The argument Dell is making is both true and, for most home users, immaterial. It is true that Windows has by far the most malware written for it. Microsoft has a reputation for leaving holes in the OS as they rush to market. (Windows 7 has been a pleasant exception to that rule - the vast majority of the critical security updates for Windows 7 since its release have been for IE8, not for the OS itself.) Windows also controls about 90% of the PC market, so anyone writing malware gets more bang for their buck by attacking the Windows platform.
It is immaterial because most users are still going to want a Windows PC because that is the platform they want in order to run the apps they like. Most users just want to turn on the PC and go - they don't want to learn command line utilities, or learn how to compile and install apps from source.
I like Linux, especially Ubuntu. I use a lot of Linux utilities when doing forensic exams, etc, and I even like it as a desktop OS. But I am a bit of a geek, and I enjoy the intricacies of Linux and the wide variety of open source software. But I represent the market that Linux appeals to - technically advanced users who enjoy tweaking and tuning their systems, who like to develop apps or use the advanced features of the system. Until Linux can match Windows for the type an quality of apps offered by Windows, it will not be a mainstream OS.
Sorry, but that is my professional opinion. Flame away. (Asbestos suit on.)
There are a tremendous number of users out there that use their computer primarily for surfing the net, email, and a little word processing.
Ubuntu does all of those thing wonderfully.
It is all I want to have on the net. If I am going to do a lot of processing, I will probably do it off line in a dedicated computer so that I don't have to worry about compromising my security.
Keep in mind that Linux is only as secure as the user. When MS put UAC in Vista, folks were annoyed with the pop up for permission that they either disabled UAC or just blindly click to accept without understanding the risks.
With Ubuntu, anything requiring sudo access requires the password be entered, and if someone enters their password without thinking about why the popup came up in the first place, they may be setting themselves up to fail. Many malware, spyware, adware, and virus programs are written with Windows FS in mind, but I’m certain there are variants of those programs in ext3/4 or other flavors of Linux FS that could cause equal havoc. That would make most folks batty considering the Linux FS is vastly different from NTFS, and if one isn’t knowledgeable of the infected Linux FS, they might as well toss the machine out a Window.
Oh, and good luck to those woebegone users who take it to Geek Squad or some other commercial outfit to fix. The prevalence of Linux-knowledgeable admins at a company like that would be nil to non-existent. If you’re any good at NIX-based systems, there’s a bigger market in corporate America over some retail PC repair shop job.
I agree with you CA, you’re not going to get wholesale market buy-in of Linux considering the need to understand basic CLI and the initiative to search the web for issues. The Ubuntu forums are awesome, but granny and grampy aren’t going to have the initiative to do the legwork when Thunderbird blows up.
Last week I ordered a nice Core i5 system from Lenovo and I plan to install Ubuntu 10.04 on it. I am running it now in Virtual Box and I’m quite impressed with it - this is the first Linux I’ve seen that can actually compete with Windows and OS X in terms of useability and appearance. I am switching to Linux because even though Apple makes a nice OS, their corporate culture sickens me. Secrecy, closed source, and now the impending death of OS X in favor of the iOS with an App Store that will only sell Apple approved software. I dont want Steve Jobs controlling what goes on my computer, and Ubuntu 10.04 is a great alternative for home use. For business, its Windows 7 all the way, however.