I have been using windows XP for the last 4 years, and truly it is one of the most user friendly operating systems I have come across. people talk about mac OS and Linux, and I do not say that these are bad, but when it comes to ease of use, I think XP stands out any day.
may be my experiences have been different because in comparison to most people using pirated version, I have purchased licensed version which cost me 6.5 k for the professional version. also because I have installed only trusted applications on my system, so my computer has never hung up or crashed.
there was this virus infection problem once, but apart from that, there have been no major issues. I have now installed the licensed version of a reputed antivirus software which helps me take care of windows vulnerability to viruses, spyware, trojans, worms, and other types of malicious software codes.
i also regularly defragment my drives and use a good registry mechanic to make my computer running smooth and fast every day. my friends who have bought new laptops have vista installed in them, and sometimes I feel jealous of the superb graphics in vista, but then again what really matter is ease of use, an area where XP, I think, will continue to score higher than any other operating system.
it makes me a bit sad to know that Microsoft will stop providing support and updates for xp somewhere around 2014, this I have heard from some people and read about it online. I hope Microsoft will come up with something better by then.