[Laurence Payne]

Let's change to a more optimistic title!

This isn't the story of a disaster. It's one of a successful learning
experience. And plenty of useful tips have come out of the subsequent
discussion.

[John L Rice]

"Laurence Payne" lpayne1NOSPAM@dslDOTpipexDOTcom wrote in message
...
Let's change to a more optimistic title!

This isn't the story of a disaster. It's one of a successful learning
experience. And plenty of useful tips have come out of the subsequent
discussion.

Agreed!

Computers have an endless learning curve. It's constantly changing so
constantly expect the unexpected. If you try to save money by buying
components from less established / unknown manufacturers, expect to burn up
10 times the time getting it to work, if ever. If you think your all top
name brand new components will go together without a hitch, expect to be
disappointed.

If you like constant challenges, by all means, learn to build your own. (I
do it, I kinda like it . . .except for a lot of the time ;-). I recommend
Asus motherboards, Intel processors, Crucial memory, Seagate hard drives,
Adaptec controllers, Samsung monitors, and PC Power & Cooling power
supplies. I also never try to "upgrade" between OS versions
(95-98-2000-XP), always do a clean install then reinstall all your
applications!! Same if you change motherboards or system hard drives.

For everyone else I'd recommend buying a Dell.

John L Rice

[Steve King]

"John L Rice" wrote in message
...
"Laurence Payne" lpayne1NOSPAM@dslDOTpipexDOTcom wrote in message
...
Let's change to a more optimistic title!

This isn't the story of a disaster. It's one of a successful learning
experience. And plenty of useful tips have come out of the subsequent
discussion.

Agreed!

Computers have an endless learning curve. It's constantly changing so
constantly expect the unexpected. If you try to save money by buying
components from less established / unknown manufacturers, expect to burn
up 10 times the time getting it to work, if ever. If you think your all
top name brand new components will go together without a hitch, expect to
be disappointed.

If you like constant challenges, by all means, learn to build your own. (I
do it, I kinda like it . . .except for a lot of the time ;-). I recommend
Asus motherboards, Intel processors, Crucial memory, Seagate hard drives,
Adaptec controllers, Samsung monitors, and PC Power & Cooling power
supplies. I also never try to "upgrade" between OS versions
(95-98-2000-XP), always do a clean install then reinstall all your
applications!! Same if you change motherboards or system hard drives.

For everyone else I'd recommend buying a Dell.

John L Rice

Your advice reflects my own experience. Thank you.

Steve King

[Ian Bell]

Laurence Payne wrote:

Let's change to a more optimistic title!

This isn't the story of a disaster. It's one of a successful learning
experience. And plenty of useful tips have come out of the subsequent
discussion.

And the lesson learned is don't use a PC for recording unless you want to
become a PC expert.

Ian

[Richard Crowley]

"Ian Bell" wrote ...
Laurence Payne wrote:
Let's change to a more optimistic title!

This isn't the story of a disaster. It's one of a successful learning
experience. And plenty of useful tips have come out of the subsequent
discussion.

And the lesson learned is don't use a PC for recording unless you want to
become a PC expert.

I can't help thinking that back in the previous turn of the century,
there were those who warned "Don't use a telephone for your
business unless you want to become a telephone expert."
(Or substitute any number of other gadgets such as horseless
carriages, electricity, typewriters, calculators, etc. etc. :-)

[Laurence Payne]

On Tue, 24 Apr 2007 18:37:45 +0100, Ian Bell
wrote:

Let's change to a more optimistic title!

This isn't the story of a disaster. It's one of a successful learning
experience. And plenty of useful tips have come out of the subsequent
discussion.

And the lesson learned is don't use a PC for recording unless you want to
become a PC expert.

Not really. More "don't try to build a computer unless you have an
interest in them".

[Romeo Rondeau]

Ian Bell wrote:
Laurence Payne wrote:

Let's change to a more optimistic title!

This isn't the story of a disaster. It's one of a successful learning
experience. And plenty of useful tips have come out of the subsequent
discussion.

And the lesson learned is don't use a PC for recording unless you want to
become a PC expert.

Ian

Know your gear :-)

[hank alrich]

Romeo Rondeau wrote:

Ian Bell wrote:
Laurence Payne wrote:

Let's change to a more optimistic title!

