Thanks for looking into this, Chris, and for your suggestion about the B940.
I think Intel must have been updating/correcting their database for the information about their chips on the Intel webpage this past couple of days. I have been making enquiries, too and details on the webpage have changed, I am sure!
As you say, there seems to be no way of getting around Intel Insider, unless you go back a very long way.
Another awful feature that they have is Intel Anti-Theft Technology. It enables Intel to remotely shut down your computer, and stop it from restarting, even if all the data on the hard drive is deleted and reinstalled! Amazingly, they are meant to be able to do this even without an internet connection! They must use some kind of black-magic! :) I have asked Intel for a list of CPUs that support this, and they couldn't help me. I have e-mailed them about it and am waiting to hear. Anti-Theft technology runs on a platform, so perhaps it is also necessary for there to be a motherboard/chipset that supports it too.
The more I have looked into what the latest hardware does, the more appalled I have become. I think in this day and age, newer definitely does not always mean better.
When did this all start going wrong? Which was it, XP or Windows 2000 that was the last Microsoft edition before they really started nailing the consumer?
