Still running XP and so are others I suspect. Would be nice to know if 7 is allows me to do something XP can't. The other issue is my overall lack of desire to purchase tech any time soon. Not too hard for me to forget Vista but it is hard for me to forget XP.

If you want to show them how Linux is a legitimate OS don't tell them its free right of the bat. Tell them it runs on many of the servers they use to access their school's databases, websites, and security. Here is a fun fact: Many of the planes used by our government have a unix backbone. They might be surprised to learn that what keeps planes flying are systems built on versions of Red Hat/Fedora. Tell them that most computer science majors must have some background in Linux to graduate. It is an operating system most (probably all) computer science majors had to learn. Tell them that the NSA (National Security Agency) aka the authority on Network Security for the DoD (Departement of Defense) uses Linux on many of their systems. Tell them all about SE Linux and why the NSA supports it. Tell them that Linux and Windows are not so different and that you can use many Windows programs on both operating systems. Introduce them to Open Office (you won't believe how many people you will convert with Open Office). Again don't open with "It is free" the response will almost always be negative.

Yes its fun to blame the Russians but don't forget we have U.S. carriers that help facilitate them (I am looking at you RETN and your connections in Los Angeles) Even more entertaining then the gifts we recieve from Russia and the delivery system propped up by U.S. companies is the shell game that is played with the networks responsible. Forget the concept of a multiheaded monster, it is all heads and no body(the alternative to that analogy is pretty gross).