unless i'm extremely mistaken they're bundled with a bazillion other programs for $100 at the local staples here, XP, IE, Outlook Express, SP2 is free. SP2 includes security, added features, and a lot more. that's well worth $100 imo. but you dont need to pay to activate any of them, MSN, IE, outlook, anything.In fact, yes, you do! You've got to pay for w!ndoze first to use them legally. Or even practically - what's the use of this when you've got no w!ndoze? Um, well, if you've got WINE or another 'alternative W32 API implementation'...
if you need to subscribe to it, this implies to me that it costs money.Are you subscribed to Bugtraq? I guess not. Well, I am, and this M$ anti-spyware has been commented on as soon as it came out. I watched the discussion and people complained that it mistakes things like VPN services or content watching software - Netnanny etc. ( ) for spyware. There's also been a fuss that it deletes IE(xploiter), but I'd say that was a joke...
did KFC document how to make it's chicken? did McDonalds give away the recipe to it's secret sauce? does any place do that?Apart from that, there's one more thing. Do you really think that M$ documented all of w!ndoze's 'features'? Sure they didn't. There are some tricks they are the only ones that know about. That's probably why it seems to work better.
try going to "learn XP" it'll probably help you if you cant use Windows
it comes up first thing when Windows is installed and guides you through everything you need to know, other things are very easy to learn. i find it incredibly simple to click a button that says "Rename selected file" and to type in a new name.FYI i dont use Google, google has enough people using an overrated program. i use www.searchalot.com , freelance, and it usually gets more of what i want anyway.
Slackware rulez 
) or Amigo and see for yourself it really DOES NOT take a geek to use this OS!
