There have been several posts to this list recently in which people proudly proclaimed to have Microsoft-free systems. Perhaps a few words are in order why I and quite a few others have not gone that route. First, Linux runs perfectly well in the presence of Windows. I know of nothing in Linux that suffers the least bit from the presence of Windows in some other partitions on the hard drive. Disks are cheap enough now so there's plenty of room for both systems. Perhaps some folks might feel that Windows contaminates their systems spiritually, much as Orthodox Jews avoid ``treif'', but I don't buy that. Second, a little care in installation and partitioning can prevent Windows from doing any damage to your Linux partitions. Basically, the principle is never to let Windows do partitioning; only let Windows format partitions once you've created them. And even that may not be necessary, depending on your partition types, since Linux can create Windows partitions also (but not FAT32, I don't believe). You can use Lilo, System Commander, or any number of other utilities to select the system you're starting at each bootup. Third, there are some programs and other facilities that just have no equivalent in Linux and probably never will. My best examples are TurboTax and AOL, but there are others. Fourth, I often need to interchange documents with people who are running the latest version of Word. Yes, I know about Star Office and use it, but it hasn't (and probably can't) keep up with the Microsoft updates. People will use what they will use, and I don't think I'd get very far in convincing them to eschew Word. There are a few other contexts in which Linux hasn't been able to successfully match Windows. The average casual user has little hope of configuring Linux successfully; you can't just load the CD, choose the default at every opportunity, and end up with a usable system. Nor can you just turn on your computer, wait for a minute or two, and then without further ado go about whatever it was you wanted to do. And for reasons I don't entirely understand, the quality of many graphics under X isn't up to that of the Windows GUI; just compare running Netscape under X with running it under Windows. Make no mistake about it: I have no love for Microsoft. Their software is generally badly designed, fascistic, and paternalistic; it is forever making assumptions about what you want that more often than not are wrong. Their business practices are the pits. I particularly resent the way that they've regularly sabotaged standards such as the ones from the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), and their current attempt to configure Win2000 so as to lock out non-Microsoft servers. I would be absolutely delighted to see the Justice Department chop them, like Gaul, into three parts. Paul Abrahams -- To unsubscribe send e-mail to suse-linux-e-unsubscribe@suse.com For additional commands send e-mail to suse-linux-e-help@suse.com Also check the FAQ at http://www.suse.com/Support/Doku/FAQ/