So true. Not that I'm an MS fan, but we have an Access database with numerous clients deployed that was written for office 2000 and 2003. It had to make a couple of exception checks for 2000/2003 but that's it. We skipped 2007 and are getting office 2010 soon. Tried it recently on office 2010 and only two things needed to be changed, and now runs perfectly. And yes, this is probably one of those times where it should be a full-scale database etc, but point being, this uses numerous access forms, generates reports, deals with account logins, password resets etc. Pretty anything you can do in Access, is being done in this system, but yet only 2 things needed to be changed. Same thing with various vba excel tools.

I've read the same thing so many times that I cringe for a moment myself when running something on newer office versions and yet, 99% it runs or if not, with very little changes.

Hmm, I use vba all the time at work. Are there some circumstances where a database would be better? Yes. But excel is such a versatile tool that can automate so many tasks. Tons of employees do stuff manually in excel that can be automated via vba that is not big enough to warrant a full database. Most people don't even realize there is a development environment within the office suite. But it's attractive because everyone has it and there are no additional licensing costs.

Regarding what you said: "While I don't say this is impossible, I have been known to bet on the lottery. The fact is that, unless you wrote the spreadsheet yourself (and often even then), its very hard to be sure what it is actually doing with your data." Well first as the developer, I can test my vba by manually plugging formulas and arriving at the values without vba, as a comparison, ensuring I get the same results. And even though it's not built into vba, you can branch out and use regular expressions to ensure what is being inputted.

For someone down the line needing to 'know' (not use, because another user should be able to just use the sheet, but necessarily know the code arriving at those values) how it's arriving at what, would need to know vba obviously and then it's up to the past developer and how well written/documented it is. Same as anything else.

I'm curious, what does it need in ICS that is not in honeycomb? there are quite a few honeycomb tablets out there.

I didn't know what you were referring to and searched:

http://gizmodo.com/5872925/asus-relents-on-locked-transformer-prime-bootloader

"Asus says the bootloader had to be locked to provide you with certain content services. And it's true that if you choose to employ the (release-date-TBD) Transformer Prime unlock tool you'll be frozen out of Google video rental through the Android market. Oh, and you'll void your warranty. "

Why does it need to freeze you out? Let's say something similar like netflix. Works on windows and last I checked my bootloader wasn't locked. why does it need to be locked simply cause it's a mobile device?

About it's a start. Linux has had a hard time getting any significant desktop market share, but this was fertile territory and someone should have taken this path years ago. If say someone like Mark Shuttleworth saw this potential and realized that this is somewhere a linux based os could shine, maybe we'd already have a true open source mobile OS that had significant market share.

I would think being able to use a nickname would add a level of privacy.

Well, even with games it seems to depend on the engine/game. Most of valve games look absolutely amazing, especially l4d 1/2. TF2 looks great as well, portal, not so much.

But I imagine in a game that changes the focal point on the fly depending where I'm looking at with the mouse. Imagine looking at a enemy close to you and then shifting the mouse so your cross hair is on the enemy in the distance and the focal point changes (and add some blur to what you are not focusing on for good measure). I could picture that working fairly well. At least until they have some eye tracking hardware so they can 'see' what you are looking at.

Now since doom3 source has been released will someone please port it to d3d so I can play it in 3d. Never thought I'd want a d3d port of an id game but...

Iphone had hardware acceleration since launch. Android finally got it with honeycomb but the app developer had to invoke it to use it. From what I've read ice cream sandwich has it enabled for all apps. Finally. Like just under the wire of 2012 finally whereas iphone had this in 2007. Yes Iphone is just one hardware platform which makes things easier but still. Android should have had this a long time ago.

So unless it has a monster cpu you're not getting a smooth as glass experience on ANY android phone/tablet that's gingerbread or earlier.

I thought I read RIM claimed that how their network is setup in such a way that the encryption is done on the device and they don't have a means of accessing the contents?

I thought the two main criteria for a patent are: It hasn't been done before (prior art) and it's non-trivial. Like as in holy crap! What you just made there is awesome!! Please patent how you did this so society at large benefits from this and it is never lost!!

I don't think a swipe to start using a touch interface qualifies...

It doesn't sound like your apps need it but there's not much mention of hardware acceleration, which I'm probably more excited about that than other new features. It's not about eye candy, but touch displays typically have menus and icons moving around so responsiveness matters.

I'm hoping it will be relatively easy for developers to take advantage of this for current apps.