Badinfo Detection 101

We are indeed inundated by online noise pollution, but the problem is soluble. The good stuff is out there if you know how to find and verify it. Basic information literacy, widely distributed, is the best protection for the knowledge commons: A sufficient portion of critical consumers among the online population can become a strong defense against the noise-death of the Internet.

Howard Rheingold

How to be a computer guru

xkcd - A Webcomic - Tech Support Cheat Sheet

Full-sized laptop for under $300

I never thought I'd see the day when a full-sized laptop would sell for under $300, new. The catch is that there is no meaningful operating system. The version of Linpus which comes installed on this one does not have a graphical user interface. It has decent specifications for a beginner, but the speakers are weak, and it's a little on the heavy side. I have it running Linux Mint, but I might make it a Hackintosh someday. It took me 12 days to get the Wi-Fi to work on it, so I need a rest before I wrestle with anything like Kalyway Leopard.

Acer eMachines LXN070C008 Notebook:
Intel Celeron 2.00GHz processor
Wi-fi
1GB RAM
15.4-inch widescreen LCD
120GB hard drive (mine has 160GB)
8X DVD-Super Multi double-layer drive
Lithium-Ion 6 cell battery
Weight: 6.17 lb
Integrated webcam
Built-in microphone

Rugged Mini Computer System

Victor Systems has engineered a ruggedized Apple Mac Mini Computer System for use where it's dusty, or rainy, or in other words, where you might be shot at.

I guess that hinged flap in front is a door to protect the optical drive.

This is what it looked like before conversion: