BurbleChaz

Reader, I bought her.

For 20% less than the list price, too. I phoned a small computer shop on Lonsdale Street, and told them exactly what I wanted. Once we'd each waded through the other's accents, we established that they could get it by Monday. "That's New Year's Day. Isn't it a holiday?" I asked. "Hang on" came the reply. "We'll call you back."

Forty minutes later, the phone goes. "You're right. It's a holiday."

Actually, they said they could get one today. They phoned us when it had arrived, and we went over to the least efficient business in the CBD. They served about eight customers between working out what I wanted and giving it to me. The sum of what the others bought was less than a tenth of the value of my machine. First, they couldn't find it. Then, they tried to give me the wrong one. I'd noted that the part number was wrong on the box, and was waiting until I got past the loud, friendly and inefficient manager to the quiet, reserved and competent woman. "The bar codes don't match." she says. "I know. It should be a 132AE, not a 682AM", I say. She looks from me to the box, to the screen and back again in bemusement. "How did you know that?" she thinks. I smile sweetly and look smug. She goes to the back office, and brings back the correct package in seconds. "Where did you find that?" asks the manager. "On the deliveries shelf. It was the only thing there." she says. Never send a man(ager) to do a woman's work.

After the ususal trans-oceaninc phone calls to establish credit card credibility, I took my shiny new toy home.

Looking good - but what's on the screen?

Looking better.

Perfect.

Two 2.0GHz CPUs. 4MB level 2 cache. 2GB RAM. 240GB disk, 17" screen. Ubuntu installed, World of Warcraft running.

Happy. Now, off to slaughter some poor, defenceless virtual monsters.