The new iPhoto '09 does a good job finding faces in clear pictures, and if you tell it where to look in fuzzy photos it learns and can find the face well there too. I have to agree facial recognition is making big steps forward. And no, it's not because I love my Apple that I mention this, it's because that's the latest facial recognition software I've used.

OR you could run a program that actually runs native under linux. Download handbrake. I believe the site is handbrake.fr (google to make sure) you also need VLC for dvd decryption, it works perfectly. I have even ripped Howl's flying castle. and many many more.

Maybe it's just me, but I didn't take his post as meaning 99.99% backwards compatible. I just took it to mean he wants it to work will all his hardware or he won't install it. Mac did break backward compatibility, but with good reason. They made their OS run better and the upgraded applications allowed the same functions but with new technology. Why would you stay and cling to an old OS for years and years and years. It kills productivity and the time spent fussing with it and waiting for it to churn out data outweighs the cost of upgrading to a better OS/system. At least, from a business point of view.