Had an issue with my E6520. Hard-drive started chirping and then failed completely. Phoned Dell support when the chirping started and there advice was to re-install windows and it wasn't a hardware problem. A month later the hard-drive failed and they then replaced it. This is a common problem with this laptop I have found a number of posts about it on various forums. I would avoid Dells as they are not as good as they used to be.

This was a recent series on BBC TV. Also a level 1 course at the OU which would be good for your brighter high school students. See: http://www.open2.net/storyofmaths/ http://www3.open.ac.uk/courses/bin/p12.dll?C01TM190 http://www.amazon.com/Story-Mathematics-Anne-Rooney/dp/1841939404

Type 1 : insists that the user provide them with specifications for their system. They sit waiting for this document and when it eventually arrives they ignore it and the users and write something that doesn't meet the requirements anyway. Eventually these software developers either get put in a corner and ignored or sacked. They usually moan that users are a pain.

Type 2 : they discuss the requirements with the users and draw up a spec themselves. In constant dialog with the users they convert the requirements into code that implements a system that approximates to what is required. Its never perfect but it does the job. These software developers get respect from their user community and get promotion. These software developers while finding users a challenge to deal with, actually like helping them.

My advice is to do what your boss suggests and write the spec yourself and talk to the users.

When I interview software developers I have some major turn offs. The first is developers who complain that users are a pain and those that complain that the system failed because there was no spec or it was badly written. As an employer you need software developers who are pro-active and talk to their user community. Ones who wait passively for users to make up their mind are not worth hiring.