Law School Discussion

The only thing they stripped out of Pro was the ability to join a Domain.  If you don't know what a domain is, it is like centralized security, usually used at a corporate network.  It would seem strange to me for them to use that feature, but if they do, you can't use Home.  Home has some foo-foo features that Pro doesn't like Fast User Switching, but I personally would never use that anyway.

If you already have Home, and can't get a straight answer, no way would I upgrade now.  Show up with Home until you see it doesn't work.  As an aside, if you do have to upgrade, try to get it through your school.  Ohio State has an academic bundle for $155 that has XP Pro, Office 2003, and a bunch of other ancillary crap.  Those two programs alone would cost about $500 retail.

Good luck!
Todd

Magnolia:

"Frat boys" are males who can use gobs of hair-care products and fret about their clothes but still retain their masculinity and "guyness" in the eyes of their peers. They can jump into a pick-up basketball game with a group of strangers. They can gawk at and objectify women and still be considered endearing and cute. Frat boys take various forms, but what they all convey is the impression that comes from the right combination of physical traits and personality characteristics: striking good looks, inexplicable popularity, overt self-confidence, pervasive charm and just a hint of self-deprecation.

An air of entitlement or wealth also helps define a frat boy, as does a certain proclivity toward aggressiveness. (That's not to say that frat boys are all rich, but they probably act like they're swimming in money. Nor are they all violent -- that's unquestionably not the case -- but unchecked machismo, which they exude in great quantities, can sometimes have its downside, from frat house hazing to incidents of date rape.)

Does G.W. qualify as a frat boy? Yep. Steve Forbes? No way. Matthew McConaughey? Definitely. Jerry Seinfeld? Nope. And even when it's obvious, there are degrees of difference. For example, the dying ex-president Clinton and George W. were both frat boys, but different approaches; the difference is academic.

If you missed "The Real World," you probably haven't missed Abercrombie & Fitch, so you know the frat-boy look. The clothing store -- a step up from the Gap, a step sideways from Banana Republic -- is the definitive source of the frat-boy image. That's mostly due to its highly controversial catalog/magazine, the Abercrombie & Fitch Quarterly; the catalog's male models embody the image with their perfect abs and sly smirking grins. The look in their eyes says without question that they know you're looking at the photo with lust or envy, but probably both. And the clothing store knows you'll cover yourself in A&F gear just to try to look like the Adonises gazing out from the photos.

While clothes definitely contribute to the image -- just look around at all the young men wearing button-up, long-sleeved shirts tucked into khakis and topped with white baseball caps -- it's not just clothing or perfectly proportioned muscles and a strong jaw line that construct the image. It's not even always about youth. You can almost always see the glints of a former frat boy life in older men; although the image fades into baldness and extra padding, the golden boy at the center of it all is still there.

On another, more positive note, it appears that in his mid fifties, G.W. may be the nation's oldest, most photographed frat boy, proving that there are no age limits to the phenomenon. While A&F would instantly go out of business if it plastered its catalog's pages with boxer-clad Bush and his friends hanging on each other, he still has the athleticism -- real or perceived -- the smarmy, cocky attitude, the smirk. He pouts when things go wrong. His parents apparently clean up his messes. During debates, when other candidates ask Bush questions, he answers them as if his time would be better spent picking lint off his suit. In short, G.W. doesn't just expect to get the nomination and get elected president -- he knows he'll get it in the way a beloved, doted-upon 6-year-old knows that Santa won't stuff his stocking full of coal, no matter what he's done.

It doesn't really matter whether a frat boy has ever pledged a fraternity or even considered it. In fact, only a true fraternity boy could pull off the look without ever having set foot in a fraternity house. To be a "frat boy" one may just need to conform to a certain lifestyle, image and behavior. And CONFORMITY is the key word. From kindergarten on, we feel better, more comfortable, when we're among others who look, act and think like us. And when that mold is a powerful, sexual one like the frat boy, it's not hard to see why people flock to A&F and swoon over Colin.

Whoa!  I just realized this thread is waaaaaaaaay old. Does anyone actually use this section anymore?  Maybe I can get at least this thread revived...