Vodpod videos no longer available.

“CNBC: PCs need to pay $600 extra to perform as well as Mac”

this has got to the most ignorant bit i have ever seen!

here is the list they mentioned

Norton Anti-Virus: $50/year
Multimedia Software: $80-$104
Photoshop: $140
Video Editing: $100
Music Software: $100
Geek Squad Visit: $129

My break down
Norton Anti-Virus: $50/year
Listed here are 3 *FREE* respectable AV software no need to pay for it
http://www.free-av.com/
http://free.avg.com/
http://www.avast.com/index.html

Multimedia Software: $80-$104
there are free one as well with vista you get microsoft media center with all version except for vista basic and business
also there is http://xbmc.org/ another free multimedia software that’s also open source!
soon to be public is the windows version of boxee http://www.boxee.tv/ another free multimedia software.

Photoshop: $140
i dont know where you got this info but last time i checked photoshop  alone cost $699 ~ $999 http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/compare/ for us consumers. unless they are talking about Photoshop elements http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshopelwin/ which is $89.99,

Video Editing: $100
windows comes with a great integrated software call movie maker easy to use and its free. also there is a great free open source app call virualdub http://www.virtualdub.org/

Music Software: $100
if you are wanting to play music:
winamp (free) http://www.winamp.com/
windows media player (free)
itunes (free)
if you are wanting to record music:
Audacity (free/open source) http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

Geek Squad Visit: $129
come on … geek squad? there are a lot of freelancers/your Local ISP and they are also most of the time a lot cheaper.

atleast some good news! 38 members of the House have already signed on as co-sponsors of the Local Community Radio Act (H.R. 1147).

There is an important bill going though congress right now that would open up radio for more local low power broadcasters.  It is called the Local Community Radio Act.

what does this mean? this act would allow local communities  ie neighborhoods, small rural townships ,schools, and colleges. this would give the opportunity to have public radio geared to the local communities. you would have programming ran and gear to the local issues. you wouldnt get a left/right wing enthusseist located halfway across the country talking about issues that may not be what the locals are really worried about. it also give the opertunity to be able to format your own music and programs. the opertunities are endless…

from freepress.net:

What Is LPFM?

Low Power FM – or LPFM — stations are community-based, nonprofit radio stations that broadcast at the local level, to neighborhoods and small towns throughout the country.

Run by non-profits like colleges, churches, schools, labor unions and other community groups, LPFM stations provide local coverage, information and perspectives that are not available anywhere else.
Congress, the FCC and LPFM

After Congress first authorized LPFM stations in 2000, the Federal Communications Commission began to issue LPFM licenses, awarding more than 800 licenses to civil rights organizations, schools and church groups across the country.

Soon after, Congress – under pressure from Big Media lobbyists – passed a misguided piece of legislation that radically reduced the radio spectrum available to LPFM stations because of claims of LPFM interference with signals from full power radio stations.

Congress ordered the FCC to study the issue, and, in 2003, the FCC released a $2 million study — known as the “Mitre Report” — which found that increasing the number of LPFM stations would not interfere with full power stations.
Act Now

Now, new bipartisan legislation in the House (H.R. 1147) promises to open the radio dial to thousands of new LPFM stations across the country, bringing fresh music, local perspectives and community news to the public airwaves.