This isn't the story of a disaster. It's one of a successful learning
experience. And plenty of useful tips have come out of the subsequent
discussion.

And the lesson learned is don't use a PC for recording unless you want to
become a PC expert.

Ian

Know your gear :-)

Granny gear is good if you got a heavy load to pull or the hill is
really steep.

--
ha
Iraq is Arabic for Vietnam

[John L Rice]

"hank alrich" wrote in message
...
Romeo Rondeau wrote:

Ian Bell wrote:
Laurence Payne wrote:

Let's change to a more optimistic title!

This isn't the story of a disaster. It's one of a successful learning
experience. And plenty of useful tips have come out of the subsequent
discussion.

And the lesson learned is don't use a PC for recording unless you want
to
become a PC expert.

Ian

Know your gear :-)

Granny gear is good if you got a heavy load to pull or the hill is
really steep.

--
ha
Iraq is Arabic for Vietnam

The Richard one is good for getting into the news . . . .

[Willie K. Yee, MD[_3_]]

On Tue, 24 Apr 2007 16:19:45 -0500, Romeo Rondeau
wrote:


Know your gear :-)

A term of agreement in early Beatlelingo.

[[email protected]]

On Apr 24, 10:28 am, "John L Rice" wrote:

Agreed!

Computers have an endless learning curve. It's constantly changing so
constantly expect the unexpected. If you try to save money by buying
components from less established / unknown manufacturers, expect to burn up
10 times the time getting it to work, if ever. If you think your all top
name brand new components will go together without a hitch, expect to be
disappointed.

If you like constant challenges, by all means, learn to build your own. (I
do it, I kinda like it . . .except for a lot of the time ;-). I recommend
Asus motherboards, Intel processors, Crucial memory, Seagate hard drives,
Adaptec controllers, Samsung monitors, and PC Power & Cooling power
supplies. I also never try to "upgrade" between OS versions
(95-98-2000-XP), always do a clean install then reinstall all your
applications!! Same if you change motherboards or system hard drives.

For everyone else I'd recommend buying a Dell.

John L Rice


I just bought a new Gateway box with Vista pre-installed. It works
very nicely. I don't use it in my studio, just for teaching purposes
and such.

Simply for fun, with no malice intended, I compiled a list of possible
"Notifications," inasmuch as they are becoming so prevalent. I've
posted them elsewhere as well. I hope you enjoy them.

Stu B.

Here they a


Vista has noted that you are starting your computer. This may cause
loss of data and possible corruption of existing files. Do you wish to
continue?

There are thirteen AOL related icons on your desktop. Do you want to
enable the "AOL Desktop Icon Manager" at this time?

"Windows Defender" has detected that Windows Defender is attempting to
scan your computer. Do you wish to allow this action? Microsoft
recommends that you do.

Vista apologizes for implementation delays and the belated release of
this; the latest and most advanced Microsoft Aparating Sistym.

New updates are now available for your computer. Microsoft would like
to validate that the computer is your own before download and
installation begins.

You are attempting to load additional security software on your
computer. To do so, you must turn off your firewall and disable any
existing security software. Your computer will only be vulnerable
until you reboot.

New hardware has been detected. Vista has determined its identity, but
cannot run it. Would you like to connect to the Internet to search for
replacement hardware that is compatible?

Windows has determined your PC is frozen. Please restart in "Safe
Mode" and choose option #4 "Run with Fan Only" and set "Duration" for
30 minutes for a hard freeze.

Multiple scheduled virus and spyware scans are now taking place.
Please disregard increased hard drive activity and attendant decrease
in performance and continue working normally.

The "Windows Advisor" reminds you that if you wish to disable this
notification from appearing again, please check "Disable." Later, to
re-enable this notification, please check "Re-enable."

Vista has noted that you are launching a program. This may cause loss
of data and possible corruption of existing files. Do you wish to
continue?

Your memory is running low. Would you like "Windows Locater" to find
the nearest/least expensive memory supplier for you?

You have attached a camera or memory card to your computer. Vista is
not sure what you wish to do. Please select from the following list of
possible actions or disconnect the device.

New updates are available for Adobe Reader. Please note that the
"Adobe Update Utility" must be turned off before the update can
proceed.

Your Norton subscription is about to expire in three months. Would you
like to access the Symantec website to renew your subscription? You
may have to un-install your existing Symantec product or you may not,
but not before Live Update may or may not complete this update.

