SOGA gurus out there? (faulty computer)

The horror stories are just that, stories. Vista works very well and has many advantages over XP, especially on the tablet PC I have been using. There is no way I would put XP or linux on it.

The latest versions of Ubuntu certainly are no harder to use than a windoze machine if you have never used any computer before. My 93 y.o. MIL only started with the computer last year. She uses an imac with Xubuntu (ultra lightweight for old hardware).

Indeed.

I think you are right. So you would have to put on a minimal install of Ubuntu (say) and try out the other aspect of the DVD.

It already is more plug and play than XP (which will go around looking for extra drivers for the specific kit, and for which you often need to add 3rd party bundleware to get basic things like DVD playing and writing to work.

Then there are issues about 'trusted' computing and DRM. Then there is the tiny benefit of not needing a virus checker...

It is at that stage now, Ubuntu is click and play with a fully functional add-remove programs menu and installing any Deb package is as simple as a double click, so the terminal window is obsolete unless you feel the need to use the thing as a real computer. Thousands of free programs to choose from I don't think anybody as yet have been infected with a virus using a penguin. its Free and not supporting BG and MS vision of monopoly .

Staff on the tills at PC World always ask if you are buying for business. If you are, then you have a lot less rights than a consumer. There was a story in PCW magazine sometime last year about exactly this where the (business) purchaser was basically at the mercy of the supplier to provide a fix and didn't have the same sort of "instant refund" rights.

MBQ

Puppy runs entirely in ram, it can also save system configuration to disk, usb or multisession cd on exit.

If it finds a swap partition it will use it.

AJH