Hello Everyone,

It has been a few days since I started this thread and there has been quite a few changes in my life:

I decided that my computer would best be kept in one place and not be too portable. As some of you are aware of, the area where I currently live is a high crime one. This means that carting a nice portable laptop computer of any kind around is asking for trouble. I am really pushing my luck with the folding bikes! But the bikes are intended for emergency transport in the event of our oh so wonderful (!) pratically nonexistant public transit goes on strike again or stop running after hours-so I am willing to take some chances with bikes over a computer.

I am looking at both operating systems at this point, so I am trying to keep an open mind of each one's strong points and weak points. I have used both Windows and Apple in the far and recent past.

I am now looking at broadband connection, over the old dial up. The prices are not too far apart and I mostly work online now. I will buy one printer right now for sure. But then again I might buy a B/W laser printer and a inkjet printer for photos if the prices are right.

My sister has a BA in Mechanical Engineering from a fancy east coast university and 20+ years in her areospace industry. Even she is completely blown away with what is out there now. I hope to drag her along for moral support as well as advanced technical knowledge she has aquired over the years (I hope this does not go to her head). I am not shy about admitting to not being blessed with very much technical knowledge.

I will also get a simple digital camera. The main requirement is it must be able to directly connect to my computer to upload the images directly. The drugstore one time use cameras are messy and running into much money with the hefty surcharges the company places on "development" of the images. I rather burn my own CD myself if need be for backups.

Please keep commenting. I hope to print out all your comments and thoughts and take them with me when I actually buy it.