That Wash Post article apparently has caused a lot of confusion.

One of the wireless networks at my work's building is called "FUCKOFFYOUNOSEYBASTARD".

Check out today's google logo: [link]

Jan. 1, 1983 is the anniversary of TCP/IP being established as an ARPANET standard.

Online favicon editor.

so i upgraded to the Blackberry Pearl and now AT&T is telling me that in order to use the internet browser, i have to have an unlimited data bundle to use it. the unlimited data bundle? costs as much as my minutes plan. WTFF? why can't they be like every other phone and allow you to pay as you use?

I've decided, when I can afford it after tax time, to get a Windows-OS laptop instead of a Mac (price difference is key in my decision). I'm poking around the Dell website, and I see that they are still sending out laptops with XP instead of Vista. Should I go for that option? I'm worried about the Vista issues, both the bugs and all the registration/lack-of-privacy stuff with Microsoft that I remember hearing about when Vista was first released. I'm not planning on doing much gaming, just the basic computer stuff and, possibly, finally doing some downloading of music and TV shows.

I'd definitely pick XP over Vista. Vista wasn't ready for prime time, and it still isn't.

From everywhere I hear, Vista on laptops is lumbering and awful. I was actually quite surprised that I've had so little trouble with it on my desktop machine, which came installed from scratch, rather than be reinstalled from XP/NT.

This page uses satire to make the point: [link]

Review: Windows XP

I have finally decided to take the plunge. Last night I upgraded my Vista desktop machine to Windows XP, and this afternoon I will be doing the same to my laptop.

Look & Feel

Windows XP has quite a cartoony look and feel compared to the slick look of Aero Glass; this is mostly offset by the lack of strange screen artifacts caused by malfunctioning graphics code. You know, almost like static on the screen.

Performance

Well, here there appears to be no contest. Windows XP is both faster and far more responsive. I no longer have the obligatory 1-minute system lock that happens whenever I log onto Vista, instead I can run applications as soon as I can click their icons. Not only that, but the applications start snappily too, rather than all waiting in some "I'm still starting up the OS" queue for 30 seconds or so before all starting at once. In addition, I have noticed that when performing complex tasks such as viewing large images, or updating large spreadsheets, instead of the whole operating system locking down for several seconds, it now just locks down the application I am working on, allowing me to [gasp] Alt-Tab to another application and work on that. I am thrilled that Microsoft decided to add preemptive multitasking to their operating system, and for this reason alone I would strongly urge you to upgrade to XP. With the amount of multi-core processors around today using a multitasking operating system like XP makes a world of difference...

Read the whole thing - funny and real information.

Kathy,

couple of things:

1) Dell has a really good refurb area where you can buy new computers, or scratch and dent or refurb with nice warranties at better prices often than new computers. This is an FYI. My current laptop I got from such an area and this laptop was brand new, never booted up and it is a much better computer (more RAM, more features) than I could have afforded to buy from the brand new area.

2) I have mixed feelings about recommending which direction you should go: vista or xp. I don't regret getting vista on this laptop, but one of the things I weighed was how long I typically keep laptops. I use the laptop an awful lot. It gets more wear and tear than my car does if I consider how many hours a day I'm on it and the kinds of things I want it to do. So I typically am ready for a new laptop after about 2 years, 3 years at the most. So I think vista was a good choice to take me into that future period of time.

When it comes down to it, there are two things that bother me about Vista vs. XP. Everything else is liveable and/or a perhaps improvement over XP.

1) Office 2007 files don't play nice with previous Office so I have to save everything as 03 files so I can share the files.

2) I had this horrible memory problem that was a function of Vista's auto backup. The backup ate up nearly all the space on my hard disk and I had to run several searches on google to figure out what the problem was.