Oh, and the comments section at the bottom of the page is interesting....full of wacky Mac fanatics doing the usual song and dance about PC's copying Apple.

HP just sent me an email the other day. They just put out a new high end machine called Blackbird.


WWW Link

Yep, it sure is nice....and maybe one with a larger LCD will be in the offing sometime in the future. One would expect/hope there would be different models ranging from a basic package up to something quite substantial and capable of doing most anything.

As for being a Stardock wacky fanatic, I'm more of a Stardockoholic with deep seated separation anxiety issues if I can't play with my Stardock apps at least thrice daily ....tho usually more often.

However, the wacky fanatics I refer to, are the ones who see MAC's as THE ONLY way of computing...that anything else is dismissed outright and does not even exist. I just hope that when I get my iMac in mid-08, I don't become so one-eyed and biased that my Vista box disappears completely off my desktop.

LOL I wonder if this ones a official spokesperson..

I took a look at the link you provided and have to admit that it is a real nice box/piece of equipment as well...tho I'm gonna be over the moon next Wed when my rig gets changed over into a new case with better ventilation and more fans (6 inc CPU fan)....not to mention the u-beat looks similar to an Alienware case.

The Linux box will come first cos I already own that...I'm just waiting for my (step) daughter to bring it with her the next time she visits from Tasmania.

The iMac, on the other hand, requires a cash injection I can't see having until June/July 08.

Is the Linux box coming preloaded if so with what version?

Not everyone is going to like the Gateway all-in-one setup, either for the ugly looking power-brick or the radical design that makes it a little more difficult to work on for 'home techies' who like to tinker with their own machines. I guess it's like anything else that's radically changed, it takes some getting used to before one becomes entirely comfortable.

As for the power brick, I have places in my setup where I could easily hide it, but I guess many wouldn't and it would be a turn-off.

I do agree, however, on the Blackbird being an impressive unit...wouldn't mind one myself but future plans have already spoken for the cash, and then the case swap for my current rig will do me for a while...it more than adequately runs Vista and anything I've cared to load on it.

this is true