Thanks guys, this info is SO helpful, it's all I've been able to think about today, I've been drawing sketches of circuits and such when I really should have been working (but hey what are screenbreaks for)
That AX84 project site seems fantastic, almost feel like I've wasted my money on the kevin O connor books, but it's nice to have a hard copy in reference, printing pages off the net can be a hassle as my printer sucks, and the one at university wont let you print more than 10 pages at a time!
Thanks for the support, I'll let you know as soon as I get started, and I'll get some pics taken when I have it made!