Yes, but they are all likely to start "192.168."

Because addresses in that range are designated for private use, right? I'm learning.

Yes -- from the RFC (1918):

The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) has reserved the following three blocks of the IP address space for private internets:

10.0.0.0 - 10.255.255.255 (10/8 prefix)
172.16.0.0 - 172.31.255.255 (172.16/12 prefix)
192.168.0.0 - 192.168.255.255 (192.168/16 prefix)

Because addresses in that range are designated for private use, right? I'm learning.

Home routers (the boxes you see in Best Buy) will translate between public IP and private IP addresses. So you can have a little network behind the router that only has one public IP address. This process is known as NAT - Network Address Translation.

192.168.0.0 - 192.168.255.255

This is the one that seems to be most commonly used for standard networking. FYI, any (Windows?) machine out there can be pinged locally, even if it's not hooked up to anything (except the power, obviously. And the keyboard. And the monitor.) at 127.0.0.1. Or localhost.

Which is really just another way of saying . . . . I dunno. Something.

Oh, and those addresses are nicely safe, since routers won't route their traffic across networks.

any (Windows?) machine

Any machine, not just windows -- 127.0.0.1 is the local machine, for any machine that recognizes the IP protocol. Not just useful for pinging when bored, but handy knowledge for lots of "develop on the local machine before uploading to a real server" type work.

127.0.0.1 is the local machine, for any machine that recognizes the IP protocol.

Right, I learned that too.

I'm going to be bummed if this writing sample doesn't at least get me a round further.

Any machine, not just windows -- 127.0.0.1 is the local machine, for any machine that recognizes the IP protocol. Not just useful for pinging when bored, but handy knowledge for lots of "develop on the local machine before uploading to a real server" type work.

I thought it might be any machine, but wasn't completely certain, and I was too tired to try to really remember. It's also useful if you're having connectivity issues - try pinging yourself. If you can't, well, you're completely and totally hosed.

Okay, any recommendations for one of those rollaround laptop desks that slide right up to a couch or chair and the wheelbase fits under the chair so it can be right on your lap? I'm looking for one that's got a pretty wide table, because I'd like to get a widescreen laptop later, and meanwhile, the SO has a new joystick that's both a stick and a throttle, so it takes up about the room of two mousepads next to the laptop. Anyone found ones they're happy with?

I want to get it as his b-day present.

I've found that everything I've ordered or bought from Levenger's has been really well-designed, but I have no specific experience with the rolling desk-y thing they provide. Still, I'd give them serious consideration for it just on that basis.