RSLinx 2.40 was about five years ago, if I remember correctly.
The current release is version 2.51
You can download RSLinx Lite for free, without a support contract, from the Rockwell Automation Support site. Follow the ordinary procedures for software download, it's just that RSLInx Lite doesn't require a support contract number.
While RSLinx has not been fully tested against Microsoft Windows Vista, I have anecdotal evidence from users running the Ethernet drivers that it works correctly, as do RSLogix 5, 500, and 5000 software.