Hello List, I'll try and keep this short and I suppose one person answering will do, don't expect a big ol' thread on my question. Well it all started a couple Saturdays ago in my In box when I got a newsletter talking about, in part, investigating Linux and it gave a url. I followed it and was very intrigued since I miss my old Unix Shell account that I started on the computer with a few years ago. After doing some digging I found out about Speakup and the synthesizers it supports etc. I will be buying a Doubletalk if I indeed pursue Linux as an alternate operating system. I guess my immediate questions are, I have a dsl connection, how hard will it be to configure so that I may use it. Also, does Linux have a built in Telnet client and IRC client like my old Unix shell used to? How hard is it to find programs like Lynx and Pine? I know this is an established list with people already well into the use of Linux and I hate to bog it down with a bunch of newbie questions, but I looked all over and could not find a "Linux for blind newbies" list or I would have gone there lol. If anyone wants to email me directly you can mail to robd1953 at mindspring.com I just basically want to see how people feel about using this exciting alternative to the dreaded Windows. *grin* Rob