
Tired of endless Windows security problems? Intrigued by Linux's power but discouraged by its complexity? Tempted by Mac OS but not thrilled with the hardware cost? If so, you might want to investigate the growing bunch of hobbyist OSes -- Syllable, SkyOS, Haiku, MenuetOS, Visopsys, ReactOS and others.
Syllable is perhaps the most promising of them all; it's a maturing open source desktop OS with an evolving kernel & device driver range, and is targeted at the home/small-office user.
I agree with you on the "skyos is much further along" thing. My experiences with Syllable are with earlier versions, and, in order to make a fairer judgement, I'm definitely gonna try out the latest release as soon as I find some time.