Newbie here... I've been to 3 installfests so far with limited success at each and attempted a Beer-Meeting (ugly results - had the wrong night or something....). The last 2 Karl (Carl?) has assisted me (quite well, I might add) - no, I don't know his last name, but the red-headed one. Anyway... I've watched the 'switch' Apple commercials for too long as I sit thru yet ANOTHER 'download the Winders drivers' nightmare on a 'new' box I've put together... I'll not bore (or would that be entice?) you with the details at this point except to say it's pretty close to top-shelf components across the board... Exasperation (being the combination of 'expitives' and 'perspiration') finally set in when I was unable to get the thoughtfully-included software to operate either the CDRW OR the DVD drives. I've been working under the mantra of 'Micro$oft-free by the end of 03', trying to slowly slide into a comfort zone with Linux (started with Mandrake, more recently with RH) doing dual-boot setups... (I HAVE successfully setup an older 400Mhz machine as a RH-ONLY system, but that is the extent of my 'good' luck with Linux so far... *sigh*). So (for the few of you that may still be following this rambling...)... it now comes to this. My immediate past results have me ready to jump into the great by and by of Linux where I will either fall to my death on the rocks... or learn to fly. As it currently stands, however, I am seeking a guru who works for pizza-and-beer prices to do a little tinkering on this box to get it Linux-enabled dual-boot... I have no 'release-loyalty' that couldn't be swayed by much more than 'my favorite release is...' as I REALLY want to get this going!! (and, IMHO, it's a pretty cool stash of parts I've acquired to make this thing go, so there'd be the fun of playing with it once it was working...). I'll open the bidding at a 6-pack of your favorite barley-pop and (at least) a small size of your favorite pizza... any takers? IF it matters to the bidders, I live near 169/62 just outside Hopkins... *crossing fingers and sitting back to wait on the bidding now...* Wil "If you are in that trade of helping others to laugh and to survive by laughter, then you are privileged indeed." - Chuck Jones