1) It's a yes and no. I like some things about it, but not all.

2) I have it running on a PIII 1ghz with 512MB ram, and it runs fine.

3) Better, I dunno. I say it is different. The interface is getting changed. I like how they do "All Programs" and the control panel. It seems to work better amongst other things.

4) If I can get a cheap version, OEM or educational etc.. I will switch otherwise XP and Xandros all the way.