(MONEY Magazine) – You've probably been hearing a lot of static about Windows 2000, the latest computer operating system from Microsoft. Accompanied by a major ad blitz, the February release may even have you wondering if you ought to get it for your home PC. We have a word of advice: Don't.

It's not that we have anything against Microsoft's latest upgrade. It's said to be more stable than any Windows release to date, dramatically reducing the frequency of those irritating crashes. It's just that Win2K, which costs about $220, was designed to be an upgrade for Windows NT--the company's popular operating system for businesses--not Windows 98.

The ad campaign aside, Microsoft itself told us that most consumers who are looking to upgrade would be better off waiting for the May or June release of Windows Millennium Edition, a.k.a. Windows Me.

--BRIAN L. CLARK