wow! i was quoted by the mighty pooh i am humbled

anywho, i am by no means a zealot of any camp...couldn't care less actually what OS/source/company, so long as i get my shits and giggles...all i meant by Bill Gates adopting the attitude of open-source, was that he (and his company) should start doing what the Linux developers have already begun: update the system *before* the initial boot sequence i.e. before the user can have a chance at running amok on the web, clicking every shiny button/flashing icon.

now, i know that the files will have to be downloaded *somewhere* on the hard disk -- even a temp directory -- but these same files will of course be checked (vs checksum/md5?) before being allowed to execute, then removed from the system (after rebooting perhaps, this is Windows we're talking about)...and i think the uber-firewall idea is still a great one, all but one port closed, connecting to one of several predefined _secure_ servers...remember, the system is *still* not fully booted, so even if something could sneak its way onto the system it would be deleted before the first logon, along with all files not part of the initial install...

at least, this would work in my little world! :P