Intuit is sending this notification to inform you that it cannot
support any of its products that are more than one year old. Please
log on to intuit.com and click on the "Version Tracker" link to check
the status of your particular product.

Vista regrets that it may not be able to play any non-Microsoft multi-
media formats. Additionally, it may not be able to play any previous
and some current Microsoft formats as well.

Microsoft Office has noted that the file you are attempting to open is
corrupted and cannot be successfully opened at this time. Do you wish
to delete this file or keep it unopened?

The "Microsoft Email Detector" has discovered two or more existing
email accounts on this computer. Do wish to create an MSN account
anyway?

Vista has noted that you are unable to connect to the Internet. Click
"AutoRepair" so that Vista can make note of the current configuration
and automatically send the information to "failedconnection/
microsoft.com."

If this notification disappears before you have a chance to read it
entirely, please go to "Control Panel" and click on the "Notification"
icon. In the opened window, click the "Missed Notifications" tab. Next
click the "NotifLog..." button and scroll down the list of the ten
most recent notifications that have appeared on the computer. If what
you want is not on the list, you may have to access the Registry.
Please consult "Help" for further instructions. If you do not have
sufficient time to read this notification, please wait until it
appears again and start reading from the middle of the paragraph.

Vista has noted that you are about to shut down your computer. This
may cause loss of data and possible corruption of existing files. Do
you wish to continue?

Vista has noted that your computer has been shut down. Do you wish to
restart your computer or keep it off permanently?

[Geoff]

wrote:
On Apr 24, 10:28 am, "John L Rice" wrote:


"You may be disorientated by Windows exploding out at you, and unwanted
weird skew-whiff angled views. Do not be alarmed, this is merely an attempt
to be as gimmicky and trendy as Apple".

geoff

[Ron Capik]

wrote:


I just bought a new Gateway box with Vista pre-installed. It works
very nicely. I don't use it in my studio, just for teaching purposes
and such.

Simply for fun, with no malice intended, I compiled a list of possible
"Notifications," inasmuch as they are becoming so prevalent. I've
posted them elsewhere as well. I hope you enjoy them.

Stu B.

Here they a

Vista has noted that you are starting your computer. This may cause
loss of data and possible corruption of existing files. Do you wish to
continue?

...snip...

Vista has noted that you are about to shut down your computer. This
may cause loss of data and possible corruption of existing files. Do
you wish to continue?

Vista has noted that your computer has been shut down. Do you wish to
restart your computer or keep it off permanently?

The one I'm expecting soon is:

Vista has noted that you have performed an illegal operation. Do not
attempt to exit. Vista has notified the proper authorities.


Later...

Ron Capik cynic in training
--

[Les Cargill]

John L Rice wrote:

"Laurence Payne" lpayne1NOSPAM@dslDOTpipexDOTcom wrote in message
...

Let's change to a more optimistic title!

This isn't the story of a disaster. It's one of a successful learning
experience. And plenty of useful tips have come out of the subsequent
discussion.


Agreed!

Computers have an endless learning curve. It's constantly changing so
constantly expect the unexpected. If you try to save money by buying
components from less established / unknown manufacturers, expect to burn up
10 times the time getting it to work, if ever. If you think your all top
name brand new components will go together without a hitch, expect to be
disappointed.

If you like constant challenges, by all means, learn to build your own. (I
do it, I kinda like it . . .except for a lot of the time ;-). I recommend
Asus motherboards, Intel processors, Crucial memory, Seagate hard drives,
Adaptec controllers, Samsung monitors, and PC Power & Cooling power
supplies. I also never try to "upgrade" between OS versions
(95-98-2000-XP), always do a clean install then reinstall all your
applications!! Same if you change motherboards or system hard drives.

For everyone else I'd recommend buying a Dell.

John L Rice



This is just for humorous purposes, and don't mean squat:

At work, they use Dell. Every Dell bought between a range
of dates had to have a motherboardectomy to fix the Cheezy
Chinese Caps problem.

I have two (2) e-Machines at home (because you
can run 'em with the lid off the case). No such problem.



--
Les Cargill

[Les Cargill]

Ian Bell wrote:

Laurence Payne wrote:


Let's change to a more optimistic title!

This isn't the story of a disaster. It's one of a successful learning
experience. And plenty of useful tips have come out of the subsequent
discussion.


