My hardware for this build was:

Intel Pentium Dual Core 1.6GHz (Soon to be upgraded to a Core 2 Quad Q8400 3GHz)

5GB DDR2 Crucial Ballistix 800MHz (Decided on getting another 4GB rather than 8GB)

Asrock P45XE (Any board with an Intel P45 and ICH10 chipset should work)

Inno3d Nvidia GT240 1GB (only a select few graphics cards work, any of the following should be fine: Geforce 9800GT, Geforce GT240, Geforce GT260, or for a passive card the Geforce 6200. Avoid Overclocked versions or strange ram configurations)

Canon EOS 1000D inc 18 - 55mm lens

Just about had the camera 24 hours now, and I am already impressed and glad I spent the money I did on this wonderful camera. It may be the baby model of the EOS range, but it still performs fantastically, even tho I've only used the P mode so far (RAW shooting isn't supported in Full Auto modes) so i know there is more quality and creativity still to be had (especially since i know my own skills aren't the greatest) so for now I'm not going to upload any pictures into the photo gallery as I don't think i have any shots worthy to be shown off.

Goldfrapp - Head First

Fantastic album for the Goldfrapp fan, very distinctly goldfrapp, but different to all her previous albums. The punchy bass, fast rhythms and her gorgeous voice make this cd great for listening too at high volumes when you need cheering up. If you like goldfrapp, then buy it, if youve not heard any goldfrapp before but have spotify installed then follow this link to listen to the album Goldfrapp – Head First.

I've chosen the Canon 1000D because it has a Live View mode, and Image Stabilisation, features the other cameras in the same price range (£300 to £400) don't have. Other than those features there is very little difference between the budget DSLR's so the number and quality of aftermarket lenses helped me decide the Canon was definitely the right choice.

In August this year my parents, my youngest sister Anna and I are off to Dolgellau, Wales for our holidays. The area has a lot of great views, walks and wildlife, so I'm hoping the week will have some good weather so I can take some great photos, which I will add to the photo gallery here when I get back.

Meanwhile, while I'm still here in gorgeous Oxfordshire, I think I might get out of the house on my days off and walk around some of the countryside for probably the first time in about 6 or 7 years (I miss the days of walking my dog (RIP Thomas) with my dad on the weekends) and take some photographs. I may even venture into Oxford too and take some pictures of the sights there (does anyone know if cameras are allowed in the Ashmolean Museum and Natural History Museum / Pitt Rivers?).

If anyone has any suggestions for better DSLR's within my budget please comment.

Hope everyones well, and Good luck to Dan and Jon with your exams if you still have some to go.

Gary

My host for my new site is Squarespace, no more coding the site myself, I will miss the fun (or was it pain) of building the site myself from scratch, but Squarespace gives me the freedom to create the site I want with very little effort, easy tools for uploading new content (even from my iPhone or the iPad when it comes out) and no headaches about whether its up or not. 

The look for the site will change overtime as i tune it to what I want, but I think I've got the basics of it down already. Squarespace isn't all that cheap ($14 a month for the lowest plan that supports custom domains) but it does the trick and in looks great (Dan, I know your gonna say I could do all the same stuff with Wordpress and a cheap £2 a month host, but it just wouldn't be as easy.)

Hope everyones well. Leave a comment if youd like.

Gary