"Simon" <shepshep1@excite.com> wrote in message

> > When you get here, try buying it without the motherboard. You may be
> > able to, depending on the shop. But if you can't, plop down 3000 for a
> > bargain basement obsolete motherboard.

A 300 yen second-hand processor  is OK.. You don't need to go in the dark
and dusty shops, they have second-hand sections at Softmap and other big
stores and you can ask in your language.

> I imagine that's what I'll end up doing, although I know my wife won't
like
> asking for an oem version without hardware and I speak no Japanese.

But, you're learning. Ask the "academic discount".  I've never had to show
any usagi card or gaigin card to prove anything.
I took the "hardware discount" for XP, so probably I had compared prices and
the academic deal was less advantageous.

CC