And the lesson learned is don't use a PC for recording unless you want to
become a PC expert.

Ian

I've had good luck buying the second-from-the-bottom
model* from whomever sells machines built with
parts that look good on review sites. YMMV.

*of a certain class, like eMachines P4-w-800 MHz FSB.

--
Les Cargill

[Agent86]

On Tue, 24 Apr 2007 07:28:52 -0700, John L Rice wrote:

If you like constant challenges, by all means, learn to build your own. (I
do it, I kinda like it . . .except for a lot of the time ;-). I recommend
Asus motherboards, Intel processors, Crucial memory, Seagate hard drives,
Adaptec controllers, Samsung monitors, and PC Power & Cooling power
supplies. I also never try to "upgrade" between OS versions
(95-98-2000-XP), always do a clean install then reinstall all your
applications!! Same if you change motherboards or system hard drives.

For everyone else I'd recommend buying a Dell.


Not sure I agree with that advice John.

Buying a Dell these days pretty much means learning to converse in Hindi
if you ever need tech support. They really should change their brand and
corporate name to Delhi.

I've NEVER bought a pre-built computer before, but my 450MHZ K6-III Linux
box is starting to get a bit long in the tooth. And modern pricing makes
it almost stupid to build from scratch anymore. But Dell got knocked off
the short list before there was a short list.

[John L Rice]

"Agent86" wrote in message
news
On Tue, 24 Apr 2007 07:28:52 -0700, John L Rice wrote:

If you like constant challenges, by all means, learn to build your own.
(I
do it, I kinda like it . . .except for a lot of the time ;-). I recommend
Asus motherboards, Intel processors, Crucial memory, Seagate hard drives,
Adaptec controllers, Samsung monitors, and PC Power & Cooling power
supplies. I also never try to "upgrade" between OS versions
(95-98-2000-XP), always do a clean install then reinstall all your
applications!! Same if you change motherboards or system hard drives.

For everyone else I'd recommend buying a Dell.


Not sure I agree with that advice John.

Buying a Dell these days pretty much means learning to converse in Hindi
if you ever need tech support. They really should change their brand and
corporate name to Delhi.

I've NEVER bought a pre-built computer before, but my 450MHZ K6-III Linux
box is starting to get a bit long in the tooth. And modern pricing makes
it almost stupid to build from scratch anymore. But Dell got knocked off
the short list before there was a short list.

I've never purchased a Dell for my personal use either! ;-) But I've had
good experiences with them in the corporate world at three different jobs. I
spected a server once using their configurator page and when we got it was a
beautiful machine. Well built and ran without a problem. They have great
warranties and while I've hardly ever seen the need to call for service,
they are always on top of it. That said, this is all corporate world service
calls and computer companies tend to kiss the ass of big companies who buy a
lot of machines and let the one-off home consumers struggle.

I don't know if Dell is like this but I would do some research and give them
a chance if not to many horror stories are found. For someone who doesn't
want to deal with understanding/fixing computers (they are fooling
themselves! ;-) and want to keep the language accent decoding to a minimum
I'd recommend paying for the on-site warranties, that way there is a 50%
chance of getting someone who speaks English to come to your house! ;-)

John

[John L Rice]

I've NEVER bought a pre-built computer before, but my 450MHZ K6-III Linux
box is starting to get a bit long in the tooth. And modern pricing makes
it almost stupid to build from scratch anymore. But Dell got knocked off
the short list before there was a short list.

Just FYI - I bought a few systems and parts from the local Hard Drives
Northwest http://shop.hdnw.com/default.aspx a few years ago and they were
pretty decent.

These days I buy most parts (just occasionally) from either :
http://www.provantage.com/
http://www.allstarshop.com/shop/shop.asp
http://www.newegg.com/

Bare Bones systems (usually just a case + power supply + motherboard
pre-assembled and often tested) can sometimes be a nice jump start for
someone who wants to build their own but they don't REALLY want to hassle
with everything. I think someplaces will install the CPU and RAM , if you
buy it from them, and do a quick test of it for a nominal charge.

John

[Arny Krueger]

wrote in message
oups.com
On Apr 24, 10:28 am, "John L Rice"
wrote:

Agreed!

