So I've Gone To Vista x64 SP1 Ultimate

It was a hard decision, but I went ahead with it since I had 4GB of RAM and Windows XP kept giving me obnoxious random BSOD's every so often. My initial impressions? It works, surprisingly much smoother than I had initially expected. Sure, emulating more than half of my applications in 32-bit mode is a bit of a downer and searching for drivers is like a treasure hunt and I had to buy a new wireless PCI card, but overall? I think it's a keeper - sorry to disappoint all you Vista haters out there.

My favorite is (another big surprise) the sidebar. I found it especially useful - though most of the downloadable applications are on Live.com are outright trash - the standouts seems to be a few hidden gems in that heaping pile of poop. My personal pick is the WP-Corp E-Mail checker. It runs through IMAP and opens up to Windows Mail, where you can also sync via IMAP and voila! You're up and running better than you could ever imagine. More impressions after a month or so of usage.