To be fair to Internet Explorer (why not? some-one has to be),this isn't a flaw in IE, but in a particular ActiveX control. The article doesn't make it clear if the same security breach could arise if you use the control in a different browser.
That said, I totally endorse and Stuart's points about FireFox. I'd also urge anyone who fancies playing with Linux to take up Stuart's offer of a Ubuntu CD. (You can also download Ubuntu for free from various sites, but it's much more convenient to have a physical CD.)
I had a ancient laptop that I was planning to discard. Just for fun, I tried installing Ubuntu on it, and it gave it a new lease of life. Much faster, much less hassle than Windows XP or Vista.
Unfortunately, I have to stick with Windows for my main machine. As an independent software developer, I have to develop on a system that matches, as closely as possible, the machines that my applications will be deployed on, and, for now, that means Windows.
Mike