Mr. Lane, thank you for the advice. I have been looking at every brand out there and it can get confusing. But just think; the rest of the country has to buy your books to get this kind of stuff and I can get it for free! It helps to have influential friends, that's for sure.
Did some online reading this afternoon and laughed mightily when I read this. It mentions Branson, Mo., one of my former hometowns, of which there are plenty. Anyhoo, I hope to buy the much desired laptop soon and hit the road to all kinds of travel related computer adventure.

Having spent the better part of the last decade in the 'puter' bidness, I suspect I am in a position to offer an opinion on notebook type devices. Not recommendations, just opinions, cuz computers are a lot like pie - every one has their own preferences, and I can't really tell you what you need, but I can tell you what you might want to avoid and why. But, at the end of the day, a computer has to get done what you need it to get done and when one it isn't capable, it's about as worthless as hard-crusted pie. What that all means, is that features and functions play an important role, but there are precious few folk out there that are schooled in the computing arts to the extent that they can solve all of their own problems, hardware, software or otherwise. So, service is king. All kinds of ratings out there, and statistics can be bent more ways than a warmed up contortionist, so I'll give you my $.02 worth - IBM, Dell and Gateway, probably in that order. I have dealt with the first two on a professional basis for years, and the third on a personal level of well over 10. Gateway, however seems to be moving their focus towards other product types, and my not have quite the edge I have always appreciated in their support corner. So, in looking at Big Blue and Dude, it is probably going to come down to selecting rock solid functionality, or cutting edge performance and technology, respectively. I have used IBM laptops for years. They are just darn near bullet proof. They are designed specifically for the road warrior. If you travel extensively, this is probably how you want to go. On the other hand, if you move your laptop from the office to the boardroom, or from the coffee shop to the dorm, look at a Dell. Expect to pay a little more for the IBM, but be assured that simplicity of design will most likely mean it is going to do what you ask every time. On a Dell, you can expect exceptional performance in a unit that will do considerably more, but you might need to call Tech Support on occasion to resolve this conflict or that. Regardless, buy on-line and get the latest model in your price range. Buying at any store will get you a unit that has been in transit and a warehouse long enough that it might as well be last year's model, and you will also be paying a retailer' markup. Cheap don't always mean a bargain. Don't get bogged down with paying too much for storage space, but do make sure that the bays are swappable, so you can substitute more battery, or storage, or DVD as necessary. Remember, too, that huge screens and lots of built in goodies are going to mean added weight. Again, if you travel, weight sucks, but if not, most Starbuck's tables will support the weight of any monster laptop. Just for grins, slip over to a Panasonic website and look at their Toughbooks. Now that's what I'm talkin' about.

Be happy and careful

Okay, kids, everybody gather 'round. It's time for another installment of Uncle Nearl's "Famous Pie Stories". Let's see, what can I tell you this time...Well, let me tell you about some of my more memorable pie experiences. The first one won't be pleasant but it's necessary. It's called "The Worst Piece of Pie That Uncle Nearl Ever Had":
It was a hot August afternoon and I was driving across the Texas panhandle. It was close to Amarillo when I pulled into a restaurant just west of town and ordered a hamburger. When I had finished said hamburg (a nod to Red's) I felt like having a piece of pie so I ordered a slice of apple. When it arrived, I noticed that it didn't look just right. When I finally managed to saw through the crust and take a bite, well, lets just say that Uncle Nearl almost had one of his famous 'spells'. I spit it out as fast as I put it in and commandered the slacker disquised as the waitress. I told her that the pie was a real piece of crap. She kinda rolled her eyes at that, but they straightened back out real fast when I jacked her jaws with a backhanded slap out of left field. That got her attention. Then I pulled out the ol' 'Mexican Boxing Glove', aka a switchblade, and as I started to pick my teeth with it, I mentioned real casual like that I might be a little more generous in my tip if that piece of crap piece of pie was to vanish off of the bill...let's just say that she got religion real quick and whipped out the eraser on that #2 Eberhard Faber and went to work recalculating the tab. The end.

That wraps up today's installment of "Famous Pie Stories". Join us again soon for more wonderful pie related entertainment on this blogsite.

I want to buy a notebook computer. I am soliciting advice. I.E., what to look for, brands to stay away from, etc. Anybody out there who can help steer me in a profitable direction, please contact me with particulars via this blog or e-mail.
Next topic to any interested fellow bystanders; "How's it going? What's up?" I know you're out there. I can hear you ignoring me. If the phone ain't ringing, I know it's you who ain't calling, so you might as well blog because I done found you out.

be good.