...is that important?

I purchased a barebones system and some bits to put into it earlier today (well, Friday) -- the new Shuttle, well reviewed as a good mix of size (about that of a toaster), design, and power, I'd previously priced the full system as around 1k, but I avoided buying any of the "optional" bits I'd considered, figureing, that, frex, I'd worry about an add-on video card or sound card if the onboard stuff proved insufficient and not before. Price: $600.

Three hours later, I realized I'd neglected to purchase a dvd drive. Not a big deal, I could get once easily -- though it was best remedied, given the need to load an OS onto the machine. So it would be easy enough to get things running...at this point, my train of thought took a sharp downward turn, as I'd realized one little, minor component.

The CPU. (naturally, a followup purchase dealt with both problems. But it's amusing what you remember and what you don't).

Oh, and Mythcon is wonderful. And coming to Connecticut next August...