I've actually thought about testing win2k on this machine, but never really gotten around to it.
I'd be interested in hearing how this works out, if you go ahead with it. This is something I am considering doing myself - when I get a new machine. I expect that I'll have trouble getting a new notebook with anything BUT Vista on it (unless I spring for an Apple, which is not going to happen) and will need to dual boot it. Win2k is the latest version I own that isn't on an OEM (Gateway and Compaq) disc and I can't see myself buying XP unless I can find Pro at an amazingly low price.
PS I've such a large amount of Windows based software that I use for work that I can't see going the Linux route, though with the 200GB harddrives now shipping with notebooks I'll be playing with it anyway. The other issue for me, with respect to Vista, is compatability - I've a fair number of applications that I absolutely cannot justify spending a penny to upgrade but can't live without. My GIS package, ESRI's ArcGIS (9.1 - the new version is 9.2), for a start. I had to buy my copy myself and fortunately qualified for an academic license - $450 (instead of $1500) for the main program and $450 for the plugin that I use as well (rather than $1500). The latest version (9.2) is not supported under Vista, either, and won't be until after ArcGIS 9.2 Sp-2 is released (and they've not yet released Sp-1!). So I'd have to spend the same again to get to a version that will run under Vista at some vaguely defined point in the future. Right... People are furious with ESRI because they switched 9.1 to "extended support" within a month of starting to ship 9.2. Of course, this doesn't GUARANTEE that I can't run 9.1 under Vista, but it doesn't guarantee that I can, either. It does guarantee that if I can't I'm SOL unless I want to ante up more cash.
OK rant over. Sorry folks.
