[TriLUG] Ideas for Replacing Home Office Workhorse Computer?

[shay walters via TriLUG]

 > As embarrassing as it is to admit it, I accidentally killed my Asus
  > laptop yesterday when trying to plug in the 3.5mm headphones and I think
  > I accidentally hit the power pin on a USB port instead.  Thing won't
 > even power up ...

It's possible you may have bent the power pin of the USB port to the point
that it's touching the outer shell of the USB port.  Take a look in there
with a flashlight and see if it's like that.  If so, you can probably bend
it down with a sharp tool so that it no longer shorts and maybe get the
laptop going again.  That USB port might not be usable again after this.
(If it's like this, it's already not usable.)

-Shay