*This is not necessarily saying that dell computers is the best kind of computer system to buy or anything. Just saying that they at least offer a choice of operating systems with your purchase instead of forcing a particular windows OS on you.

Doom 3 and Quake 4 really rock. I am a FPS fan myself. I've played Doom since the super Nintendo days. It really started rocking during the PS1 days. I even love the battle grounds of Quake 3 Arena. Unreal tournament is pretty cool also. And in my opinion, if you are desperate for an FPS game, then you can try out Alien Arena.

*By the way firefox now is the most popular browser of choice. It rocks. Fire fox is a prime example of how the customization in Linux is awesome. Originality built from open source. It had a war with IE a long time ago. We saw what browser ultimately won. Why else do you think that IE7 had to finely add tabbed browsing.

Dell computers
*Did you know that dell computers is now promoting a choice of operating systems with the purchase of one one their computers.
Check out this video on the dell page.
You can choose Linux or windows.
****http://www.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/ubuntu?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&~ck=anavml****
*Check out the Linux 101 video.

I don't know why this is up for deletion. I don't see a reason not to keep it.

*Well if you are into audio and have windows, then the Nero suite has an audio format converter. Pick a format.

I will give my myspace address also, but the reason that I am doing this is because I promote JUSTSAYHI on my page.(Along with Linux with help tutorials).Check it out.


***http//www.myspace.com/netuserlla***

It all is already the Amd PHENOM processor line.

*So then I am assuming that you have a home network with a windows OS using Bittorrent. (Bittorrent is also readily available under Linux).I strongly suggest using Utorrent in windows or linux (with wine). I will use an example of a network to port forward. I am going to use the Utorrent and Belkin router combination.
*In Utorrent config, make sure that the ramdomize port is unchecked; create an at least 4 or 5 digit port number in the box. (copy and paste or remember).
*Next you will have to open your browser. In the address box type the IP address of your router. (ex. 192.168.2.1) The DHCP client list will reveal the IP address of your computer assigned by your router.
*Then you will have to enable yourself a Virtual server. Input your port in the inbound port box, and input your IP assigned by DHCP in it's box. Then enable.
*Try that. If that doesn't work I will tell you about DMZ.

*Massagetrade is right. You can use any linux live disc to boot up your system. Once you do, Linux can access all of your windows files and you can delete any of them that you want. (This works also because these are not any presently running windows processes.)

*The only reason a person would have to use port forwarding, is if you have your own home network. Port forwarding is when you forward an open port from your computer to your router that opens a hole in your hardware firewall allowing better connections to your computer. Yes this will speed up your downloads.
*If you use Utorrent, you can allocate your bandwith accordingly, thus allowing for faster download times.

I haven't used it much, but Gimp is a pretty good photo editor that is free.

Yes AMD rules. They have the 4X4. Beyond intels Quad core.

I use torrents to share legal files also. That is also what I use to get my Linux distros. There are also free trialwares, and sharewares that make good use of the torrent system.
I like using Utorrent, witch is a windows program. So I use wine to run it on my linux Box. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of torrent progs for linux, I just prefer Utorrent. Because it is highly configurable,(easy to port forward, control your bandwith and more.)
As long as you use the torrent system for legal files, then you'll never have any problems.

I don't know how your HDD config is right now, but if your running raid, then the other drives will not show up. Oh and you have that backwards, intel is striving to be like AMD. The new processor that AMD has out blows the doors off of ANY Intel or AMD processor to date. I'll put it this way, It's so fast, that they don't even show bench marks on their advertisment. They just show a computer operating flawlessly with no glitches.
Maybe you have heard of it, the Amd PHENOM processor line.
Linux and AMD rule.
Peace.

Windows vista really sucks. I tested it even in the beta stages, just like I have the other windows OSs.
People that think that vista rocks are the same people that like all of the glorious eye candy that comes with the OS. What people don't know is that Linux Ubuntu 7.04 with beryl really rocks the socks off of all of the windows OSs combined. Yes I said combined. Beryl makes the eyecandy in Aero look sick. Bad sick.
Check out my screenshot of my linux desktop in my profile.
Oh and as was said by others in this post,(in so many words) Screw letting microsoft decide my computing experience.

Oh sorry that I didn't answer the socket question before, but NO, NO.
The AMD socket 939 is not compatible with the AM2.
AMD processors RULE though. Too many people are ignorant of that fact. People just buy what the commercial tells them to buy.
Intel has already realized that they will have to rebuild their processor from scratch, so they can include built in memory like AMD.
The only way that intel has been able to keep up with AMD, is to increase FSB and opt for ram with more 'hertz'.
That's alot of extra work just to meet AMDs speed.
If they would have just done it right the first time.
*
*
***Sorry. I tend to ramble when it comes to computers.

Very good advice on old PCs. I have quite a few old pcs just sitting around for a back up computer.
As far as software, that can be a different story if you don't want strictly a windows OS. I have an old 700mhz CPU intel box that will run linux ubuntu VER. 7.04 with zippity ease. Of course the same linux OS runs great with all of the spectacular graphics on a faster computer box.

You actually have to use it to see it's greatness. To see it's superiority to windows.

My .02 cents is that Linux Ubuntu 7.04 feisty fawn beryl rules.
**The desktop experience is awesome.
Sure it might take a few weeks for you to get updates, but it is worth it in the long run.
***Hey and it's FREE.