"Why the Microsoft/PC hate talk is justified" - Its NOT justified, you've  been unlucky.  Microsoft software in the last 5 years has improved in reliability, security and robustness way over other vendors.   But life is life and some people just get the hits. Personally I love Vista, I've tried Redhat Linux in the past at the behest of friends, couldn't understand the fuss, my 5 year old broke it in 5 mins. Went back to my trouble free XP and carried on doing me stuff.

Some people complain about Ford motor vehicles being unreliable. I've had Fords for 10 years never had a breakdown.  We've had Dell computers at work for 5 years. Never had one breakdown, HP's in droves, Dell's never!  That's life pal, it colours your perception, that's fine, but its' YOUR view, not mine, and not a whole lot of other peoples, I'll be sticking with Microsoft as a platform and tools provider for a few years yet.  I'll be telling them when their stuff don't work for sure and encouraging them to fix it, but I won't be 'demanding' anything.  "I want, doesn't get!" not in my books anyhow.