shop 'till you drop

Let's play "Can we break the comment system" Also, you should definitely look into your OS choices as last I checked most gamers were opting for XP Pro and XP Media Center because many of the Vista features weren't being used by games or even graphics cards yet, and their existence was causing occasional problems. I only read about this in passing, as I try to keep a weather eye on the PC gaming world, but it is something to consider

Looks like you hit the jackpot on 'break the system' - I can't wait 'till this weekend - I'm so going over the code with a comb.
I expect I'll start with XP - vista has nothing for me, especially since my primary system is a mac, and I'll soon have Jaguar (well, maybe). The gaming system is literally going to be for games. I can't wait!

What sort of gaming do you intend to do with this system? Are you primarily interested in MMORPGs, first-person shooters, turn-based strategy, or some combination thereof?

I'll probably MMORPG, mostly, but I do love my Civilization IV, which on my old system has always been the slightest bit sluggish, so that will be nice as well. I'm not really a first person shooter type of guy, generally, though if I have people to beat up online I would be more than happy to (actually, as Tammy and George can attest, it's more 'get beat up' than just 'beat up').

And so, I wonder, how is spending hundreds of dollars on a gaming system better than spending say, hundreds of dollars on Prada??

Good lord?! Did someone say it was? If a piece of clothing/whatever made me as happy as a gaming system, I'd happily do it - a prime example for me is dress shirts/trousers - if I find one that absolutely rocks my world, I'll blow my budget something fierce to own it.

Ok, well, that kinda makes me feel better about the earlier post in which you made fun of rent-a-purse and the implication of absurdity to spend that much on a piece of clothing. Or maybe I'm just feeling a little guilty on what I just dropped on clothing in a few hours in NYC yesterday...

One should -never- feel guilty about the amount spent on clothes in a big city. Especially if one happens to live in the middle of nowhere. In fact, they should give you a pin with the total you spent to show to your friends. In fact, now that I think about it, since you're helping the economy, and therefore fighting terrorists, they should give you a medal.