That's good timing Sue. No, I don't have any answers to you questions, but I am standing right behind you listen to the answers you get.

I'm moderately computer literate, but certainly no match for the Nerd Herd (Chuck reference). I managed to install wireless LAN cards to my kid's computer so that it can connect to my AT&T wireless LAN. I also figured out how to connect my work laptop to the home wireless LAN. But that's where it stops.

A few weeks back I bought a fancy schmancy HP printer that says it will allow PC's to print to it wirelessly. I tried and tried to get my kid's PC to print wirelessly to this printer - no luck. I tried to get my work PC to print wirelessly to it. No luck.

I'm somewhat convinced that Windows PC's (home WinXP) are on the edge of melting down - that they essentially barely work. I find that they slowly fall apart until they simply don't work. The hard drives somehow get messed up. Since when does software "age"? This has happened on several home computers and seems to happen on most work laptops ... the software essentially degrades to the point where it won't work right.

Based upon this, I've been wondering just in the last few days whether our family's next computer purchases should move in the direction of Apple computers. Do they degrade too? Is it easier to build working home LANs on them - without degree in computer engineering?

Ken