The importance of virus protection on Linux
(From a Slashdot interview with Michael Robertson, founder of Lindows)
Not having viruses is one of the upsides of [linux]. Why do you sell a virus scanner for Linux?Shouldn't you be presenting the lack of viruses as one of the reasons to switch?
Robertson
I shared your viewpoint initially, but then we heard from users and discovered something new. What people thought was most lacking from LindowsOS that prevented everyday use was virus protection. ... It turns out that they have been so traumatized by the virus problem on Microsoft Windows that it has shaped their view of the world. Many told us they would NEVER use a personal computer without virus protection because either they had been infected and publicly embarrassed or they knew someone close to them who had. ... Microsoft has cleverly positioned it as a solely external problem so they don't have to incur the cost to fix it. Bravo to Microsoft for good marketing which has saved them billions in support.