I'm a software tester for data moving products.

While a lot of testing is repetitive, the repetitive stuff can often be automated. For example, there's functionality that exists in every release ... so automating those testcases such that they are easy to run hands-off is good. This automation is often something the tester will be doing.

For new features, what typically happens in my group is that the developers will explain how they implemented a given feature and how it should work. We are responsible for testing this feature - with any tips that dev gives us - as well as trying to put it through various scenarios that cause it to break.

In my product's line, for example, we do clean reboot and power cycle/crash testing. What happens to our product when the power goes out? What happens to the data that was being moved? Does it recover? That sort of thing. This requires thought - and, contrary to some comments here, since we all want our business to SUCCEED and make money, which means customers need to be happy with the product, development is happy when we find errors or scenarios that they did not plan for in their coding. The earlier we find them, the better.

Day to day activities? Well, I'd break it into two major sections.

Planning

The test group, in my case, is responsible for reading through the planned product's features and changes and coming up with a test plan accordingly. This is then reviewed by developers, the test group, etc. Usually, during this time period is when a lot of work on automating previously-manual testcases can be done, in preparation for the next release. Also, planning for what testing environments will need to be setup and starting to set them up... it depends how big your group is I guess. Since mine is relatively small, all the testers help out with setting up various machines for testing, too.

Testing

During testing, the test plan is executed. Day to day activities include test environment setup, manual testing, automated testing, discussing potential issues with developers and opening work requests (WRs) if it's decided that it is really an issue and not a weird environmental problem etc.

Why replace all the equipment in conference rooms if they still work just fine for what they are used for (boring presentations :) )? Why does it need to be updated if it doesn't have HDMI?

It seems like this is almost like arguing that if your school uses Edition 15 and Edition 16 comes out, you need to update. Because the publisher doesn't keep getting money otherwise...

Salvation is not based on how much you love God or your neighbor. It's given based on the realization that you *can't* love God and your neighbor perfectly and that you *do* need something else to afford salvation. That is why trusting that Christ has the power to, and will, save you is important ... and furthermore, that He will not only forgive but also give you a "new birth" - or, as Paul puts it, transform your mind, make you a new creation, etc. "Take out this heart of stone and replace it with a heart of flesh" idea.

I reiterate. Being saved by God is not based on how much you can do, or no one would be saved. It's based on how much Christ has already done and the willingness of one to realize that what Christ has done is entirely sufficient and to trust in that alone for salvation... and to furthermore, continue to pursue after God, truth, and righteousness. (see the book of James, where he discusses the deadness of a faith that has no works to show that it is a real faith).

I sense bias. :)

Windows 7 had an SP before it was "useful to serious users?"