Hey, gents - some of you may remember...
 
As a guy who is returning from Stroke (getting better, praise God!), I'm finally building myself the system of my dreams! (Thank you for your patience!)
 
Here's the question: "What would you do with an extra $500?" If you had extra "dream money," what would you do?
 
I want this extra $500 to make me feel great whenever I use/look at it! It's my reward for making it through a stroke, a reminder that I've been blessed.
 
So, what would you spend it on?!
 
1) The new fastest WD HDs, due out in May (37% faster than anything else!)
2) A serious APC...
3) More RAM (than the 4GB already bought)
 
Barry

tithe since you are so blessed, seriously.

A yoke, throttle, and rudder petals.  And a G-25 wheel.  That's what I would buy.
 
You could also use it to buy a larger sized monitor.

If it were me, id spend on something OUTSIDE.
 
The world is such a beautiful place. And enjoying God's creations first hand will be the best way to enjoy your 2nd lease on life.
 
Go to Yosemite or Yellowstone, or the Grand Canyon....
 
Edit: Just noticed you are in Sacremento..so yea, go to Yosemite or the Sequoia Nation Forest and enjoy the giant Redwood trees.

 
I don't want to start a religious debate or hijack the thread but...
 
What if he already paid tithe?
What if he's like me and believes in God but not organized religion?
 
Either way, again not to start a debate... That's a good idea or if you feel attached to fellow stroke victims you could always get involved in a foundation.  $500 could go a long way.
 
Personally I'm a prick and I bust my butt for my tiny enlisted salary, I would buy a yoke, throttle, and rudder

It's funny...almost comical...that out of 5 replies I get 1-2 generous suggestions...and lots of well-meant (but mis-targeted) moralisms...
 
I wonder if it's because you didn't know the whole story...
 
1) This man - at 40 years of age - just had a stroke 8 weeks ago that left him nearly dead. In ICU and in danger for his life.
 
2) This man has 5 children - whom he loves dearly and in whom he invests himself intensely - so that he has for five years been unable to upgrade a
lagging PC. Children come first - and they always need something! There's not enough left for luxuries - let alone "playthings."
 
3) This man fully believes in giving the tithe, in fact well over 10%...and has done so even when he "couldn't afford it."
 
4) He also makes an income that is officially well under the state poverty level. In fact, his insurance recently refused to pay for his stroke because his new insurance - was approved in early February to start on March 1 when his stroke unexpectedly caught him on February 29...LEAP YEAR!!
 
Each day in Intensive Care costs $40,000. No insurance.
 
5) As a national award winner (in music), he gives extraordinarily of his time to others...both fortunate and less fortunate...giving freely of his award-winning knowledge. (What he can't afford in money he gives in knowledge.)
 
6) He needs no pity nor moralisms - though if they're sincere they're appreciated! - what I need is a suggestion for a tech "pick-me-up" 7 weeks after a truly life and death stroke.
 
If you have no imagination, fine. If you have no care to help, that's fine. If you want to try again, your contribution is appreciatet.
 
Again, I'm no objector to charity - I give it. However, what I need now is a delightful toy - something I can love and treasure that's unusual without judgment. Something in the tech sector!
 
Here's a guy who wants to celebrate that he's alive. He chooses to do that with a computer that he hasn't upgraded for 5 years. He carefully chooses a price-performance setup - not a gratuitous machine. He wants just ONE thing to LOVE.
 
(BTW, I had my stroke while I was on the most relaxing, joy-filled family trip to the outdoors - a botanical garden - a jaunt away from Tech and with nature. Trust me - a stroke can be more complicated than most think! One thing that is for sure - something for yourself - something that makes you laugh with sheer Tech Joy - something you'd ordinarilly never get yourself - can lower blood pressure!!)
 
Yours, thankful for what you and can Give,
Barry
 
P.S. If you'd like to know about the miraculous recovery which my therapists (at Providence in Seattle) have found unbelievable, please ask me! I shouldn't even be able to speak, let alone write competently!

OK, since we're using the money for the comp...

A monitor isn't a bad idea.  If I remember correctly, you had a pretty solid box spec'ed out in the other thread.

I would wait on the new velociraptors.  Then again, I like my tech to work - I'm not an early adopter.

If power going out isn't an issue for you, skip the APC.  It's a nice idea, but not very important for the normal user.

Remind us, what is your spec, and use?

EDIT: One idea sort of mentioned above is worth thinking about.  Go outside.  In this case, go to a major LAN event somewhere.  I don't know much about them, but it's an idea to think about.

Also, you could try your hand at modding.  If you're handy it shouldn't be that bad.  It could also help with therapy (lots of fine motor control needed, and patience).

Whats all this religious debate stuff? Hello topic at hand please?
 
I see $500 towards a computer ->
 
I would if you have the tools look at modding to be honest its quite fun, I'm picking up a CM690 myself to mod out and customize to my wants.
 
You could also try water cooling your system
 
If your system is in need of an upgrade, spalsh out there.
 
Perhaps buy extra hard drives and setup a raid array.
 
8GB of RAM is really cheap these days - but do you honestly need it lol?

Hmm..water cooling, or even a TEC cooler is also a good idea.
 
You won't need them, but they're neat, and can be useful into the future.