Later gen 16k models could have the memory upgraded by using the ram chips off a PC XT motherboard. I did this to one of the 16k speccys in my collection, while leaving another in original condition. Of course, these days it's probably harder to find an XT motherboard than a 48k speccy ...

I quit cycling and sold my bike when they introduced mandatory helmet laws in Australia. Many years (and quite a few kg) later I caved in and bought a bike, but it still seems ridiculous that I have to wear a helmet to cycle 500 metres to the local shops. On the other hand, when I'm riding 40-50km distances on my road bike I'd rather wear a helmet and gloves because I ride faster and travel on a lot of roads with traffic.

Seconding e-ink. I have a Kindle 2 for reading and a powerful laptop for gaming/programming/media/etc. Reading on an e-ink device is like reading off paper. (The more light you shine on the screen, the brighter it gets.)

On the other hand, reading off a tablet or LCD is like holding sheets of paper up to a flourescent light. I get enough of that every day on the PC & Laptop, and when I read I don't want more of the same.

My parents chose Australia just on 30 years ago, and my kids are grateful for that choice every day. Like me, they have dual UK/Aussie citizenship, which is a big plus.

Judging by the polls, in 2013 the Australian Labor Party will be handed the biggest caning in the history of Aussie politics. Roxon won't be in power to enact this legislation, and Conroy (Mr Internet Filter) will be out on his ear too. So, where the ALP and their policies are concerned, 'after the next election' equates to 'once hell freezes over'.

I've always said computer programming should be moved to the Arts faculty in universities. Getting kids to study the highest-level math when most computer programming involves syntax and logic is insane. English is my first language but I'm fluent in Spanish after growing up there, and I also have enough French get by. I did an arts degree at uni in the 80's, but in the late 90's I went back and got a computing degree as well. I don't remember a whole lot of math usage during my studies, and I acheived an 80-85% average over the three years. (I flunked Math in high school, btw, which is how I ended up doing an Arts degree in the first place.)

... dig their way out of this one.

Sorry, but it had to be said.

Agreed. I have hundreds of hours on Daggerfall, Morrowind + Expansions and Oblivion + Expansions, but Steam tells me I've played Skyrim for a total of 23 hours. (20 of those were spent looking for things in the inventory, or switching between items in the inventory, or screwing around with the inventory. Ten minutes were spent installing an inventory fixer addon, but I haven't loaded the game since.)

In Australia our Steam 'special' price is $44.69 ... or £28

I paid $90 for Oblivion, $90 for Skyrim, and that's about it for full-priced titles over the past 7-8 years. Over the past three years I've gone Steam and GOG crazy, hoovering up cheap games and spending way more than I used to when it was 'pick one title and make it last'. At my age I reckon I have more games than I can possibly finish in my lifetime, but I still keep buying the suckers.

If the PC is dead, what are the developers writing dinky little games and apps for your shiny new tablets going to use? Have you tried designing a gui with gestures? Typing 150,000 lines of code on a touchscreen? Sure, you can attach a bluetooth keyboard and mouse ... as long as the batteries hold out.

In addition to that, if PC gamers wanted a braindead machine they'd get a handheld or a console. The sort of games I enjoy need a mouse, keyboard and very large screen. Tablets have their place but they're no substitute for a real computer.

Animated web ads are the pits, but you wait until you're invited to punch the monkey, bid now!, sign up for e-newsletters and hear from nine out of ten dentists whilst browsing shelves at the local deli. I, for one, will be carrying a tiny sharpened screwdriver.

Just waiting for it to go 'Clannggg' as it hits the painted wall. Shame about the lack of sound in space, but maybe George Lucas could make a movie about it.

Never mind VS2003 - officially, you can't even install VS97 under Windows 7 64-bit. (Someone posted a workaround, eventually, but it took 12 months or more.) There's a lot of legacy VB6 code out there and you can't just open those projects in VS2008 and recompile, not by a very, very long shot.

That was my first thought too. I've been developing software for Windows since the early 90's, and while I'm a gamer and I enjoy owning a relatively powerful PC I have zero interest in smartphones, tablets and other gadgetry. I won't be developing for any of them, just the desktop.

As for the desktop market disappearing, tell that to small businesses running accounts software, or authors writing novel, or just about anyone else who - when they think about computers - thinks 'keyboard' not 'gestures'.