Hi,
They download the xorg updates with a new kernel and bang, desktop gone. Not even a safemode to boot to. They start fretting and go back over to the darkside "where at least I can go in as Admin, safe mode boot and download/install the latest nVidia driver and get things going again - none of this low level arsing about".
Are you claiming there isn't a safe mode or that they don't know to how to boot into run level 3?
If they've installed say the ATI or nVidia drivers and are normal users (read most people), it is quite likely that they won't even know what a run level is let alone know how to use it.
TTFN
Paul