If you read the pages of The Register regularly you'd think we had some obsessive-compulsive attitude which meant we disliked Microsoft. Some of us actually sort of love Microsoft here. These are the people, after all, who gave us cut and paste, real time. It was possible to cut and paste using GEM from Digital Research and it is true that GEM was much faster than any version of Windows anyone has ever seen, processor speed-wise. But GEM was not very colourful, was it? Even using SVGA and XGA very highly expensive monitors and graphics cards, it always had that bluish look about it. Windows is colourful. All the hardware manufacturers agreed at the time, and since, for that matter. Monitor manufacturers spoke of Windows on the glass and how the glowing colours displayed so well. Yes, we love the Great Santa of Software. Like Intel, it has kept us PC journalists in work for many years. And long may that continue, Linux nothwithstanding. A very merry Christmas to you all... ®