I think Fedora and Suse are pretty easy to install these days as well. I might have to take a look at Suse 11 when it comes out.

I'm tempted to install Slackware again, just for old times' sake....

Within hours of its release, Microsoft's Service Pack 3 for Windows XP began drawing hundreds of complaints from users who claim the update is wreaking havoc on their PCs.

The problems with XP SP3, according to posters on Microsoft's Windows XP message board, range from spontaneous reboots to outright system crashes.

My XP (SP3) machine *is* my Mac. I wonder if I should worry? Of course, I'm primarily using XP to play the Windows video games I own. So far I've had no problems, but really? The XP interface is so ugly and cludgy compared to Leopard, that for any use other than playing a video game, I reboot back into Leopard.

One definite upside from turning on Boot Camp and making the machine dual boot? For some reason, the computer sleeps and shuts down the hard drive over twice as fast as it did before I made it dual boot. I'm thinking it's part of the Boot Camp code, but when the machine was Leopard only, it sometimes took almost thirty seconds to sleep after closing the lid. Now it's practically instantaneous.

When I get around to pulling all the Windows files I want off of the old Windows machine, I plan on turning that into an Ubuntu box.

Also, my new memory modules arrived today, so I can bump the Macbook from 2Gb RAM to 4Gb.

Before I do: I can upgrade the memory myself without invalidate my Apple Care, yes?

Before I do: I can upgrade the memory myself without invalidate my Apple Care, yes?

yes.

If you guys were going to buy a new windows laptop, which of these would you choose? The only difference is in the processor:

Intel Pentium Dual Core T2330 processor at 1.60GHz

AMD Turion TL-60 processor at 2.00GHz

eta: I've read that the higher the GHz, the better; and that the dual core blows others out of the water. GHz or dual core; which trumps the other?

Is the AMD dual-core as well, Deena?

If not, almost certainly the dual core computer is better. Yes, the processors run slower than the single, but there's two of them.

Ah, thanks Sean. The AMD is not dual core. Greg will be happy. The dual core is also not pink. (Trying to find a budget laptop I can use in the backyard with the kids this summer that he can also take for the now-and-again meeting use.)

I keep thinking I have it narrowed down, and then something else comes up. Toshiba, Dell, Sony Vaio, or Lenovo? Dell comes with 3 and 4 GB ram. The others come with 2, but I could add more myself.

I have issues with Dell, but admittedly most of them come from the fact that Dell machines suck ass when it comes to working well with audio equipment and professional audio software.