Dusty Chalk

I agree with "too complicated looking". A lot of Invictas (including one I own) look too "busy" for my tastes.

No worries, I was just having some fun. Oh, that's a given (actually in my case, it'd be a wired trackball, but...whatever) -- the problem is more of ... oh, I don't know, just plain desire. I just plain don't want it on there. It strikes me as a waste of space/resources/money, since I know I won't be using it. I realize that's largely psychological, since it probably doesn't contribute that much to the cost of the laptop (and eliminates many cheaper options by forcing me to compromise in other areas), but it just irks me. And since I have plenty of time (I've waited this long to get a laptop, can wait a couple months longer) to shop around, might as well determine if definitively if that is indeed the case, or go with the BIOS or hardware shutoff (my two more favorite choices of those mentioned). Update: I tried to figure out how to shut off the trackpad on my housemate's laptop; it wasn't easy. (Just as an "exercise".) There was no Function-F8 or Function-F9, that I could find. Also couldn't find anything under control panel, nor in the documentation. (I think it's a 2-year-old Sony Vaio.) Of course, this makes some kind of sense, since I didn't have a second pointer attached, it might have behaved differently if I actually had an external mouse or trackball, I don't know, but I'd still like something that I don't have to turn off every time I boot up. The point of this exercise was to determine if I still needed to look for that capability in models, or just ignore it altogether -- seems like I can't ignore it altogether. So if anyone else has any specific experience with either specific models or specific manufacturer lines that either have hardware override, or some sort of BIOS setting that lets you permanently disable the trackpad, I'd like to hear from you.

LOL @ Duggeh's comic. You'd have to get the phase right, though.

I like the looks of that one; unfortunately, am unfamiliar with the name, "Android". Also, was going to parrot the "too bad it's a quartz" line, but have recently discovered -- they're all quartzes, in this price range. Including Invictas. What's wrong with Quartzes?

Sorry to hear about your finger, Nate. Hope they give you prescription strength painkillers.

Except for the coat.

Oh, and I can't let this thread pass without mentioning the Chainsuck tune of the same name. Very good and very catchy. RIYL alterna-poprock of the Garbage, Curve, Kidneythieves, et al. style.

Odd and the Frost Giants (actually, I just finished it) -- quite good.

Yeah, I'm looking for a cheap preamp, myself. I'll probably be getting a Musical Fidelity X-CAN v8p until I can get the Conrad-Johnson of my dreams. They also had a small form factor pre with multiple inputs, whose name I cannot remember. Used, I'd look into just about anything from the Musical Fidelity lines: A3.2, A308, A5, Nu-Vista, etc. The A3^CR is very good (I owned it for a while), but the A3.2 is supposed to be just a tiny bit better. I'd also look into used Conrad-Johnsons.

Audio Alchemy started it, didn't they?

Back in the 80's, I found two extreme examples that seemed to affect my driving. Keep in mind that I listened to things like Black Sabbath and Blue Oyster Cult. Tones on Tail -- made me crankier, more aggressive, more pissed off when someone was aggressive towards me. Split Enz -- made me laid back, enjoy life, soak up the tunes, and let other people pass me without getting me down whatsoever. So: Split Enz especially what I would consider the golden Neil & Tim Finn years -- True Colours, Waiata/Corroboree, Time & Tide, and Conflicting Emotions.

Really sorry to hear about your dad, but if they can bring him back, $400 seems worth it to me. Unless, of course, he's a zombie. But maybe you could teach him frisbee or something, I don't know, I guess it depends on your relationship with your dad.

It's not a watch!

Look, the OP said he wasn't interested, it's not really up for discussion. Sounds just like those "what kind of desktop speakers should I get for my computer"/"you need a DAC" threads.

Mini-meet? I could come up if it's on a weekend. Justin -- we could carpool, if it was convenient for everyone involved.

Was the pickup being held in by plastic ties? Because we probably could have warned you, that wasn't a good idea.

On the bright side, no-one would believe that that little thing was worth (MSRP) US$2K. They'd still want to steal it, they just wouldn't know what it is they'd be stealing.

Seriously considering Sony Signature P (no relation). Any recommendations of getting this vs. getting this and just upgrading it? Or doing similarly with another laptop?

That's awesome, Mike.

I need awesome commercial-looking photos of my kitties. If that were in a magazine, I'd stop turning the pages long enough to find out what they're selling.

We actually have a Squeaky in our neighborhood, and for the exact same reason -- she seems to have lost her voice, and squeaks on those few occasions that she has something to say. But she's a huntress that kills, so has no need to communicate most of the time. (PS I love that cat. I'd take her in, but (a) she already has an owner, and ( I'd be afraid for my other kitties.) Rorschach? Sounds like a male name, so not that serious a suggestion, but her colorings remind me of a Rorschach test (and therefore of Rorschach's mask). Vicki? (Meant with all respect, of course.)

Riverside, ADHD -- I dig this album more and more with every listen. You know how you like some albums because they're making exactly the kind of music you would make if you could get in your head to (waves hands around) out here, and there are others that you like because they surprise you, because you'd never think to do something that they do? This falls into the latter category for me. Respect.

Yes, that just sounds cool beyond words. I hope it works just as you imagine it does.

Pfff. You're on your own, dude. I was just thinking out loud in the hypothetical, as it were. Oh, and that idea about the black-on-black except when the lights go out is pretty slammin'. I'd love to hear how that works out (as I suspect it'll be very hard to photograph).