Out of the starting gate

What do you know? I am back on the Internet again. Well not comfortably nor completely, but I am on. I will have to learn my way around this new operating system and that will probably be more complicated than going through the frustrating (aren't they all?) automated phone to ATT customer service then lying about what computer support I need and holding for 20 minutes for a live person - with a British accent - to correct my user ID and password. But that was one big step for this old person who is determined to stay on the www for as long as I live and write.
I had to lie that I had a mac computer because ATT does not support Linux, at least not on their new menu. My machine was on and ready to go when I talked to a man - and wouldn't you know I forgot his name - who was pleased to help me with Linux. Said he hadn't done that before. Well he didn't have to know anything about Linux, all he had to do was get me to verify who I was and give me the correct stuff to log in with on the dial up menu.
Linspire - the operating system for this very inexpensive computer I bought 2 weeks ago - is supported by Linux so I shall see if I can cut the Microsoft cord right off. I am able to get the stuff from my former hard disk, in fact it is at my fingertips. I pulled up some photos and they are rendered beautifully through this new machine.
This revolutionary action occurred because something went wrong with the innards of my former computer after I deleted what I thought was a problem. Looking back it seems to have been the case of Microsoft's virus protector clashing with Norton. Tom suspected the video card was faulty because of the way the monitor reacted but knew that wasn't all. The main board or the processor was the culprit. They come attached at the hip so to speak and would cost nearly as much as the computer on sale at Fry's that weekend. And I tossed about the pros and cons of the new one or having Tom install the new parts on my old machine. Who knows what else could go wrong with the old leftovers. So I took the bit in my teeth and there you are.
Jerry got me an additional USB port that sits up by the flowing keyboard that Jerry also gave me and installed a new three and a half floppy disc drive. Tom added my CD RW to the write only that came with the computer so I can do more stuff than I have time for. Isn't that always the way it is? And it is so quiet I hardly know it's there!
But as I said, I got out of the starting gate. Cheer me on to the fast track and hope I can jump all the hurdles if that's possible without breaking a leg. Only time will tell.
Naomi Sherer