well, I'm actually an authorized Dell service provider, at least until next Februrary...;)

Under the old training system (I'm not making this up) you were given a training site. You were givien 2 URLs; a question site (25 of them), and an answer site. What it tested was your ability to look up answers. I got certified on Servers, printers, laptops, desktops, all without laying hands on most of it (I do work on Latitudes and GX series).

Something must have changed. I've been fixing PCs for 21 years (well, come this Sunday...;) and the new test is about 30 times harder. All of the questions now come with no answers (unless you watch the video). And all of them completely refer to Dell-only knowledge. I tried to help one of the junior techs with the test, just from listening, and was blowing 'em right and left, because the questions were so vauge...;)

Gateway, I've heard, will actually send parts (like motherboards [?!]) to end users to repair their machines...even for laptops (didn't we do a dance like this a year or two back, Acadia?...;)

I wish I'd said that.. The Staircase Wit

anahl nathrak uth vas betude doth yel dyenvey..;)