whabang wrote:
I want a small, fast OS without web-servers, advanced backup utilities (I burn everything to CD), and three zillion other utilities that I have no use for.
Not that Windows is better, at least Linux have never crashed on me. :-)
Seems to me like you would prefer Linux then, at least from an anti-bloat perspective compared to Windows. With the Linux distros you get a bazillion of optional software packages included on the CD:s. If you don't want the web servers, backup utils et c., you don't have to install it. If you install it, you don't have to use/run it. With Windows you rarely have a choice, everything is part of Windows, and you don't get a ton of apps included to choose from.
From a RAM-usage and speed perspective, I personally find a full X/GNOME/KDE install at least as lean and snappy as WinXP on the same hardware. But that by itself is maybe not a ringing endorsement...
A modern, graphical Linux desktop is more fun on modern hardware, just like a modern Windows version.
I usually go nuts and install
everything I think I could
possibly find a use for some rainy day - it doesn't waste RAM/CPU if I don't run it, and disk space is cheap...
