so my windows xp box has died. trust me, if i didnt game so much id be using solaris or linux but they dont make games for them 
anyway, i've got a really beat up old linux laptop that i'm using now. it runs well it just can't handle most of todays web pages. gmail is awful on this thing!! i wish i could use the mobile version. ha! i'll be on as much as i can without pulling my hair out. unix.com is a bit slow but not nearly as bad as some other sites out there. i'm in the process of building a new one now so a few weeks/months before i have a new system up and running again. i need wide screens back
My condolances, and I to curse the fact I canot run all my games on linux...oh well that is why I have multiple boxes and VM lol
Shortly before Christmas my old and trusted laptop also died (background light of the display is not working any more and replacing a display on a laptop is costing more than a new one usually), so i can relate to what you are going through.
I bought a new HP Pavilion dv7, which runs quite fine with Fedora Core 10 in the 64-bit variant (this is actually something which doesn't work with Windows). I still struggle with the WiFi and the sound (see here), but VMware was installed without problems and runs an XP installation finely. Actually i too like to play games. ;-))
I downloaded the VMware 30-day-test workstation, created some machines and now use the non-charge player to run them.
Good luck to you in finding and installing another machine of your liking.
bakunin
That is strange your windowsXP box has died, because I have had
a dell windows95 computer since 1996 that would not die, I had to
kill it recently after 14 years. I did not even keep my commodor64
that long.
If a computer, from pc to giant enterprise monster, is not steadily breaking it must has missed a step in the factory. Here's to keeping admins occupationally occupied!
Sorry to hear your PC kicked the bucket.
I personally gave up on gaming on a PC. I turned last years stimulus check/ tax return / and conveniently timed bonus at work into a PS3 and extra big HDTV for gaming 