>>>>BTW, I'd just opt for an Athlon XP 1800+ with 1 gig of RAM, 80 gig HD, DVD-ROM, CD R/W, 17 inch monitor, 56K modem and color printer for $1,700 (US).
>>>
>>>Getting mighty ambitious aren't we? Actually, the box I picked out for myself at the new office (Compaq 5300, 1.1GHz Celeron, 256MB/20GB, CD/RW) without monitor came in well under $600; adding another 256MB SDRAM, Matrox G550 dualhead with the TV tuner, XP Pro, dual 15" NEC flat panels, WebCam, decent speakers, DVD and NIC still came in well under $1,400; while I don't have the biggest, baddest, meanest box on the LAN (the joint venture management types who play with Excel and Solitaire if they're working at all got the fastest Dells they could get their hands on, and are now moaning that if they'd waited a few days they'd have 2GHz P4s instead of measley little 1.7GHz boxes...) I've got more than enough for my purposes, and unlike them, I can have both monitors going and snag a feed from the cable TV or a DVD in one corner on one of the screens if I'm not chilling out to Radio Free Virgin's 128Kbit Blues channel and slaving away at code. Since all the real serious iron is
>available
>>>either under Terminal Server or Citrix anyway, I get by OK.
>>
>>< s >Well, some of us don't upgrade as often as you. What with two car payments and the youngest going off to college next year, I'll be lucky to able to upgrade in another 4 or 5 years. As a result, and given Moore's Law, I tend to go "top-shelf" when I do upgrade.
>
>Actually, given the environment I'm working on here, I'd rather trade off a little processor speed and internal features for better screens, keyboard and mouse. I ran into a real bargain last night - an optical wireless mouse with battery recharger built in from Micro Innovations for $20 - a 4 button wheel mouse, no need for a mouse pad, cable (except when recharging) and it never gets gunked up, and is a slightly more ergonomic shape, but roughly the same heft and click characteristics of the old soap bar. Staples had them on the shelf, and I bought one; a natural for lefties with not a lot of desk space.

I've gotten two Microsoft optical mice. I love 'em. Got one at home, and finally retired the one here at the office with an optical web mouse. Not only does it have the wheel, but a button on either side that let's you go back and forward by click. I just wish it was a little heavier like on one at home (it's just a regular optical mouse). One nice thing for both, even though they have cords, there's no battery to have to remember to re-charge.