This needs doing. As the original article said, it is "Linux for the non-techies". More to the point, it is a *managed computing service* for non-techies.

When you look at what most people actually *use* computers for, you find web-browsing, email, a bit of word-processing, and maybe the holiday snaps from the digital camera. If the machine can do all that while relieving the owner of the problems of software updates, anti-virus subscriptions, and Patch Tuesday panics then there should be a market for it. The market is clearly not geeks and gadgeteers, so readers of The Register may not be big purchasers. On the other hand, I would certainly recommend these things to friends and family - it would reduce the amount of casual IT support that I get asked to do when visiting people!

Trust must be earned. A well-managed service using carefully locked-down boxes has the potential to earn that trust. Using open-source software as the basis makes it easier to audit what the supplier is doing, though it also makes it easier to set up in competition. Maybe we will see services competing on trustworthiness in future - it will certainly make a change!