I just inhereted a retired Compaq 1130T. Cool little laptop with a P133 processor, 32MB RAM and a 1GB HDD. Not much of a computer really but it is something that I see has a few possibilities. She does not have a CD-ROM but does have a FDD.

I want to make her run Linux with X-Windows and a couple of applications (Spreadsheet, Word Processor, Browser). I'll use a PC Card to hook her to the network.

Here is my problem. I will need to install the base Linux from FDD and then connect to a shared Windows CD-ROM drive to get the rest down (or I could go straight to the net I guess). I really want the install to be simple and basic. But I don't know much about Linux and it strikes me that what I am attempting would almost send shivers down the spine of even the Slashdot Sysadmins!

Gotta make this happen. Summer is comming. Summer means time in the woods. Summer means many miles in the van. This computer is something that I could carry with and not worry too much about. My other laptop is really too good to risk in these environments.

My Lexmark X73 printer decided to quit feeding paper. Looking into the machine from the top or the bottom, I could not see anything jamming the printer but the paper simply wouldn't feed (however, it made lots of noise).

The printer is just 13 months old, has worked well and meets most of my needs in the Windoze environment (there are NO *nix drivers available).

No "disposable" income although I do lust after one a those Epson printers with the colorfast technology.

Time to tear it apart. There are only four screws available to the outside. Pulled all four screws and started unsnapping panels. These machines must be assembled by robots. Everything just snaps in and out so precisely.

Got the machine apart in a few big chunks and a couple of smaller pieces. Not much hassle at all. Started poking around and finally found a fuzzy little piece of lint jammed between a roller and the base - it could not be seen without taking the printer apart. It was really wedged in there! Finally managed to disconnect the roller from the frame and fish out the stuff.

Turns out to be toilet paper. How on earth could toilet paper find its way into a printer? There were two possibilities. The kids or the kitten. Grilling the kids, they claimed they didn't do it so I guess that leaves tha cat who does enjoy kleenex and toilet paper a whole lot.