When they jump version whole numbers (I.E.) 4.2 to 5.0 are they saying there are enough changes to warrent the new version and the 4.0 to 4.1 is simply a "fixed" version? Because it would seem to me that all versions were no more than fixes or patches with a few new features tossed in for marketing purposes (since I know nothing about the underlying code that makes it run).

Vista hasn't equated Microsoft with Fail for me. So far it has never crashed on me and the only time I have rebooted my computer since I got it was either for patch installs or because I was leaving the house for a few days and actually remembered to power down the computers before doing so.

Now, admittedly, I am not a super user. But for the average consumer who's computer use consists of email, YouTube, maybe a spreadsheet or word doc, and some gaming I have seen nothing at all problematic with Vista.

But the recent Apple commercials about budget priorities are funny (which most of them aren't, at least not in a way that is positive for Apple).

Windows X = Y.Z

Z and X change when there are significant feature adds to the OS without changes to the underlying architecture. Y changes when they change the basic underpinnings of the operating system. Meanwhile, there are actually finer grain version numbers (Y.Z.xxxxx) for bug fixes.

And, like Alex, I have never had the issues with Vista that make it supposedly so awful. And I'm somewhat of a power user.

The only people I know who haven't had issues with Vista are tech savvy people. So either there is an inherent technical nature to Vista that wasn't there with XP or people are breaking their computers.

Vista = Runs significantly slower than XP (on existing hardware)
Requires training for users coming from XP
Offers nothing new of any value.

For home users who surf, email and write documents it is a bloated behemoth of an operating system that just gets in the way.

Which is why I'm sticking with XP.

Here at work, we use the "Shared Docs" folder on MY (Vista) computer as our "server" (only 6 employees). I make a point of shutting down my computer at the end of each day, but even then we run into issues that require me to reboot during the day - sometimes more than once. Which means that everybody has to close any files they have open from Shared Docs - a real PITA.

We are supposed to be getting a real server soon.

BTW: if you are using Vista, do NOT the Windows Aero color scheme - it is a real memory hog.

Whereas I use Vista as my file server at home and the only time it's ever rebooted is after a system update.

Oh good lord man, what are you waiting for? Get a crappy old PC, load Unbuntu on it and use that for a windows file server. Done. Free.

Its not me: I wanted a server a long time ago.