Ah yes, nekid women :) Infinate variety, etc. :P Peng, Don't get me wrong, I hate M$ and I use thier software grudgingly for the most part, I also decry much of it as crap. Like the new XP service pack, wont install on my machine, it's my work box, so appart from a batch of M$ patches, and the fact that it's hooked into the file servers for secure logon, it's as standard as they come. But the new patch gets around 3 seconds into the install proper: "do you wish to backup the old files?" then it closes the installer window and pops up a helpfull little box saying "the install has been canceled" [OK] So I closed everything down, even Norton and it does the same thing. Drop into safe mode, where the secure logon wont let me logon as me as it can't fine the domain server, and it won't let me logon as administrator because it says the password is wrong, which is bullshit, since it the same pasword I use everywhere... Reset password, try again, same response. Argh!!! But even after that, I still don't think that Linux will "break" the desktop as it doesn't come as one install, you have to add wine, add openoffice, etc. But you're expecting people who buy from Wal*Mart to be savy enough to use this. They don't care if a file is OGG or MP3, they want thier MTV. They want to play PC games, they want a browser that works with everything, an OS that does it all for them. Linux doesn't do that, it's UNIX, the antithesis of "point & click" I've worked in computer shops, people buy what their mates tell them to, even against your advice, then bring it back and complain that it doesn't work... Linux is good, it's a geek's OS, but that's the point. XP is a users OS, it makes all your choices for you, looks cool, has whizzy little features that people like regardless of how much privacy they have to give up, knowingly or not. Now I've never connected a printer to Linux, but if it's anything like Solaris, then it's going to be no picnic for Joe Sixpack. Then of course there is the problem of internet access, last time I looked you had to configure PPP into the kernel, then hope it works, whereas on XP, you simply type your username and password into the box and press "connect" and it does it all for you. When Linux can do this, it won't be Linux anymore. Meanwhile X-box hackers are jumpstarting SUSE onto the drives of unsuspecting games consoles, up to thier elbows in cables and solder, and loving every minute of it. It's a different world, and never the twain shall meet. I'd love Linux to take the desktop, put "the Man" out of business, "in a world without fences, who needs Gates?" :) But with the best will in the world it isn't going to happen, because there will never be "just one distro" and our world would be a lot poorer for it if there were. What I'm doing at home may be bending the rules a little, but if they come knocking I can show them the licences, show them the CD's, It may not strictly match the EULA, but then neither does running one copy of poser on 2 PC's, and a fair number of users here do that. I'm of the opinion that once they have your money thay stop being interested in you, except when it comes time to upgrade. A smart company will make sure you're happy with your product, because reviews and word of mouth sell far more than advertising. But business is business. later jb