Windows users that stay out of that crowd can stay pretty worry free too.”
Well, on Mac OS 10.4 (and prior versions, too), you set up the initial account as the Administrator (when you first get the computer, and/or first install a new operating from scratch). Then you are advised to set up a User Account to run your everyday stuff. But, a lot of Macintosh users operate in the Administrator mode. I do and I don’t have a problem.
However, the root (user) is not activated on the Macintosh, unless you go to some measures to do so. You’ll hardly find any user signed in as root and using the Macintosh computer that way. It really doesn’t ever happen.
Sure, for now. Wait for it. There’s vast quantities of dumb people out there. Eventually, if the user base keeps growing, you’ll get enough running as root to start some virus fun in Mac. It’s part of the inevitable evolution of users. Now Mac gets some additional safety because there is that barrier between Admin and Root so people can be lazy and not god, that’ll help. But there’s always going to be the crowd that wants to run with ALL the privileges to just stroke their ego or whatever, and those are the people that keep AV software in business.