Hi,
I was running Vista for a couple of months last year but it just slowed everything down. I switched back to Ubuntu Linux and am now running a PC with better desktop effects than Vista can ever to hope to have, more applications (OpenOffice installed with the OS, Pidgin as an instant messenger, Evolution for my emails and so on)...
I like DreamScene (Ultimate users only), but I think that overall Vista was a ripoff. I ended up seeling my copy of Ultimate on eBay, I couldn't stand it. I felt short changed with Windows Ultimate Extras, they were all useless and pointless things that just added more lag.
I don't like it, it was a major step back from XP in terms of reliability and stability (blue screen of death when I plug in a TV card and boot it up)......and I don't like Vista's interface. It's too dark and dull.
Edit: Stocks, you could try ReactOS which is very unstable currently and doesn't run many applications at all (although for a one man projects its' moved forward incredibly fast); or you may want to install an OS like Ubuntu Linux (because it's so easy to use) and then install
Wine using
Code:
sudo apt-get install wine
Then you can run quite a lot of Windows applications without owning Windows.
-Luke.