apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

No plans at all. At most I may get another Apple wireless Airport base station to move my printer farther from the desk.

I have a plan (and the money saved) for a technolgy upgrade but I have no idea how to do it (I'm VERY technologically challenged). I have an OLD PC running Windows ME connected to a wireless router that provides wireless internet to my laptop. The PC is used in the kitchen for bill paying, recipes, photos, miscellaneous web searches, etc. The laptop is reserved for work, Photoshop, CAD, etc. I want to replace the PC with something faster/better and get an external hard drive that can be shared between the two computers. I also want to be able to share printers between the two. Can anyone recommend a company that can come in and do all this for me (product recommendations as well as the actual hookup). Don't tell me GeekSquad because I have had terrible, computer-debilitating experiences with them.

I plan to change all of my light switches to insteon dimmers as well as the rest of my table and floor lamps. Then I plan on getting a universal remote with macro capabilities so that I can control my home theater system and all of the lighting in my apartment through the remote. I also want to put an "all off" switch by the door so when I leave I don't leave any lights on (saving electricity) and it also saves me the hassle of going around turning off individual lights every time I leave.

robyn - where are you located? Knowing that could mean that someone would know of a local service to suggest.

I may splurge on an iPhone (that may not count as upgrading home technology, though). And I definitely have to upgrade to OSX Leopard (I'm still in Jaguar, I think--10.3.9), which will necessitate upgrading most of my software, too (Quark plus all the Adobe things, and then finally plunging into InDesign). The wallet will shrink considerably.

i definitely want to attempt to curb the cables issue. it's like medusa lives behind my desk!

but my question today is: does anyone know of a powerstrip with a plug that sits FLAT to the wall? these plugs stick out so much from the outlet that it's forcing my dresser to be about five inches from the wall. everything is fallin' back there, yo!