@Charles the IX

Everything is vulnerable ( I and many others think closed source software is much more vulnerable than the free one). Exactly, take the number of allegedly infected by Kaiten, the fact that it happened 10 years ago and divide it by the similar figures related to Windows. You get the risk approaching zero.

And by the way Redmond has has patent on the virus-contracting-by-weblink-click. So any competitor will face a litigation here.

>>as anyone hacking the Kindle Fire or B&N Nook Tablet can attest

Mixing cutlets with flies again? Rooting any linux or *BSD with non-encrypted drives is even easier. Just boot off a rescuecd media or similar, when you have a PHYSICAL access to the device.