Online Arrmor

That's baloney. It only does a poor job of traceing incoming malware.

Since when has it become the job of a firewall to trace incoming malware?

But isn't it that using a computer means that the user has to always tinker somehow with his/her computer? ( From Skype to Google's toolbar) Of course, as you say, the user could pay someone more knowledgable to do it for them , but then it would be quite expensive for most people.

Would you say that installing updates would qualify as installing components?

Geo

Indeed, and that's the crux of it. People want the convenience without the responsibility.

Probably. I'm not suggesting a hard and fast rule, to stick with the arguably bad analogy, some drivers don't know how to add fuel to their vehicles, some can do windshield fluid and add oil but not change oil, others do their own oil changes, some rebuild engines.

In the same vein, there is a difference between automatic updates (Windows Update, Chrome, Firefox, AV definitions), approved automatic updates (Adobe Reader, Flash, most other software), manually updating software, installing new software, and choosing what software to install.

This is true in most areas of life, my mom needs help hooking up a new DVD player, my dad hooks up his own DVD players but needs help pulling new coax and crimping ends, I do all of the above myself.

Making installing new software a bigger deal in terms of user interface might help, since it would stress to users the difference between "do whatever you want, you won't break anything" user mode and "you might screw up your system" administrative mode.