Windows versions of Python---pros and cons?

[Tom Loredo]

Fernando Pérez wrote:
> 
> Don't know if there's a misunderstanding here: 

Very likely!  (On my part!)

> cygwin is a unix-like
> environment under Windows. 

Okay, my concern was that it wouldn't work with or be able to produce
Windows binaries---like if I had to produce binary extension modules
to ship to others, or a McMillan-ized install that used PythonWin
and Tk or wxWindows.  Cygwin is so huge that I got the impression
it was a self-contained "subenvironment" so to speak, so I didn't
realize I could use it to produce stuff that non-cygwin Windows users
could use.

> Well, if you do have to live with windows, I'd recommend at least using XP.

Well, there is now a recommendation each for WinXP and Win2k in this
thread.  If anyone has tried both and can offer a comparison/recommendation,
I'm all ears.  If I'm going to upgrade, I'd rather do it sooner than later.

Thanks again,
Tom