Windows 2000 still seems to be the best OS Microsoft has put out. I've been running it without any problems for almost 2 years now. While I am warming up to XP, SP2 still is giving me problems as far as software and hardware compatibility.
One guy wrote that "knowledge is power" with regard to getting around the quirks of SP2. My answer to him is that knowledge should be implemented by the manufacturer, i.e. Microsoft, and passed on to the consumer. It should not be a situation where the consumer has to second guess the oddities of the OS. Microsoft may not be able to fix all the problems hashed up with SP2, but they could at least acknowledge that problems exist, which they are arrogantly not doing.
It would be one thing if the quirks of SP2 were consistent from one computer to the next, but they aren't. Why does Zone Alarm work on my brother's computer and my girlfriend's computer, but not on my sister's computer? Why did my parents' computer totally freeze up with SP2 installed, then miraculously start working flawlessly once SP2 was uninstalled?
Granted, there are scores of websites dedicated to helping you through the SP2 quagmire. That, to me, points to poor software development on the part of Microsoft. And the fact that Microsoft continually ignores the problems with SP2 points to poor public relations and not holding themselves accountable to their customers.
While I agree that computer users should be more acquainted with the operations of their computers, they should not have to work so hard just to be able to use them. The point of the operating system is to intuitively guide you through the various applications a computer is capable of. If, instead, it is a maze and the highpoint of your day is being able to acually use a program on your computer, then the manufacturer of the OS has failed. For all those people who jumped into the computer world with 95 and 98, 2000 delivers the familiar look and feel, but on a much more stable platform.