Hi all! I have a friend who has asked me to help him spec up a replacement computer for his family. He enjoys using gimp to create artwork and wishes to use linux exclusively on the new box. He is keen to teach himself 3D graphics to produce artwork. His requirements: Must Haves: * Linux compatibility * 2-3 years future proofed * 3D art package * 2D art package Nice to Haves: * graphics tablet compatible (This is borderline must have) He has a fairly restricted budget for this (under $2K including monitor - prefer under $1500) Currently he has an older p4 running Gutsy and a 15" LCD. Basically there is very little in his current kit that is salvageable for a significant upgrade. What I have suggested so far is * minimum 2 GB ram (preferably 3 GB+) * Nvidia GPU (around the level of 8600GT 512 I was guessing) * 3 Gig CPU minimum (prefer 4Gig or higher dual core or better I would imagine) Ok - so there's lots of guessing in there. I've not had a lot to do with 3D graphics apart from in gaming circles so I'm not as helpful for him atm as I could be. Am I on the right track for HW? Can anyone suggest requirements I have missed or HW specs to suit the requirements? Any advice would be greatly received. Cheers J -- James Pluck PalmOS Ergo Sum "Dear IRS: I would like to cancel my subscription. Please remove my name from your mailing list..."