I believe that XP is the ideal OS at the moment. In comparsion to 2000, it has so many new features that 2000 dont have, it makes it ideal for a novice user with the home edition, or a power user with the proffessional edition. Linux cannot be compared at all with Windows. Even in security matters, where most people believe that Linux is much more secure then the Windows Platform. In that part i will just say that the results of a servey linux came up with more security bugs than windows 2000. Microsoft provided us with security patches, what happend with most Linux users? did they had to wait for the next version? And from the other hand, Linux dont have a character of there own; they tend to "clone" the windows UI or the Mac UI. And with Windows having so many technologies; DirectX, System Restore, the Windows API, Support for the most recent standards etc... And with those technologies under improvement for so many years, It makes it impossible for any new OS to just jump out and claim Windows's market.