The iPad has several good PDF reader apps, including some that do annotating. There are a few free PDF readers like BlueFire, but the best one that I've seen is a $5 one called Goodreader for iPad. With the advent of free online storage like DropBox, SkyDrive, or Box, you can put your PDFs online and just download them when you want to read them. I'm sure some of the better Android tablets will also do a pretty good job as a PDF reader, but I haven't gotten my hands on a Galaxy, XyBoard, or Nexus to play with them.

I disagree. If you live in an area with at least one active HAM Radio club, there are plenty of opportunities for socializing in meat-space. HAM Groups regularly meet (at least monthly) and they are often involved in community service by providing communications services to special events. It would be worth looking into, at least.

Marie Antoinette was insulated too. How did that work out for her?

Plus this is a subject area where it makes sense to buy an ebook. Not only can you easily bring your reference library with you on a thumbdrive or an ebook reader, but some publishers (O'Reilly) give you very good discounts to upgrade to the latest version of the book.

That seems like a very shortsighted move because HP only acquired Palm last year and has only had a competitor to the iPad on the market for a month and a half. To kill your largest division because your 1st generation tablet didn't make an immediate splash against a product from a company that has a cult-like following tells me that HP's management isn't willing to work to develop a product that they purchased just to enter this market, and they deserve to fail as a result.

While there isn't a lot of profits left to squeeze out of that market, it is still the company's largest division, and it's not like they have a lot of options to make up that income. When IBM sold their PC division to Lenovo, they had the market for big iron locked up, a successful line of midrange computers, a line of servers, several lines of enterprise software products, and a large consulting division. HP has their printer division, their server and storage lines, their line of Itanium products, and their networking division. HP doesn't have enough in those other areas to make up for spinning out their PC division.

The only thing that would make this move make sense is if HP is attempting to focus solely on the data center and gambling that VDI will be the future of the corporate desktop.

I assumed that this was for non-production/personal use as he said he was a hobbyist, not a systems admin.

Have you thought about buying a Technet Plus subscription and installing Exchange 2010 plus Forefront Protection for Exchange?

What is so trollish about it? It seemed well reasoned, and it appears to link to evidence to support his claims. I have not, examined the evidence, though.

You're right. It is pure supposition that CPTN would be set up to hurt Google. However, three of the four companies that are behind CPTN are engaged in lawsuits with Google or Google partners over Android.

However, the certain competition I was referring to was Linux and other open-source software like Postgres that competes directly with their product offerings.

Poe's Law for the win.

IANAL, but seeing as how the CPTN combines the patent portfolios four of the largest and most litigious technology firms and appears to exist to exclude certain competition from the market by using intellectual property, couldn't they be charged with a Section 1 violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act for operating as a cartel?

I'm not going to disagree. There are reasons to keep secrets, especially in war time. You don't want operational details or specs of new weapon systems leaking. But the reaction to the cable leak has been over the top. From what I have seen so far, it looks like a lot of the cables are idle chatter and rumors passed on through official channels. It's also nice to know that the Saudis are pushing for war with Iran, something that shouldn't have been kept secret as elements of our government keep pushing for another war in that region.

Nothing says "land of the free, home of the brave" than a quitter comparing a journalistic outfit that leaks embarassing data that the US and others don't want to be revealed to a theocratic government that opposes most fundamental freedoms. And yet, her base will eat this up.

I think Microsoft already thought of that. It's called Alt-Tab.

Please tell me that I'm not the only person who thought about LCARS from Star Trek when watching the video. I can see that sort of utility in an industrial environment where your input device changes based on the screen your viewing.