This has been a very enlightening thread. Computers are an integral part of our lives. Isn't there another angle to the MS vs. Other OS? Except for my old friend and colleague Don Mannino, whose computer skills and interest level are extraordinary, how many of us are thrilled when a new MS OS requires a learning curve that may take weeks (sometimes frustrating weeks) to learn; and this at maybe an elementary level. Not to mention the plethora of potential hardware and software conflicts? Then after having attained a comfort level, bang!, your OS is being put out to pasture. My current computers, laptop and desktop, are Dells simply because I was able to get them with XP Pro. I recently went through Windows viral infections (and these attacked, disabled and then bypassed the McAfee protections). Once the bugs entered the system the Windows internal protocols were no match. Then there was OS instability issues, and constant IE7 high-jacking and crashing, slow startups, you name it. I managed to get it all cleaned out and "fixed" on my own, but only after hours of research, reinstalls, new drivers, and on and on... I have better things to do. (For those of you about to suggest I should have taken it to a professional, we did this with Peg's computer recently and it was a disaster. We ended up undoing almost everything they did. Nothing against the Computer pros; just that we didn't click here in northern AZ.) My next computer will not be Windows based, if even only a part of what I have heard RE Mac and Linux type systems is true. I need to jump off the Windows merry-go-round. Nick G. ********************************** Wow, I'm so glad someone else has voiced their good opinion about Linux and open source software - besides me ;-) As I've said before in emails, I've been on it at home now for about 10 years - and - won't go back to windows (except for Cybertuner and tax softwares). YES - 10 years - and NO viruses, worms, etc :-) I do - everything - for my business on Linux (opensuse 11.1) BTW, If I wasn't already on Linux and loving it - I would be switching to Mac (which dumped their proprietary software and is running a customized version of Linux/Unix - so - no virus worries here either) Duaine
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