If you want to 'avoid' Windows XP, but upgrade away from Windows 98 (I sure would - consider the date: 98! That's six years old and, quite frankly, a few things have changed in that time) ;0), I'd go with Windows 2000. THE most stable Windows OS. I use XP Pro, but then I turn off all of the bells and whistles (Ooey GUI, Messenger, etc.). Folders don't take 'a minute or two' if you do that. Basically, XP without the junk is Windows 2000 enhanced (but with its own set of 'vulnerabilities' as can be seen from the 6,352 security updates). ;) Avoid Windows ME at all costs. The pre-release was a joke (couldn't even install it as it found reams and reams of the same hardware) and the release managed to be useless, not on one machine, but two. Hey, for some amazingly lucky people it works. But I've been using computers for over 15 years, build/upgrade my own systems continuously, and I'd rather use DOS 5.0 than Windows ME!!

C makes it easy to shoot yourself in the foot. C++ makes it harder, but when you do, you blow your whole leg off.

 -- Bjarne Stroustrup

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