Wow, thanks for your responses so far. To answer a few questions. Where do I live? I'm right here in the heart of Microsoft country, just about an hour outside of Seattle. What do I need it for? I'm a musician, so I'd be interested in something that could fit with those pursuits, like downloading or uploading music to or from the web. I'd also like something for recording and editing my music or online performing via sites like Paltalk. (Is that still happening? It's been a while.) I've used my previous machine to work up graphics for posters and manipulating photos for promo etc. In general to be a tool for my musical endeavors.

Amos, funny you should mention IRQs. A friend told me the stuttering I was hearing while trying to listen to others perform during Paltalk sessions was due to an IRQ problem.

Bill, thanks for takin' the time to fix that blicky. (LOL) Mine was old but not so old so as to come with a crank but merely succumbed to the ravages of web forces beyond my control, a virus, I suspect, is what turned my relatively new (less than a year old) Western Digital hard drive to toast.

Thanks again for your suggestions, hangin' by a thread, Reg