Several times I've gotten a corrupt download that wouldn't open. Other times I get this:
The Finder can’t complete the operation because some data in “VLC†can’t be read or written.
(Error code -36)
I had no problem installing VLC with 10.6.8 (perhaps you should update from 10.6.3?). Try
this link from MacUpdate or
this from Videolan.
I should have said that I get the error message after the download, when I try to drag and drop the VLC icon to my applications folder. Therefore I am unable to use VLC, which is odd, because I remember downloading it in the past. Perhaps that was before 10.6.
Not a big deal. I don't need it. I was just curious about VLC because it gets so much praise. Quicktime Player does what I want.
As for updating to 10.6.8, I'd like to, but I tried it twice, and twice got the same problem: the fonts on the screen didn't look right. And from coming from 10.4.11, 10.6.3 looks so much better, and everything works so well. It's probably the best computer experience I've ever had after all these years. I've got everything set up the way I like.
Yes, it would be nice to be able to use the App Store. At the moment, I don't want to do anymore troubleshooting. I just spent months learning about routers, much trial and error, purchasing and returning, talking, studying, only to conclude that the best solution was to move the computer to a different room closer to the router. With my back pain, I don't want to do something so elaborate as to troubleshoot an operating system.
There was a guy at OfficeMax who helped me a lot. He really knew his stuff. And he was an adult. Contrast this with our local Best Buy.