My mom uses one and enjoys it. I wouldn't say she loves it, but I don't think she has loved any piece of technology ever. I love it, because I never have to give tech support for it.

I have to agree with this. I actually prefer Windows 8(.1) over 7; however, for average users, Windows 8 does present some irritations. For instance, opening image files on Windows 8, by default, goes to Microsoft's "Photos" app, which is Metro-based, slow, and terrible for quick image browsing/viewing. Now, it's trivial to change the default application in any version of Windows, including 8, but the problem is that the average user just doesn't understand that it's even possible to do so, let alone the mechanism for it.

Windows 8 is filled with little niggles like that. All told, it takes about 5 minutes to fix it back to Windows 7's behaviors, but as I said, many, if not most, people don't know how to do that.

Because "I want to do this" is not the same as "I need to do this."

Honestly, as an iOS user, I don't really see the need. I have jailbroken in the past and just didn't see much that was worth the effort or the inevitable wait for official updates. For those that do want/need/"need" root, then this is a good option (or just buy an Android device).

There are a few cool apps/tweaks on Cydia, but userland iOS also has tons of cool apps. For the vast majority of iOS users, jailbreaking isn't necessary.

This doesn't really fit the OP's requirement of running MS Office (and being Vista...), but it really is a good option for many people who are tired of tech support calls from parents. We got one for my mom, and I don't think I've ever needed to "fix" it except for one time it lost the network configuration for some reason.

There's a big difference between typing on a keyboard and typing on a phone.

Doesn't help you now (probably), but 1Password works with Opera on OS X now, and they're working on Windows Opera support. There's also an Android version coming soon-ish.

This is an interesting point I haven't heard before (granted, I don't look much into this stuff). I'm conservative and generally against most tax breaks/subsidies, but your post has me reconsidering. I think a big sticking point for me would be how the government decides who gets funding. Ideally, it should be merit-based (obviously), but I just don't trust anyone in Congress or the White House to do things properly in this area. If all we get are failures due to bad choices, then the market's going to China anyway, and we've lost a lot of money in the meantime.

I did something similar. Had the guy on the phone for over 30 minutes. I was on a Mac and did everything exactly as he said to. It took about 10 minutes before he was able to get me to open a web browser ("I don't have a button that says 'Start'" — would have worked for modern Windows as well), and then another 15 minutes before he could get me on the right website (he left out a dot in the URL, so it became "wwwscamsite.com").

At the end I told him I didn't need the scam and that my Mac was fine.

Here's a related video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjKjyMKj3n4

I'm not sure if I use it any differently than right-handers, but as a leftie I hold the "remote" portion in my left hand and the nunchuck in my right. I take a hit on joystick accuracy, but my aim is even worse with my right hand. What this boils down to is that the Wii remote just isn't a very optimal controller for lefties--at least, until you get used to it. Right-handed people would probably have a slight advantage in the short run, assuming familiarity with a left-sided joystick and holding the remote in the right hand.

That said, as another poster said already, the games themselves aren't necessarily ambidextrous, which is damn annoying. It's like the (3)DS--certain games are basically unplayable for me because they demand a right-handed playstyle. On the (3)DS, it would be pretty trivial to fix if you could remap the D-pad to the right side and the XABY buttons to the left; this would allow you to hold the stylus in the left hand and still have full use of D-pad functions, much like you would get by holding it in the right hand in the current configuration.

One benefit of squeezing more screen space into the same footprint is that your thumb will have an easier time hitting the edges. It sounds like a pointless technology at first (at least for phones), but it at least has the potential to be useful.

I'm not even sure where to begin with how wrong this is, so I'll just keep it simple. They're a string of letters that form a meaning. Pretend your boss tells you you can leave for the day. Which statement would you rather hear: "Great work today; take the rest of the day off!" or "Fuck off." ? The strings themselves may be somewhat arbitrary, but their meanings can be incredibly important. You may not like that certain words have negative connotations (which I find odd, if that's the case), but that doesn't mean others feel the same way.

I wasn't aware of contracts like this. Thanks.

I totally understand the appeal of a larger screen. My point was that, as an end-user, I can't foresee a scenario where I would opt for the iPad 2 over the Mini or the Air. If vision was an issue, I would still pay $100 more for the Air. Beyond the far better screen, it is also guaranteed to be supported longer than what is now a two-year-old device. Yes, it costs $100 more, but if $100 hurts that much, I probably shouldn't buy an iPad.

Everyone's mileage will vary, of course. That's just the way I see it.

It's somewhat baffling that anyone these days would want an iPad 2. The Mini outstrips it in every area but screen size, at the same price. I would also imagine that continuing to support it is obnoxious for developers.

Anyway, I was planning on buying the iPad Air, but the Mini is looking a lot more tempting, given that the only difference anymore is screen size. I just wish one of them had Touch ID.