Now that you mention it, I used to get random pops and clicks in mp3s while ripping under Win2K. My system is less than what you described yours as in the thread you linked to, though. Also, I used to get random skips or silences from Winamp under Win2K on perfectly good files (going back over that part of the song immediately afterward, it would always play cleanly). But that was an older version of Winamp, too.

Anyway, since I started ripping with EAC (and upgraded Winamp) I haven't had any such problem. And, CDs that I had problems ripping before no longer give me trouble, either. The only time I have errors is from mp3s that I downloaded, which isn't such a big deal. If I like what I hear, I go buy the CD.