Hi. I would leave windows on the laptop at least until you can install a screen reader and look around. It will help you determine exactly what hardware is installed in the notebook before you make your custom kernel, to compile in whatever you need. A windows partition is not allways a bad idea because it may under some circumstances come in handy.. Especially if you are forced to run windows aps either for work or school. I find that I do not like Linux on notebooks because I am forced to carry around an external synth.. I know I can use emacs speak, but.. I never got it to work with IBM ViaVoice TTS.. So a windows partition might be good when you can't tag along an external synth. ------------------------- Patrick Turnage e-mail:pturnage at tampabay.rr.com Telephone: (850) 459-7717 HomePage: http://www.access-connect.com Amateur radio callsign:kg4dqk AOL Instant Messenger:kg4dqk icq:26862191 MSN:turnagep at hotmail.com Yahoo!:kg4dqk America Online:kg4dqk1129 kg4dqk1129 at aol.com