You have to admit, Intel and Windows are the devices that all things run on! Just the other day I was looking at a game that said a 300 P2, or a 450 AMD!! Does this telll you something? And I don't see you sporting the penguin in the tux!! I do have a linux workstation, but it is currently unoperational (Old acer 100 MHz, pentum!).
I have been on computers since I was 3, using prodigy (evil!). Eventually, I wanted a computer of my own. So, I took my megar savings, and got a P2 350, that I assembeled myself. I had no experience, had read no books, no websites, hadn't even known someone that had done it!! It still works great, but it is a little slow for todays games
I now build and repair computers for friends and family, free (unless I am hungry). It is a nice skill, and I am branching into other computer-related hobbies, like Webpage building, programing, etc.
I still think a cert cource would be a good idea, it might keep you from messing your $2000 Pentium 4 system up! But, as I have proven, you can learn from experince (although, while you are learning, stay far away from my computer

).
Signing out...