Thank you, good sir or madam. That was amazing.

[. . .]until their screen is filled with icons. Or their email box is one giant list of messages[. . .]

Guess what: I'm a technology professional who has used a computer daily for over 20 years, and this is how I "organize", too. Tell me -- why would I organize my e-mail when I can search through it instantly to the same effect?

Tragically, desktop/non-text search really isn't there yet (though it's making strides), so I still have to organize files somewhat. When I do, I organize them simply through the desktop, no matter my OS. But as much as possible, I don't organize.

Organization is for computers; thinking is for humans. If I can articulate what I want clearly, I should be able to find it, no matter the fake "hierarchy" imposed by a computer. And even if I can't, the facts I _can_ articulate clearly should lead to an instant and actionable list of possibilities, and even the ability to easily create a hierarchy if I want.

Release the age of drudgery, friend!

Yup, that's how I read it, too. Reading comprehension!

"I refused to let my car be searched by the Homeland Security Agent."

vs

"I refused to let my car be searched by the Homeland GODWIN GODWIN GODWIN"

OK. Just commit a heinous but victimless crime and volunteer yourself for 20+ years of prison. I hear it's warm, and they feed you well.

Maybe you have some other motivations at play too, eh?

I love the concept -- and have no qualms with who the fees go to. Why not put them directly toward something massive that can use unending funds, like, say... the deficit?

Then, when congress critters do their budget calculations, they can take money seized from our corporate overlords into account. Simple, no?

From your link:

Each PC includes Windows 7, Windows Live Essentials, Zune software, Internet Explorer with Bing optimization, and more -- all ready to go, right from the moment you turn on your PC.

Sounds really clean. I love the idea -- I was actually about to forward it to some friends -- but it seems _nobody_ can resist putting their own goddamn bloatware in, eh?

Anyone actually used one of these machines?

Let me get this straight -- you decided to get Bachelor's degrees from _two_ schools, and one of them is an Ivy League? That makes very little sense. You know, they'll still let Engineering students into graduate programs for religion...

And who would spend 4 years as an undergrad and then repeat the deal when they're older? Sure, it might be fun... I suppose... but kinda creepy.

You're suffering from this syndrome:

http://xkcd.com/793/

I refer you to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queueing_theory

Nevermind the fact that they dropped leaflets daily all over war zones to try to incite the populace to riot, leave, etc.

If you had 40 leaflets dropped on you in a month telling you to surrender, do you think the 41st one telling you to leave your home would convince you to do just that?

And 90% of stores in America are owned by Americans. 90% of lawyers and doctors in America are American. Americans own a disproportionate amount of property to non-Americans in America, and exploit non-Americans.

So how exactly is ridding North America of Americans not legitimate and beneficial?

Brilliant logic, Watson.

If my work is paying for a Verizon BlackBerry, then I can't very well change providers or swap sim cards. =(

In what practical way is it superior to an iPhone, which doesn't even need a satchel? And, as a counter-point, I have a friend who recently bought an iPad, shortly followed by an iPhone. She doesn't even use the iPad at all anymore. The only advantage the iPad has, IMO, is battery life. Screw making the iPhone thinner; if you made it a hair heavier but the same old thickness with 3x battery life, competition would evaporate.

You can already do that -- and have been able to since the Motorola Droid launched last November. It's awesome, actually. If you're in the car dock, you just say "map gas stations" and it shows gas stations near where you are. "Navigate to nearest gas station" does exactly that. The droid + car dock is the coolest gadget ever; I had it streaming high-quality internet radio, navigating me to my destination, finding stuff I wanted nearby, and delivering my e-mail -- all at the same time.

Oh, and it worked great as a phone, too. Sadly, my work will only pay for BlackBerries.

"Isn't the McKinnon case more like charging him to buy the lock that had been missing when he walked in?"

No, it's more like making him pay for new locks because he wrote a lockpicking book. The flaws existed, and he exposed them, but it's not his fault that people might use them to perpetrate crimes. If someone tells me how to crack a safe, I'd generally blame the safe's maker for designing that fault... not the person who realized the problem. Eh?

What? I don't know if you've ever USED a computer before, but for many people, they are integral tools for communicating and learning in LIFE -- screw school! Even if something's not required for a curriculum, I'd rather have all the materials at hand to be excellent in all of my endeavors, required or not! There's no vanity involved. Jeesh.