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I don't have one of these devices so I can't tell how good or bad the OS actually is. From what you're telling me, I gather it's kinda sucky.

My point was that changing the OS of a non-standard device like most Netbooks will always prove annoying, no matter the OS you're trying to put in it.

Your parents probably couln't install anything on Windows either.
If they can't use synaptic, how do you expect them to install windows software and type a long string of random characters to activate it after registering email and account on the web site? And all that without getting any virus or getting their credit card number stolen in the process?
Linpus linux, JUST LIKE ANY OS, requires learning to be used with full power. It's not any harder than Windows, it really isn't. It is just that you aren't used to it.
Now just try to install Windows on a SDHC and tell me how easy it is...

Edited 2009-01-09 15:18 UTC

At the risk of getting off topic, I'll address your points.

Well, usually if someone doesn't know how to download Windows software, they go to the store and ask the friendly (or sometimes not so friendly) salesman there what software will do what they want. He gives them a CD, they follow the instructions, which usually amounts to popping the CD into the drive and clicking next a few times. Sometimes it also involves typing a product key which, usually, is printed right on the CD case. Wow, how very, very difficult that was.

Who says they can't use synaptic? But what happens if the piece of software they need isn't in the package repositories? You apt fans always forget that part. What do they do then? Because they can't go ask the friendly people at Best Buy for help now, and they're not going to know how the hell to install something from source. What if they need the latest Openoffice.org to read their co-worker's documents properly--yes, this can and will happen? You really think the average computer user wants to follow the steps of removing the currently installed packages, downloading the tar.gz, extracting it, and then installing the debs or RPMs? Tell me then, which is easier, to do that or to install Openoffice by clicking next a few times, as you would in Windows? Or dragging it to the Applications folder as you would in OS X? Come on now, which is easier?
Package management isn't the issue in and of itself, save for the compatibility issues we're probably all familiar with on occasion. But it's what to do when the repositories don't have what you need that's the issue, and here, I'm afraid, every Linux distro falls flat. There are some promising projects out there for this, but none of them seem to be embraced by any of the major distros.

Have you even tried the thing?

They can pretty well install Windows software (downloading and doubleclicking a Setup.whatever?)or browse and install through a software repository (again, double clicking on a list of names and descriptions?).

Unless, that is, they cannot identify which package format they can download, or have no access to a package manager with access to a software repository, which is how Linpus on the One comes.

Should they be willing to spend time browsing the internet (no), to go round that, when the thing is sold as "easier than the average", and finally get access to a package manager (with a hideous UI), they will get a nice surprise when many of the things do not even install, let alone when they start breaking their desktop and have to reluctantly reach their recovery CD and resign to a castrated system that makes adapting it to one's needs more difficult instead of simpler (and I would not call being able to share files or to open Word docs a thing for techies).

Edited 2009-01-11 09:29 UTC