... it is interesting that some (Walden) get fairly good reviews with some constructive criticism whilst others (Phoenix) get slated.

This really tells you all you need to know. A mode of learning (online/campus) can be good or bad. It is the quality of the programme and institution that is important.

Anyone saying online is useless has either been burned by a bad experience or doesn't know what they are talking about.

Obviously no University is perfect. Both campus-based and online Universities will have Instructors who don't give students what they deserve, but the test of an institution is in how they react when a problem is raised, as the example above shows.

So, for satisfaction in online learning look for;

> Accredited/recognised degree equivalent to campus-based degree
> Small classes taken by Instructors with suitable academic and professional experience
> Support to students (advisors, tutors, online library)
> Well-developed programme (an Institution that is just starting out with online is NOT a good bet, a programme that is going through its first couple of intakes will have kinks that need working out but that's true of on-campus too)
> Lots of interaction with other students (can be asynchronous in DBs)
> Continuous assessment and weekly feedback of grades
> Safeguards against plagiarism
> Dissertation (course work and weekly essays are one thing for a smart person to bang together (on campus or online), a 15,000 word dissertation requires seven months of real work and really tests you).

The big benefit of online is you can carry on with work and family commitments. You study with people who want a degree that allows them to carry on with work and family commitments. So (for example) on a campus-based MBA you can have twenty-year olds in your class. On a good online MBA programme, you will typically have far older, more experienced students, which is great - peer learning is part of the Masters experience. You also tend to have more Instructors who are professionally active as well as just being Academcs, which is a good thing.

No one can sue for liable.

Silly jokes are not worth explaining. Next time I will employ sub(marine)titles for the hard of understanding.

One could argue that the bottom of the ocean is not _on_ earth

Maybe my 'mileage' varied, but I rolled back my gf's HP netbook to XP from Win 7.

I get your point re. 'Apple could give disable options in iOS4', but why would they?

But spending money backward compatability-ing new OS's so people will wait _longer_ to give you more money is a fool's game.

You want new features? Pay new money!

Please understand I don't own an Apple (but will probably replace my current Nokia with an iPhone (old model at cheap price or new if all the hoo-haa is hoo-haa or gets fixed with SW updates. due to seeing the difference in 'using pleasure' between if and gf's iPhone.think Apple are 'great', but their business model rocks as far as pushing the value of the company goes. Which is what they are there for, just like ll the companies. D-d-d-don't belive the hype.

I really don't think Apple lose many people for not doing something (two year software updates on a handheld device) that other manufacturers generally don't do. If you oould update your two year-old Sony/Nokia/Motorola/Samsung/LG handheld with brandnew software then not doing it would be a negative exception.

As it is it loses them no more sales than not doing other things no one else does.

T60p a netbook? No.

I think in most cases you mean 'fancy ALUMINIUM casing'. :-P

I agree Win 7 runs on older (and like it or not 2 years plus in mobile hardware is 'older') laptops ok. I didn't say it didn't. But Win 7 on an original Asus eeePCWhatevernumberitwas? Desktops 'age' slower as far as OS speed goes as even at 4+ years ago speed and memory was often adequate for Win 7 today.

But in all these examples the older versions were typically sold with half the RAM they are today, just like the iPhone then/now comparison.

My point about anti-Apple double standards 'people' (not you per se) have stands.

THIS is insightful?

Wow, so a two year-old computing device should run the latest software as fast as a new computing device?

Oh PLEASE, stop Moore's Law, I want to get off.

Apple use a type of Marketing spin which drives some people crazy. So crazy they forget that 12-24 month product cycles, planned obsolescence and product releases designed to encourage users to upgrade are what EVERYONE does in this sector. The only difference is Apple have a lock-in due to their hardware/software exclusivity, which means they can be even MORE effective at it as they are in many ways competing against themselves for people who have opted in to 'Apple World'.

The fact that their products and marketing are good enough to encourage people to do this and often not look back would be seen as proof of competence in many companies, but with Apple it's reason enough to tar and feather them. Do yourself a favour; go and buy yourself a opinion that makes sense

I suggest, in interests of fairness, you now bitch how badly WIn 7 runs on a 2008 netbook...