Computers have an endless learning curve. It's
constantly changing so constantly expect the unexpected.
If you try to save money by buying components from less
established / unknown manufacturers, expect to burn up
10 times the time getting it to work, if ever. If you
think your all top name brand new components will go
together without a hitch, expect to be disappointed.

If you like constant challenges, by all means, learn to
build your own. (I do it, I kinda like it . . .except
for a lot of the time ;-). I recommend Asus
motherboards, Intel processors, Crucial memory, Seagate
hard drives, Adaptec controllers, Samsung monitors, and
PC Power & Cooling power supplies. I also never try to
"upgrade" between OS versions (95-98-2000-XP), always
do a clean install then reinstall all your
applications!! Same if you change motherboards or system
hard drives.

For everyone else I'd recommend buying a Dell.

John L Rice


I just bought a new Gateway box with Vista pre-installed.
It works very nicely. I don't use it in my studio, just
for teaching purposes and such.

Simply for fun, with no malice intended, I compiled a
list of possible "Notifications," inasmuch as they are
becoming so prevalent. I've posted them elsewhere as
well. I hope you enjoy them.

Stu B.

Here they a


Vista has noted that you are starting your computer. This
may cause loss of data and possible corruption of
existing files. Do you wish to continue?

There are thirteen AOL related icons on your desktop. Do
you want to enable the "AOL Desktop Icon Manager" at this
time?

"Windows Defender" has detected that Windows Defender is
attempting to scan your computer. Do you wish to allow
this action? Microsoft recommends that you do.

Vista apologizes for implementation delays and the
belated release of this; the latest and most advanced
Microsoft Aparating Sistym.

New updates are now available for your computer.
Microsoft would like to validate that the computer is
your own before download and installation begins.

You are attempting to load additional security software
on your computer. To do so, you must turn off your
firewall and disable any existing security software. Your
computer will only be vulnerable until you reboot.

New hardware has been detected. Vista has determined its
identity, but cannot run it. Would you like to connect to
the Internet to search for replacement hardware that is
compatible?

Windows has determined your PC is frozen. Please restart
in "Safe Mode" and choose option #4 "Run with Fan Only"
and set "Duration" for 30 minutes for a hard freeze.

Multiple scheduled virus and spyware scans are now taking
place. Please disregard increased hard drive activity and
attendant decrease in performance and continue working
normally.

The "Windows Advisor" reminds you that if you wish to
disable this notification from appearing again, please
check "Disable." Later, to re-enable this notification,
please check "Re-enable."

Vista has noted that you are launching a program. This
may cause loss of data and possible corruption of
existing files. Do you wish to continue?

Your memory is running low. Would you like "Windows
Locater" to find the nearest/least expensive memory
supplier for you?

You have attached a camera or memory card to your
computer. Vista is not sure what you wish to do. Please
select from the following list of possible actions or
disconnect the device.

New updates are available for Adobe Reader. Please note
that the "Adobe Update Utility" must be turned off before
the update can proceed.

Your Norton subscription is about to expire in three
months. Would you like to access the Symantec website to
renew your subscription? You may have to un-install your
existing Symantec product or you may not, but not before
Live Update may or may not complete this update.

Intuit is sending this notification to inform you that it
cannot support any of its products that are more than one
year old. Please log on to intuit.com and click on the
"Version Tracker" link to check the status of your
particular product.

Vista regrets that it may not be able to play any
non-Microsoft multi- media formats. Additionally, it may
not be able to play any previous and some current
Microsoft formats as well.

Microsoft Office has noted that the file you are
attempting to open is corrupted and cannot be
successfully opened at this time. Do you wish to delete
this file or keep it unopened?

The "Microsoft Email Detector" has discovered two or more
existing email accounts on this computer. Do wish to
create an MSN account anyway?

Vista has noted that you are unable to connect to the
Internet. Click "AutoRepair" so that Vista can make note
of the current configuration and automatically send the
information to "failedconnection/ microsoft.com."

If this notification disappears before you have a chance
to read it entirely, please go to "Control Panel" and
click on the "Notification" icon. In the opened window,
click the "Missed Notifications" tab. Next click the
"NotifLog..." button and scroll down the list of the ten
most recent notifications that have appeared on the
computer. If what you want is not on the list, you may
have to access the Registry. Please consult "Help" for
further instructions. If you do not have sufficient time
to read this notification, please wait until it appears
again and start reading from the middle of the paragraph.

