"Im just trying , if i can get the look of DOS 4.0 ( remembers the times , when an OS fits a 720kb floppy)"

Hmm... a fragile file system, no security, no TCP/IP stack, no multimedia subsystem, no meaningful way to stay aware of updates....

Nah, I'd rather not go back to those days :)

"On the one hand, it makes it way easy to apply complicated textures with bumps and trans and refl maps and all that. On the other hand, as an artist I like knowing exactly what's going on with my figure at all times."

For me, I would simply never purchase a complex texture set without MAT files. I don't really have the urge to spend the time to build them myself - it's pointless. I know what you mean about knowing what's "going on" but let's face it - the materials dialog box isn't all that complex - it's not like it's difficult to check on what happened if you want. it's just silly and time consuming to have to set it all by hand.

Besides, if your user didn't like MAT files they can not use them :)

"I'd rather have a solid running OS than a good-looking OS any day."

Fortunately, XP is both.

"I haven't gotten XP yet. I never buy any Microsoft programs until they've been out for about a year so the kinks can be worked out first."

And in the old days that was true - but it hasn't been that way with MS since 2000 came out. They now use massive public beta's... I have been running XP almost a year as have hundreds of thousands of others - sot hat "first year" has already happened before it hit retail.

"Who knows, maybe in a few years, they'll catch up to the Macintosh OS interface. :)"

OSX? I can do that now - it's just a skin... and not all that pretty. If you meant OS9, not only wasn't it that pretty but refer to the above comment about the importance of stability :) :) :)