And again

Programmes not being available overseas despite you paying your license fee.

As it was said the BBC do not own many of the programmes they broadcast, or only holds the rights for UK transmission. Have you thought the legal issues they would have to navigate if they allowed overseas users to watch everything.I'm sure the canadian channel that partners the BBC in producing Dr Who wouldn't mind, their overseas revinue vanishing.

Boo Hoo its windows, it's up to the BBC to justify costs, while protecting it's content. Like it or not it MS fits the criteria. More importantly it makes the content available to the vast majority of home users without introducing somebodys home made media player.

As for the Baird / Marconi trials, it's the 21st century. Look at the sniping that was done regarding the cult TV section. First the newspapers (and MPs) bitched that the BBC where spending money that didn't generate any revinue. When the site was put on hold everbody bitched that the BBC had stopped mantaining one of the most popular websites in the UK.

Make your mind up people you want them to spend money on your pet system (but don't actually want to pay do you ?)

Why not complain that they still don't broadcast on the old VHF channels, becasue you don't like semiconductor companys.

Many businesses simply use MS solutions because it's possible to get staff that can support the platform and apps. Take an instution like the BBC install Linux & Open Office on every desktop, and see how happy the users are after a couple of weeks ? I'm just so deluged with people who can really work and diagnose faults with Linux systems (actually I'm not most of them simply follow the prompts just like any other Windoze or OSX drone and then sulk when theres no popups to tell them whats going on)

Before you complain Ive been using Linux since around 95 and it was hell copying all those discs to enable yet another interested person to try the future.