no microphone

I found out the hard way that my new computer did not come with a mic built into it, that really blows. My old system was a piece of crap but at least it had a mic built into it, thats about the only good thing I can say about my old system and Windows me. Can any one recomend a reasonalbley priced mic or web cam w/mic built in.

Sure. There are lots of them out there. Many people will recommend Logitech ones, as they are pretty nice. I would recommend sticking with a standard plug, as USB support is a little strange (especially if you need to adjust things in-game).

Here's a decent one: Newegg.com - Logitech 980240-0403 Black 3.5mm Connector Desktop Microphone My brother uses this, and it works very well.

Currently, I use a GE number that I got from a local Target. It comes with headphones, and the microphone can detach from the headset and be plugged into a little stand you can put on your desk. I think the whole thing cost me around twenty bucks. I like the flexibility of having both a stand-alone microphone and a headset. I found it at the CircuitCity website for $20: Buy the Jasco GE Deluxe Headset with Detachable Mic and Desktop Stand and other Computer microphones at circuitcity.com Something like this might be useful if you sometimes will need the headphones as well.

Good luck, and post if you need anything else.