Hmm, I've never used apt-get, on either my N800 or my Ubuntu desktop machine. I've also never taken a class on how to do "basic installs", and I've installed (and even removed) quite a bit of stuff on both machines.

As for convenience, there has to be a balance between convenience, utility, and security. Unfortunately in the computer world, especially the "online" computer world, "convenience" is easily exploited for nefarious puposes, by those who know a thing or two about how that oh-so-convenient machine actually works. That's why Windows is such a rat's nest of vulnerabilities. The convenience is emphasized over the utility and security.

Promoting ignorance of how computers works by constantly dumbing the machines down to the lowest common denominator is the absolute wrong thing to do. It makes people more vulnerable, not less so. There should be an intellectual "cost" to using a computer... I'm not proposing everyone has to be programmers, but if you are going to put all your bank and credit card information, your tax forms, your SSN and birthdate, and whatever else, on your computer, and send that and more information over the internet, should you at least have a workable knowledge base of how the computer works, and thus, maybe understand the vulnerabilities?

And like it or not, as long as there is an internet, there will be those who look to exploit the "conveneince or bust" segment of society. Frankly, referring specifically to kids, people should be FORCED to use the more advanced features of computers, as opposed the "more convenient" point/click/forget it stuff they are presented with. Basic computer knowledge should be a part of elementary curriculum, and that includes basic OO programming, not just Powerpoint and Word.