Crash, yeah.
To me, a computer operating system should be like one of those Bathurst Race Cars, where they take car off the production line, into a workshop, and strip off all the cosmetics, add roll bars and heavy duty suspension. But it is still a ...well, won't go into the model of the car, but let's use Monaro just as an example.
The point is, it is re-constructed, as in if there was a "bathurst version of a modified horse racing computer" out goes the cosmetics of the marketed operating system, and fit the "roll bars and suspension" so it sustains the number crunching we need to do.
First, I would change the browser and email dooberlaky to this reccomended software
web browser:
http://www.mozilla.org/products/firebird/

email:
http://www.mozilla.org/mailnews/

Has not let me down, not messing with cookies and all those other humps. PC speed of access to web sites seemingly been constant.
Emails just glides thru the traffic.

Then perhaps,
http://www.openoffice.org/

But I do not expect the office software might be a quick transition for most. There might be a level of commitment at first and away from punting.

The next issue that might be of concern is internet security.
Before this becomes some what a blown out discussion, let me say this, when configuring firewalls and it comes to IP numbers and what they mean and what to simply fill in the blank spaces with, I was once given a url to download a tutorial on IP numbers.
I am not sure if it was a joke, but by the time the printing was done, there were 104 pages printed.

That to remains in my bottom draw.

All I asked for, "what numbers do I use to configure a firewall?"
To some it may not be a issue. But the issue is not an issue to explain in a epic of a tutorial, intended for those who have the knack and comprehend 104 pages of why a number is used on that specific location of a PC !!
A race is getting redy to start as far as a punter is concerned, much time and focus is doing racing number crunching.
Who has time to read 104 pages of stuff ?

[ This Message was edited by: puntz on 2004-01-31 00:23 ]