IMO, I think that a linux user trying to cobble together unstable releases of DE software would consider attempting to fix the software that one likes - I'd make a safe wager that most of one's problems stem from configuration issues. I say that because with my 4 years of limited experience with the linux desktop, I spent plenty of time distro/DE-hopping to find a remedy to having to edit default settings to get usability to the point were I like it. Then I learned that not all software is created equal, and not a single developer out there has the ability to read my mind. I tend to find - in my limited experience - that linux software tends to not "break", but is simply mis-configured for my unique situation by default.

no no no. He has lost the PSU three times already, and just the experience gained by that led to a very swift diagnosis.

The AC would have said more in his post, but the PSU/AC Adapter in his hp went out... again...

five year support will be excellent for the casual user. I think one of the underlying reasons that windows XP is so prolific is that the base OS (kernel, libs, utils) did not change for ten years. with only bugfixes and security patches being applied, the average user was able to become very comfortable with the OS. I would personally like to see other distros go with a 5 yr LTS version, for the installation on PCs whose users I have convinced to switch away from Windows. Or, I get to do a little less hand-holding. 8^)

Microsoft will most likely keep their business model that they have had for almost 40 years - in its very nature, their business model does not shift to new Ideas, but shifts the new Ideas into that model.

that's the beauty - you can handle divide by zero errors, can't you?

This expression is some of the best code I've seen in my life.

... Of bill gates saying something along the lines of nobody would ever need more than 640k to run a program...