I can't emphasize enough how helpful Silent PC Review was when I put together a computer last year. Some of the articles are getting a bit dated, but the forums are great for more current information. BensBargains is a good place to look for hardware deals, but most of my shopping was on NewEgg. Look for items with free shipping if you buy from Newegg - their shipping charges are insane otherwise.

Checking the date.... Nope, not April 1st... WTF!!!

... is a far greater threat to any artist than pircacy.

Both of those are facts, just take a look at the internal OS version number:
Windows 2000 : 5.0
Windows XP : 5.1
Windows Vista: 6.0
Windows 7 : 6.1

The public "version" is just marketing crap.

Spike hardly speaks, so it's perfect. As long as Keanu rarely has to open his mouth he's a fantastic actor. Just look at the first matrix, he barely has a dozen lines.

Exactly! Borrowing a book for free vs. buying it seems like a simple choice in this economy where everyone is looking for small ways to curb expenses.

Not to mention my local library caps fines at $6 for most books. I could steal 60 books for the price of the Kindle alone.

That's an excellent idea, but I think it would have to start at a lower level. Some K-12 schools have already started switching to books on computer. When the prices for a Kindle or similar device start getting in the $100 range this will be a no-brainer.