yesican, The "numbers" on your computer are all good, and I assume you're using XP Home for your operating system. The only improvement you may want to consider is upgrading your RAM to 512 Mbytes or even 1 GBbyte. This will not been seen/felt, however, doing email/web browsing. If you're doing hi-tech "gaming" and graphics and/or you keep a lot of process up at the same time, you'll benefit from additional memory. I did not intend to imply that dsl would not increase you data transfer rate with the ISP (AOL or whoever), I said that may not be your total problem. You've got plenty of computer power, so I again suggest you go online and do web browse to anything big, say a news story from the AOL home page, then click on it and bring up your data (dial-up) status and see if data if smoothly flowing. If is is not, then dsl will not be a "total" fix. And too, what is your dial up data speed? The dial-up status will show you that too, it is in the top portion of the display. Looking I see mine is now running at 46.6 Kbps, down from the usual 52.0 Kbps, but I'm on a different phone line than normal. As noted just above, the speed depends a lot on the condition of the phone wire all the way to the central office and the distance, I am about 5 miles form the telephone office and last time I checked they were not providing dsl service to my location. I haven't checked lately and technology keeps improving, but being at or past the maximum distance would put my service at the lower level of the offered service. Speaking of dish/satellite t.v. are your happy with the t.v. service? I'm thinking about dropping my cable t.v. (Patriot Media) because I consider it overpriced. Some have told me satellite t.v. doesn't work in heavy weather: rain for example. What's your experience?

Click on Start - Control Panel - Programs and Features; In your list of installed programs, look to see if you have installed any toolbars ( Yahoo toolbar, MSN toolbar, Google toolbar, etc.) If you have any toolbars installed, uninstall them. Toolbars are notorious for slowing down a computer system. Unless you are purposely using the toolbar of a particular installed program, the toolbar is of no use for you, except to slow down your system.

Is Hubby wrong? No sweeby your hubby is not wrong. SS is a grown man making decisions and he must pay the consequences to his actions. You have helped him on many occasions, offered him work and he's snubbed it...he is lookign for a bail out for daddy to save him...uh uh...let him fall and let him fall hard. He does not have his priorities straight. 1. He's cheated on his girlfriend with a married woman no doubt. 2. He has expensive habits he cannot afford. 3. He should be paying his bankrupcy debt , not increasing the tab. 4. He should work more and get more money to pay for the things he has. 5. He's in no position to pay for someone elsed tires for GODS SAKE! Is there some middle ground? No there is no middle ground. You've tried to help him the best way you both can and it didnt' work. Even professional help gave up. Or is this just one of those hopeless situations? Its not hopeless...but its not your problem. ITs HIS. He is an adult and if he wants to get out of it he can if he wants to. i dont think your ss wants his respect. He wants him to bail him out big time and he's angry that your hubby wont do it. I think your husband should stand his ground. You have to EARN respect, not want it or demand it. If your ss was smart, he'ld get respect from his dad if he showed some B*lls and was a man. Sorry. i'm blunt. i'm really sorry sweeby but if your hubby bails him he'll be an enabler. Your ss needs to 1. Pay his debt 2. Stop spending 3. Stop expecting dad to come save the day. 4. Get a second job to pay the bills. 5. Have respect for himself and not have an affair with a married woman and cheat with his now ex girlfriend. She did theright thing to dump him and leave him. 6. Stop drinking, he needs to go to AA and start respecting himself before demanding it from someone else. My own brother was left to hang dry by my father for debt. His fiancee left him because of his situation. Well, my brother consolidated everything, and then sold everything he had. EVERYTHING. to pay as much off. He had a few thousand left and because my father saw him do that and my brother was making payments double every month, my father then stepped in and helped him. And he told him its a one time deal and because he saw him make the effort. My brother earned my fathers respect and got the bail he worked hard to deserve.

Usually the dial-up's slowness is tolerable, especially when it costs me $13 a month for 50 hrs. That is so nice, friend Cynic, but don't you still have a furbaby? I realized, last night that I better replace the carrier I lent out, post haste, whe bad weather roll over us and the sirens went off. Soon the local police and a couple firemen were knocking on Apt doors saying we were under a tornado watch, and we had to go into the center hall, which we did but I didn't have anything to put Buster in and he is too big and strong for me to hold him. So when we got the all clear, I started researching for a new carrier. Even when the fire alarm goes off in the building occasionally, the first thing I would do is put him in his carrier...just in case. So far they all have been false alarms, but It is unthinkable for me to leave him behind in case of an emergency. We lost two kitties in a fire we had in 1990, because I couldn't find them and the firemen made me leave the place. That still haunts me.