I thought I made it clear, I recommend Windows 7.
I installed it today. Nothing else, I had to leave for work. I’ll spend my 3-day weekend reloading programs and tweaking things up. It picked up my network settings and recognized the other 3 pcs (1 hadrwired to the router, 2 wireless) first try. I haven’t tried the Internet yet. My main uses will be for high-speed downloads, burning to DVD and converting .avi files. No fancy games, no Facebook. A workhorse, stable and always on. If it can do that I’ll be happy.
And btw, thanks for the heads up on macs. I’m aware of them but have zero use for one. When my daughter was starting college they wanted her to buy a Macbook for big money. I bought her a $400 Compaq laptop and it served her needs just fine. I’ve known about them since the company was formed and never saw them as being worth the cost.