A number of users have reported that running "rm --no-preserve-root -rf /" not only deletes all their files (as expected), but also permanently bricks their computers (which is not). Tracing the issue revealed that the ultimate cause was that SystemD mounted the EFI pseudo-fs as read-write even when this FS was not listed in fstab, and deleting certain files in this pseudo-fs causes certain buggy, but very common, firmware not to POST anymore. A user reported this bug on SystemD's GitHub issue tracker, asking that the FS be mounted read-only instead of read-write, and said bug was immediately closed as invalid. The comment thread for the bug was locked shortly after. Discuss.
Links:
https://github.com/systemd/systemd/issues/2402
http://thenextweb.com/insider/2016/02/01/running-a-single-delete-command-can-permanently-brick-laptops-from-inside-linux/
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 20 2016, @11:21PM
Windows either ignores it, or the bugs come because the hardware was tested only on Windows (and MS can't help themselves going embrace, extend, extinguish on everything they touch).
Never mind that on Windows, the ODMs can paper over the bugs with drivers.
What Linux does is pull back the carpets and present to everyone how rotten the floor is.