Vista has noted that you are about to shut down your
computer. This may cause loss of data and possible
corruption of existing files. Do you wish to continue?

Vista has noted that your computer has been shut down. Do
you wish to restart your computer or keep it off
permanently?

LOL! Both very sad and funny at the same time.

[Arny Krueger]

"Les Cargill" wrote in message

John L Rice wrote:

"Laurence Payne" lpayne1NOSPAM@dslDOTpipexDOTcom wrote
in message
...
Let's change to a more optimistic title!

This isn't the story of a disaster. It's one of a
successful learning experience. And plenty of useful
tips have come out of the subsequent discussion.


Agreed!

Computers have an endless learning curve. It's
constantly changing so constantly expect the unexpected.
If you try to save money by buying components from less
established / unknown manufacturers, expect to burn up
10 times the time getting it to work, if ever. If you
think your all top name brand new components will go
together without a hitch, expect to be disappointed. If you like constant
challenges, by all means, learn to
build your own. (I do it, I kinda like it . . .except
for a lot of the time ;-). I recommend Asus
motherboards, Intel processors, Crucial memory, Seagate
hard drives, Adaptec controllers, Samsung monitors, and
PC Power & Cooling power supplies. I also never try to
"upgrade" between OS versions (95-98-2000-XP), always
do a clean install then reinstall all your
applications!! Same if you change motherboards or system
hard drives. For everyone else I'd recommend buying a Dell.

This is just for humorous purposes, and don't mean squat:

At work, they use Dell. Every Dell bought between a range
of dates had to have a motherboardectomy to fix the Cheezy
Chinese Caps problem.

I have two (2) e-Machines at home (because you
can run 'em with the lid off the case). No such problem.

Two weeks ago I had 3 e-Machines with the chinese capacitor problem, DOA
next to my workbench. On balance the current e-Machines aren't nearly the
POS that they were a few years back. There are actually some quality parts
in them like NEC optical drives.

[Mike Rivers]

On Apr 26, 3:16 am, "John L Rice" wrote:

I've never purchased a Dell for my personal use either! ;-) But I've had
good experiences with them in the corporate world at three different jobs. I
spected a server once using their configurator page and when we got it was a
beautiful machine. Well built and ran without a problem. They have great
warranties and while I've hardly ever seen the need to call for service,
they are always on top of it.

I have a Dell that I bought at the used computer store that's been
going great for about half a dozen years. I bought a new Dell laptop
that was a little rocky at first, but once I had it tamed, it did
pretty well, and it's still in use as the living room couch computer.
But it's always had a couple of problems that were never solved, I
suspect with the motherboard. The last one was that I couldn't get any
external disk drives to work through a Firewire adapter in the PCMCIA
slot. Tech Support finally told me that the motherboard wasn't fast
enough (probably an incomplete description) and that if I had
purchased the extended warranty and kept it up, they would replace the
motherboard for me - pretty good deal, actually, but since I didn't
have the warranty, I let it go.

Initially (some 4 years ago) Tech Support was very responsive and
usually helpful, but in the last year I was actively using that
computer, support deteriorated to script-based troubleshooting that I
had already done and I ended up either solving problems myself
(sometimes with the help of folks here) or just living with the
problems. When I bought my new laptop, I decided not to go with Dell
both because of the deteriorating quality of tech support and their
new policy of imposing a restocking fee for a returned computer. I
didn't want to risk that much money on a computer that I couldn't look
at and feel without buying it.

That said, my new Thinkpad isn't anything to rave about, but it's fast
enough to carry me for another couple of years. Lighter, too, but
somehow it doesn't seem to make much difference in the weight of the
traveling computer bag. Funny how a 6.5 pound computer weighs 16.5
pounds "on the shoulder."

That said, this is all corporate world service
calls and computer companies tend to kiss the ass of big companies who buy a
lot of machines and let the one-off home consumers struggle.

Yes, this is important. Also, the corporate world tends to buy the
better grade of Dell rather than the models intended for home users.
The home series change on practically a monthly basis (both hardware
and installed software) to provide the most attractive and up-to-date
package for the money. That's what they need to do in order to stay in
the market. The "business" series tends to be more consistent in
hardware and software configurations so the in-house staff doesn't
have a lot of different computers to support. Dell tells me that they
also use better quality components in those models, and I'm inclined
to believe them.