According to newsgroups I've been reading, the only way to make AutoCAD 2000 run is by using XP in Win2000 emulator mode. In that case I'm just sticking to old reliable win2000.

I won't switch to XP until:

-they change their EULA

-They no longer track my computer on their Database

-They quit turning paying customers into paying beta testers

I use Win2000 and NT 4.0 at work. They are rock solid. I use win98 SE at home and they are fairly solid. As far as I am concerned Win2000 was Microsoft's best product.

Remember when win95 came out? The first 16 bit version was ok until they replaced it with 32 bit, then the 16 bit was useless. The same with win98. It was ok until they came out with SE, but wasn't nearly as versatile as SE. Then you couldn't get SE without buying an upgrade. I will no longer buy bleeding edge Microsoft products, because eventually they'll fix it and then you have to buy it again. I think I'll just wait till they get the bugs worked out. Let some other sap be their beta tester.

Windows unleashed their latest Instant Messenger on the world recently. That sucker freezes up my win98 se every time. It requires a reboot. This weekend I formatted the harddrive and did a full reinstall of win98 SE. Still freezes my harddrive. Windows has no answers they keep telling me the same thing. Uninstall, Reinstall. It doesn't help that their servers have been up and down for over a week. On a 56k modem that really bites. Also I can't just download Internet explorer, I have to be online to install that POS. Well if they require that I be online, the least they can do is keep their servers online.

I started installing Redhat Linux 7.2 on my old 486 last night. It went slow, and I had to go to bed, so I'll have to finish it tonight. This is just a for-fun install, I doubt I'll be free of Microsoft for some time. Maybe if AutoDesk would release a Linux version of AutoCAD, nahh, it'll never happen.

-Steve G.