Well I'll throw my .01 in here. After just spending a chunk of change to lock the business I work for into W2K on license issues that cover growth for about 2 years. The cost of furture MS licenses have gotten to the point of a major overhead operating cost. While I finish up the W2K server issues consider several changes taking place. Business I support is Engineering part of that is Gov both state and federal projects and both are moving their default method of exchange of Info to a dot PDF. Adobe is supporting this now look forward to when AutoCad follows suit. Here is the thing at least in AE (Arch/Engineering) their are those boiler plate contract clauses none call out now for XP and some contracts exceed MS upgrade time what now it's 2 years? Lots of dot Gov state federal are moving to Linux also. So look at all the factors for your client there is right now AbiWord that can during my test so far take a dot Doc and read it be edited and saved back and the formatting stays the same. Roll out Linux server side first, one of my servers from the upgrade did not purchase a W2K it is going to Be linux and a slow roll out with what works. Have your clients review their production needs and the format of electronic information then all the programs they use and what is required by contracts and the options they may hold. Believe me there is not a Boiler Plate Spec out there now that requires a XP anything. MS lost the point small business's as in under 500 employees are 95 % of the business out there, Let ATT, Verison roll out XP our company will never touch it, we know our business not MS. And face it Bill Gates did not invent DOS, has no vision, is just good at making myth as a good customer many years they never asked me what our business needed, they have told us enough...thanks MS LOL Information Super Highway Bill..he has never been will never be cool..rich yes...cool nope! Review the contracts and their specs :D
