When I was younger, I adopted new technology as soon as I could save up the pennies to buy it. It was exciting to be using the latest tech and there were often big advancements with each iteration (early sound and graphics cards spring to mind). Twenty years or so on, I wouldn't say I'm reluctant to change, but I move forward at a much steadier pace. Maybe it's just seeing things through an older and more cynical pair of eyes, but I do not think there are as big advancements in new products today as marketeers would have you believe.

In everyday life and work, I generally use what I know well and does the job well. Operating systems, utilities, hardware, etc; I'm in no rush to upgrade or change them unless what I'm using now becomes unsupported, deficient in some way, or there are very real benefits to making a change. That kind of approach has served me well; my systems are robust, efficient, and I know the insides well enough that I can fix things if and when they go wrong.

For fun though, and to keep on top of emerging technologies, I do 'play' with a lot of new stuff when I have the chance. Test new operating systems, software, etc, in virtual machines. Evaluate new hardware if you can get your hands on it cheaply or for free (on loan, in store, or from friends). That way, you're always going to be aware of what the choices are and you'll be continuously building a picture of where technology is moving, and whether it's something you should think about adopting for yourself.

So, be careful to not get stuck in a rut and set in your ways, but don't rush out and buy every latest widget for widget's sake.

I might be wrong but I was under the understanding that it is primarily aimed at syncing your own data between your own devices (think Dropbox but without a centralised file server). You could choose to sync it with other users but they would then have access to your unencrypted data.

In the case of web apps, I'd start by asking the vendor what their commitment to using open standards is and what browsers they officially test with and support. A good answer to that question would be that they are committed to using open standards and they support the most widely used browsers. Any answer other than that should set alarm bells ringing.

You can and should do your own testing on top of that. You can even stick to IE if you don't like version numbers incrementing every other week, but the important thing (to me) is not to get locked in to the point you can't jump ship to something else later down the line.

No compatibility with your vendor locked in software maybe, but that's not the case for everyone. When evaluating software my business uses, not being stuck in a vendor locked in solution is a very high priority and I wouldn't want it any other way.

Anonymous Yellow-belly Coward, is that you?

Facebook has been profitable since 2009.

And make great coasters too. That's why they're so versatile.

If you read what I said, you'll notice I said I look forward to the time (as in, the future) when SATA and GigaE can be included at that price point. Not now, but in 12 to 18 months when it should be feasible.

There are other devices with similar ARM processors that can handle gigabit. I don't know if the CPU in this Beagle device could do so, but again, in a year or so, a similar priced CPU would hopefully be able to. As for uses, there are many, but if you agree that SATA woud be useful then I'm sure you could understand why people may want faster than 100Mb/s network connectivity to go with it.

Yeah, I agree with this and that's why the Beagle / Pi is what it is for now. I've no complaints with that either, but future SoCs with GigaE and SATA will get down to the same price point eventually and no doubt we'll see these devices sporting that functionality in a year or so.

You're misunderstanding what I said. I like the Raspberry Pi and this new Beagle device. Really, they're great, and I can see a gazzillion uses for them where they are just perfect, some of which I plan to use them for myself.

All I am saying with regard to SATA and GigaE is that when the time comes they can be included at that price point, the scope for these devices being used as more serious network / storage devices expands greatly. Yes, I know their intended use does not necessarily include some of the things I'm thinking of and that's just fine, they do what they do very well. I'm simply looking forward to when the natural evolution of these devices includes those extra features at a sub $50 price. That will most likely happen in the next 12 to 18 months.

That may be so but it does not stop it from being a very valid point, especially for a lot of slashdot users. I like my Raspberry Pi and I really like the look of this new Beagle device. If it had SATA and GigaE for around the same price, I'd love it even more.

The inclusion of SATA and GigaE would presumably drive the price up to a point they don't think would let them compete with the Raspberry Pi. That will change though, and I'm very looking forward to that time. As soon as SATA and GigaE can be included at around the same price point, these devices suddenly become a viable basis for a whole wealth of serious storage and network devices. The only reason I don't use the Raspberry Pi for anything more serious than a media server on my network is because of the limitations of its USB throughput for both storage and networking.

Just to correct one point, the iPhone 4 has 512MB RAM.

Uhhh, unless I'm mistaken, he didn't say otherwise. He does actually mention that the big boys bought their own BES servers, keeping sensitive emails under their own control.

I think you need to take the time to read a user's comment more carefully before jumping down their throat.

Microsoft!?

If you're not already recording your life events on Facebook, I'm sure your friends are having a pretty good go at doing it for you!