Ordinateur!

Just finished building my first computer this morning, and am now using it (off Live CD!) to write this post. If you haven't tried putting together your own box before, I can assure you that it really is as straightforward as your friendly neighbourhood unwashed computer geek insists it is. There are several guides available online, though for most first-time builders the useful advice is easily summarized:

• Decide what the computer is for. Is it a workstation? A gaming rig? A webserver? Or are you just using it to surf and type? This will dictate what parts you need.
  
• Research your parts: get specs, find user reviews, make sure everything is compatible, pick up the necessary tools (read: precision screwdrivers.)
• Static = bad: don't build on carpet, and either ground yourself frequently or pick up an anti-static wrist strap - they're a lot cheaper than your parts (unless you snatched them from a scrap pile somewhere.)
• Cooling = good: not enough and your system dies a very pungent death, too much and...well, there is no such thing. The CPU fan/heatsink is absolutely necessary, and most people recommend having both intake and outtake fans for decent airflow.
  

And that's about it. I'm no designer, so I didn't go the case modding route for this one - but now that I've caught the hardware bug, I might be compelled to give it a shot. I seem to recall having a few plexiglass sheets tucked away somewhere...

I'll post some photographic evidence to my Picasa albums shortly.