I also work for a Very Big Corporation. Shudder. I was tols I could develop applications under the following guide lines. No access to toad. No IDE. Only what was offered to Office workers. No admin rights locally. 1) Submit the criteria of the app. 2) Build 25% of the app, but don't run it. 3) submit this 25% for security verification (4-6 weeks) 4) Build the next 25%... Etc till the app is 100% Then submit for one more security review. Then allow the end user to see the application with the first run. If they dont like the application? Return to step 1. I finally got access to Admin and usually bypass all of their restrictions and can get the job done. Sheer incompetance.

What a stupid concept. Put down the cell phone, stop playing with the MP3 player and drive the d**m car.

Try 10 days both sick and vacation for the year. The plant shuts for 2 weeks (10 days) every year.

You can almost tell the ages of the posters by the software they post about.... Me? GWBasic. Sooo much easier to code in than 6502/68000 assembler. I could address a port or address easily, rapid application development was the key word. Back then they WANTED people to develop cards and software.

I work for a company where the IT dept is soo disconnected from the users that a good chunk of my time is spent working out what they did that breaks software systems. Renaming servers, changing domains and a network that has speeds slower than dial up. And the head of IT was selected as one of the top 10 in the industry. Hey, its a job

Heck, we went from a $600 deductible health insurance, to $3000 and higher cost, a $25 gift cert to Target or a dinner (no guests or So's), and added another layer of management to monitor our work performance as well. To top it off? "Your lucky it isnt a 10% drop in income as well". I hate contract houses.

"Hardware is no ware with out software", the programmers used to tell me as an EE. Actually, it takes both to work correctly.....

I looked at the 900 with Linux, then bought the 1000h with XP. Longest battery time and the least hassels. Overall? I am very happy with it. AND no. I would not load Linux on it.