From futurepower.com:

Few people have the technical background to understand fully the advantages and disadvantages of software as complex as an operating system or office software. Without fundamental information, it is difficult for non-professionals to understand the advice of professionals.

The fact that Windows XP makes your computer dependent on Microsoft computers is bad not only because you lose control over your computer, but because Microsoft produces buggy software and doesn’t patch bugs quickly. For example, as of August 8, 2002, there are 22 unpatched security holes in Microsoft Internet Explorer [pivx.com]. This is a terrible record for a company that has $40 billion in the bank. Obviously, with that kind of money, Microsoft could fix the bugs if it wanted to fix them. Since the bugs are very public and Microsoft has the money, it seems reasonable to suppose that top management at Microsoft has deliberately decided that the bugs should remain, at least for now.

Microsoft has changed the terms of the contract to which users are bound by including the new contract with some security and other bug fixes.

Recent security patches require that the user agree to a contract that gives Microsoft administrator privileges over the user’s computer [theregus.com]. (Administrator privileges give complete control over the computer and all data stored on it.) See also, Microsoft EULA requests root rights – again [theregus.com]. The contract says that if a user wants to patch his or her system against a bug that would allow an attack over the Internet, he or she must give Microsoft legal control over the computer.

Far more at: futurepower.com