...12 hours later it is working, slow as molasses, can't find
anything. Every old program and link I used now has glitches and warnings
that
old features no longer work.  Things that were formally at my fingertips
are nowhere to be found.

Use SuSE. Almost any version from 8.2 Pro.

OpenSUSE 10.3 was easiest setup; and works like a dream, and 11.x onward,
though slick,
present some non-intuitive challenges for the non-geek like me.

Once you get used to YAST (SUSE's kind of control panel), you'll love
working with SuSE.

I've tried Ubuntu - several versions with various degrees of success, but
while it's fantastic at
finding wireless networks and joining them, it's disappointing in the
desktop layout and
access to applications and programs - and yes - I found it slow... though
many discount my
concerns and claim that it flies!

Open SUSE upgrades every six months or so - and I believe this is the
weakness of all Linux
OS's. Non-geeks and those who would naturally migrate away from M$ fear the
constantly-
changing environment. Make Linux "look like" Windows and bring out stable
consumer-
friendly versions every two years (while still offering the geek stuff),
and it will become the
norm in two or three years.

For those willing to experiment, but needing to hang onto Windows, all
Linux OS's will install
alongside M$; though it seems that Windows 8 will put a stop to this
facility.

Rob

Airborne Paragliding
PORTERVILLE


are you talking about a "virtual os" or dual boot.
Kevin Alderman