I purchased a new DVD drive last week for my computer. I spent this weekend trying to watch DVDs. I'm posting this because I laugh at those who say Windows is simpler to use than linux. Trial #1: Windows. I decided that since Windows is a "simpler OS" and I just want to watch a movie I'd set it up in Windows and get the linux stuff working later (no doubt upgrading libraries and recompiling kernels). I have a small (800 MB) Win95 partition on my machine I use just for stuff I like this. I install the software and pop in the DVD. Gives me some codec errors. Download the new version of the DVD software. Same error. Their support site is useless. It keeps telling me to "go to the support site and download the new codec". Well, I'm on the support site and there isn't any download that I can see. I call up my Windows loving buddies (they will get their wrath on judgement day) and they tell me that it's dumb to even try DVD under Win95. So, I look for my Win98 disc, not found, I guess I'll install Win2K. Note the partition size above. I install the OS, start the DVD install, "you need at least 5 MB free disk space". Umm.. what? Win2K decided to help itself to my hard drive. I start going and deleting useless files (WAVs, help files) and reclaim 30 MB after Win2K complains that I'm removing "precious protected files that will cause Windows to run incorrectly". Install the new version of the DVD software, it tells me that my res and color depth are set too high. I set it to 800x600x256. Same error. I set it to 640x480x16. Same error. Conclusion.. it's my video card, I have to wait til Monday to find someone to loan me a nicer PCI video card. Well, I guess I'll try linux then..... Trial #2: linux. I read the DVD HOWTO and grabbed LiViD. I was already running a 2.4 kernel so DVD support was there. I started oms and.. umm.. started watching my movie. Less than 10 minutes of work (downloading, compiling, making popcorn) and DVD is working. This after several hours of re-installing Windows and patching the software to no avail. Windows really needs to go away. -Brian