Look and feel is one thing, but I was searching for comments on compatibility with older software, etc.
Ah in that case I would go for XP. 2000 can be a nightmare to configure old software / peripherals to work with. XP makes the job much easier, even easier than 98 in my opinion.
The differences between "look and feel" between each of the microsoft windows versions is not that bad, something you get used to pretty quickly. For example, each has a control panel, each has a start menu, each has a task bar etc......They may all have slightly different options available, but are essentially the same.
If I were a business (....hmmm, I am a business
)......I would run Win 2000 / 2003 server on the server, and Win 2K on the workstations.
For home use I'd choose XP every time, or if my computer is too old and slow, Windows 98........
Cheers
EA