Just a note about Fedora core 3. It comes with built in firewall and SeLinux(security enhanced) also comes with almost every software application you can possibly need for free. If you set up a windows machine with all the software Fedora offers you would have a large investment. I run Xp pro,Office Xp pro(I have over $1000.00 invested just in software) and a few other applications as well.I also dual boot with Fedora core 3 and have yet to purchase any software for it(have downloaded some apps for free) and can do 100% the same things I can do with windows Xp. I found the installation and configuration easy and there is a ton of support out there for Linux distro's(far more than for windows) and it does not cost 1 cent!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have never had a crash with Fedora compared to multiple crashes with Xp(untill I spent hours re-configuring it and doing multiple registry hacks to make it stable). Both systems are very stable now and very similar in operational speed but I have Fedora for free! I won't even consider Longhorn for the simple reason I'm not going to continue paying Microsoft to upgrade anymore when I can get it for free through Linux. If I do pay again I will give my money to Apple instead whose systems are way better and more secure than windows will ever be. Don't get me wrong I like Windows Xp but microsoft is driving me away from them with there business practices and forcing perpetual upgrades on us. If they made a 100% stable system they wouldn't need to keep creating complete new operating systems they would just have to make minor enhancements and upgrades. But that would effect Mr. Gates wallet now would'nt it?