>I must say I read these "Vista experience" posts diligently. However, I cannot see any compelling reason to get it.

For parents, the internet filtering and monitor feature would be really handy. Also included is a filter to determine which ratings of games your kids can play.

> There were real reasons for previous versions of Windows - stability, security, speed. But Vista for the average user?

For the average user, the ability to operate Windows without a non-admin account is a huge step forward for security. The security is increased by the IE7 anti-phishing feature.