End users don't install and configure their own Windows boxes. Dell or Gateway or Compaq/HP or Alienware does.
And here's the proof:
MSFT Fourth Quarter 2003 Earnings Report
Product Revenue
Client includes revenue from Windows XP, Windows 2000, other standard Windows operating systems, Tablet PC, Windows Media Center Edition, and classic operating systems licensed for embedded systems (operating system software for use in devices other than PCs). Client revenue was $2.53 billion in the fourth quarter, increasing 4% compared to $2.43 billion in the fourth quarter of the prior year. The quarterly revenue growth was driven by a 2 percentage point increase to 62% of the mix of the higher priced Windows Professional operating systems, the majority of which was in the OEM channel. Windows Professional revenue growth for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2003 was $201 million or 14% compared to the prior year fourth quarter, offset by a decline in other Windows operating systems.
Distribution Channels
OEM channel revenue represents license fees from original equipment manufacturers who pre-install Microsoft products, primarily on PCs. OEM revenue for the fourth quarter was $2.49 billion, up 6% from $2.34 billion in the comparable quarter of fiscal 2002. The OEM revenue growth reflects a 5% increase in reported licenses, a 25% increase in Windows Professional revenue due to an increase in the mix of the higher priced Windows Professional licenses, and 18% and 37% revenue growth for Office and Server products, respectively.
Allow me to break it down for you. Microsoft makes $2.53 billion from Windows sales -- and $2.49 billion of those sales originate in the OEM channel (ie. Dell, Gateway, etc).
So OEMs account for 98.41% of all Windows installations; and hence, practically no end user installs Windows on his or her own box..
Thus, we can conclude that any security issues relating to user account configuration are caused by OEM failure to configure the boxes correctly. Game over.
So the revenues are 2.53 Billion... 2.49 Billion of which is OEM sales. Great, good for them. That still leaves .04 Billion, $40 million X 4 quarters, Call it $150 Million (to account for the growth in sales) for a year that was generated by sales outside of OEM. Assuming a $100 average wholesale price to the jobber/retailer (It's probably less) that
translates into 1.5 million people who will self install Windows.
Of course, according to you, everyone of them is "practically no end user."
Then of course, Bush, there are the millions of users who aren't upgrading and are still using '98, 2000, NT, ME, etc. that are still Windows users at risk.
So OEMs account for 98.41% of all Windows installations; and hence, practically no end user installs Windows on his or her own box.. Considering that Microsoft likely gets 50% of the end retail price for Windows XP, that's between 800,000 users (home edition upgrade) and 266,000 users (professional full purchase). Based on what I see on the shelves, probably 600,000 users got Windows from Microsoft in the fourth quarter, 2+ million last year. Doesn't sound like "practically no end user" to me, since we're talking over two million more poorly configured computers out of the box waiting to be exploited.