That's more or less a fault of the marketing of Windows. Microsoft and Apple
both like to push the "PC vs Mac" dichotomy, so lots of people probably don't
know that an .exe is a "Windows program" but instead a "PC program." Since a
"PC" is not a "Mac," and Dell computers are not "Macs," then logically, the
Dell computer is a "PC" and hence must be able to run "PC" software. So she
is probably bewildered to discover that Verizon's software, which is probably
advertised as being compatible with "PCs," will not run on her "PC."
People DO NOT KNOW about the alternatives. This is DELIBERATE work from
Microsoft and Apple. This is one of the reasons why I personally cringe when
someone defines "PC" as "Windows computer" (Even worse is "PC, Mac, and
Linux", as if a "Linux" is a separate kind of computer, probably only for
terminal-loving geeks of course... ugh).
This also leads to a situation where Windows-specific problems such as
malware, poor security, etc. are labelled as "computer problems" by the media
and by the antivirus/security industry. A Windows virus is called a "PC
virus" or "computer virus" instead. See
http://techrights.org/2010/04/21/windows-rarely-named-and-shamed/
