Stories by: Scott Spanbauer

Windows Vista debuted to muffled applause, followed by lackluster sales. Up until June 30, cash-strapped businesses looking to avoid the cost of upgrading to new Vista-compatible hardware could still purchase trusty Windows XP. Now, however, Windows XP is available only as a costly "downgrade" from Windows Vista--if you buy a copy of Vista, you can install the 6-year-old XP operating system using the Vista license.

Whether you're looking for a job, a party or long-lost friends, your ideal online meeting place is out there. We uncover the best social-networking sites on the web.

The greatest rivalries are fascinating to observe -- and they invite everyone to choose sides and argue the merits of their favorite.

The same question people used to ask about PCs can be asked of social networks: Were our lives easier or harder, better or worse, simpler or more complex, before they came around? The answer is yes. For some folks, social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace seem nearly as indispensable as e-mail, but creating and maintaining these virtual circles of friends turns out to be quite a bit of work, often necessarily so. Here are the ten things that bug me most about today's social networking services.

For many users, getting started with Linux is surprisingly easy. New, friendlier versions of the free operating system, such as Fedora and Ubuntu, feature straightforward menus and automated installations that make switching from Windows to Linux a relatively simple process.

Transform your network to enhance your personal and professional life

Microsoft is synonymous with the ubiquitous Windows operating system. But its Microsoft Office productivity suite pulls in more revenue than any version of Windows. Competition from Web-hosted productivity applications like Google Docs, and Zoho Office has changed the rules of the application-suite game, however, threatening Microsoft's desktop application revenues and forcing it to address the growing popularity of Web-hosted applications with new features and products.

What is it about April Fools' Day jokes that we love so much? Perhaps it's that, in the midst of the crushing influx of information that many of us cope with daily, a well-constructed prank provides a welcome break. For a moment, we smile, even when the joke is a tried-and-true chestnut.

Whether you're looking for a job, a party, or long-lost friends, your ideal online meeting place is out there. We'll help you find it.

Why limit yourself to one operating system when you can have two (or three) on the same PC (or Mac)?

Addicted to the Brave New Web's feeds, streams, tags, pics and flicks? For a simple, consolidated window to the interactive Web, try the free Flock browser, which comes preconfigured for creating and consuming RSS feeds, shared photos, and other Web 2.0 fare - just enter your existing accounts' user names and passwords.