I know you mean well and are just trying to help me with good advice and I do appreciate the effort.... but I work in the "real world" (a web site development and graphic design company) and I need windows to do that successfully. I know that even MAC might be a better option, but all my very expensive software is in windows. :)
I have plenty of Windows machines for using software written for windows. Fortunately most of the s/w runs under W2k. I can see a definite issue with keeping web sites running well with IE as it mutates into ever new behaviors.