It does, since a long time, but is designed to do this from a properly configured network; If you have ever worked for a big company which runs Windows you would know, it's quite nice since in most cases you don't need to do anything else other than click on the apps you want to install... But you are right about this misleading home users.

What about this?

Consider launching an Open Source application you downloaded from the web which doesn't have an installer, you just extracted the binaries wherever you downloaded the compressed archive; On XP you have to remember the path where the binaries where extracted (the hard part =P), browse to them using explorer and double-click the executable. On Vista click the start menu, start typing the name of the executable (for example "avide" for avidemux) and click on the link to launch it.

The nice thing about Vista is that most tasks can be perfumed using the start menu search functionality, so all the tasks require the same steps to be performed, I don't know about you, but I save a lot of time of UI interaction when using Vista and my grandfather loves the idea of not having to learn (actually write down) so many different steps for each different task.

I can only assume you haven't used Vista yet, because this is quite easy to respond.

Accessing the Device Manager: On XP click the start menu, right click computer, go the the correct tab and click the "Device Manager" button. On Vista click the start menu, type "Device" and click on "Device Manager".

Removing a program: On XP click the start menu, click "Control Panel" and click on "Uninstall program". On Vista click the start menu, type "Remove" and click in "Add or remove programs".

Configuring Windows tasks in general: On XP find whatever obscure way to change what you want one window after the other. On Vista type what you want to do.

Browsing the Web with firefox while listening to you MP3 collection: On XP open an idiotic page with a hidden MIDI playing in a loop, you mute the computer and curse the site; you music is gone. On Vista open the same idiotic page, click the volume tray icon and mute firefox, the MIDI is no longer audible and you can keep listening to your music.

Could give more, but I think that's enough.

Apple don't let you develop for the iPhone freely; it has to be done under their conditions and with their approval, asking the OS to be open sourced is foolish and it will never happen, Apple has shown what does it thinks about developer freedom.

More likely they will try to find a way to prohibit Android from being installed.