maybe overanalyzing, but age IS a factor. Morpheus says so to Neo in the first movie:

Morpheus: "No. But if you could, would you really want to? I feel I owe you an apology. We have a rule. We never free a mind once it's reached a certain age. It's dangerous, the mind has trouble letting go. I've seen it before and I'm sorry. I did what I did because...I had to."

> or was he actually talking about giving Neo an
>old-fashioned? <<a what?>>

an old fashioned refers to an old-fasioned beat down... sorry for being obscure