I had no problems buying XP Home for my custom built machine. NewEgg.com sold it to me for $90. It's a reliable operating system (comparatively speaking), and it comes without crapware! Ubuntu Linux is a good one to try, assuming you don't need complex drivers (printers, DVD and media players are OK, but scanners and TV cards often have problems). Stay away from the 64-bit operating systems - I couldn't find any drivers for Win XP 64-bit Pro.

]]> My own experience has been that my 2002 Toyota Prius has been cheaper to run and maintain than any other car I've ever owned. I bought an extended warranty when I first bought it, but 120,000 miles later, I only used it once and that was for a software upgrade. I have never had to replace the brakes, and I only let the local Toyota dealer work on it. So far, so good. The battery, which is a nickel-cadmium type, is designed to last the life of the car. How long is the "life", you ask? I read that one Prius owner ran it up to 250,000 miles, at which point Toyota bought it back to run tests on it. With gas at $4.45 a gallon, I paid $35 to fill my tank. I'm hoping to trade it in for a 2009 Prius later, which is rumored to get 84 miles per gallon!
By the way, you don't need a hybrid to get better mileage. Just make smarter choices on your cars. Some small er vehicles do just as well as a hybrid.

]]> Here's what worked for me on a trip to China - I called the credit union to tell them when and where I would be using my ATM/credit cards, then I purchased (free) travelers checks from my credit union (you do lose some on the exchange rate, as always), and I also carry a fair amount of cash. My dad, who decided to rely upon only his AMT card, immediately ran into trouble and we had to call home to get it fixed. I, on the other hand, had no trouble and had a great trip.

]]> Could be worse. I read that when you visit the hospital in Vietnam to have a baby, and you can't pay your bill, they sell the baby. In China, they can and will refuse life-saving care if you can't pay up-front.

]]> Sorry - Charter Cable, not Comcast.

]]> Best thing to do if Comcast doesn't respond - write to the local newspaper/TV station and also any city councilman who likes to stir things up. Give Comcast a public black eye and things will get fixed much more quickly.

]]> I read this great story recently about how the LAPD breaks down so many wrong doors that they have to keep a full-time carpenter on staff just to repair them.

]]> Here's an idea - let the end user correct the build-in locations. I love my TomTom One, but the occasional errors in the database drive me crazy, from the wrong location for a Starbucks to telling me to turn right and go off a cliff! (Hwy 168 west of Bishop, Calif.) End users could plug it into their PCs later and send updates to TomTom, which would then share them with other users.

]]> It's "marshal", not "marshall".

]]> Speaking of that, where are these converter boxes they've been talking about? The government's advertised coupons for them, but I have yet to see one available. We have five on-air digital stations in my town already. Are they forcing everyone to buy a new TV? I guess that's what the Bush economic incentive money is really for - buying a new digital TV while you live out of a cardboard box.

]]> Even cheaper than TurboTax? Go to the IRS web site and use FreeFile. The private firms it refers you to do the federal for free, but charge $12 for state. I usually end it after the federal and go to the California state tax site and do the state there for free too! With direct deposit, I got my refund in three days.

]]> Important lesson to learn - better to be safe than cheap. Get travelers checks and have both cash and credit cards on hand too. My dad learned this the hard way on our recent trip to China. Fortunately, I was along and had done all three, so we were covered.

]]> Listen, Indecision, I remember Best Buy trying this on me at their Santa Clarita, Calif., store about two years ago. The employee asked for my ID, then strangely started asking for my driver's license number and Social Security number. I then saw on the credit card screen a short reference to MSN service and I asked the clerk what was going on. He explained it was a free trial and I could cancel it whenever I wanted. Luckily I was paying attention, unlike some customers. I was outraged and demanded he remove it. I called the manager over and complained that I didn't authorize it, but I just got a shrug and a "whatever". I later complained to Best Buy corporate and the state Attorney General's office. Fortunately, some sharp-minded prosecutors in northern California contacted me and I gave them info on the scam. I'm very pleased they're going after them for this ridiculous ploy.

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