CMAR606,
Thanks much for the info. I suspected as much. We will all miss Granny-Geek, as noted elsewhere on this forum.
Concerning your kernel question, I have occasionally installed a newer kernel. As Rodrigo says, it is not difficult. I always, though, went back to the kernel that came with the version of Vector I was using. I just did not have the time to make the program adjustments that seemed to be necessary following installation of the new kernel. In short, the gain was not worth the pain.
Concerning your overall questions about Vector, I use it because it is a great learning tool. Many of the distros you mention are stable and all that, as is Vector. But, since VL has so few programs loaded on initial install, the user is encouraged to experiment with various other programs. Some work. Some don't. For me, after all is said and done, Vector is simply more fun than the other distros. More exciting. Productive of freedom. Less structured. VL encourages us to use the stable repository, but the temptation to head to the testing repository or to no repository is sometimes overwhelming. Some Founding Father type could have been referring to Vector Linux when he said that the choice we all have to one degree or another is between the boisterous seas of freedom and the calm waters of despotism. A little much, perhaps, when applied to software, but you get the idea. If you want the security of stable repositories, don't load anything that isn't in stable. But VL by its nature lends itself to experimentation with new stuff. So if you are inclined to occasionally head towards experimentation and risk, Vector is your distro. If you screw up, this forum will come to your aid. Can't say the same about the debian forums, when asking about some strange program you have decided to try. If you want others to do most of the experimentation for you, you are probably a debian guy as it is easier to stay within stable debian than to stay within stable VL. I have Vector on my personal laptop and a couple of machines at the office, and am looking forward to 7.1, but pretty much default to debian for most office work. I don't want the employees experimenting with computers on my dime. And I don't like to be made fun of when I do something stupid.