In his [the tech support person's] view, Vista is supposed to be more stable than XP because it is mostly Linux based, however it has a lot of new graphic features (like translucent screen) which are supposed to be easier on the eye, but I suspect they are mainly resource hogs. AFIK, Micro$oft will discontinue its support of XP in five or so years.
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Sorry to break curfew, by which I mean the three-post rule but I couldn't let this float around, unanswered for 12 hours.
Wojtek, if your tech support person really told you that Vista is "supposed to be more stable than XP because it is mostly Linux based" I suggest you consult with a different technician regarding such matters.
To paraphrase Wolfgang Pauli, that statement is so wide of the mark it's not even wrong.
See earlier entries in this thread for more accurate information about the cause of Vista's performance anomalies.
.d.