Well, I have to say that I have not seen anything of Panther. Seen just a bit on a friend's computer, but haven't had the chance to poke around myself. I have no doubt that it's pretty extraordinary. And with the next version of windows pushed to 2006, now's a good time for a switch! But of course you can experiment with Linux on your old laptop. My friend who put Suse on his had a little trouble with his wireless but after a little googling he got it and now it's smooth enough that his less experienced wife uses it as her primary machine.
Oh, I just had a look at the Apple site and Expose is definitely pretty damn impressive... Windows just fades more for me all the time. They just sit on their laurels... I'm just too cheap to pay for Apple gear. I'll stick with the cheaper PC gear and do what I can. I'll be curious to hear what happens for you, though it sounds like your mind is nearly made up
