NO THEY AREN'T!!! How about not bothering to post unless you understand the concept in question???

I'm pretty sure it is that way on most cars intentionally to try and make it clearer where the brake pedal is relative to the gas pedal. When Audi went through this same disaster in the 80's it was ultimately determined that it was because the pedals were closer than most American consumers were used to, and they were, in fact, hitting the wrong pedal. Pedals at equal height are great for advanced drivers, but they are a liability for most appliances.

Actually, the incidence of reported cases of unintended acceleration that have bitten Toyota is only very slightly higher than the number of cases that are reported in any other year, it's just that everyone is looking much more closely all of a sudden. The fact is, MOST cases of unintended acceleration ARE between the seat and the pedals. Go back and read about what happened to Audi in the 80's. 60 Minutes knowingly and purposefully rigged cars tested for their program to be unable to stop, and it almost put Audi of America out of business. Yet 60 Minutes was never charged with a serious crime.

Because even in the extremely rare cases where the throttle does stick wide open, ALL cars can still be stopped by using the brakes, and/or putting the car into neutral. It's common sense, and we are on the verge of having all future cars equipped with unnecessary nannies to compensate for a few drivers inability to step on the brake pedal when something out of the ordinary happens.

NO,NO,NO! The brakes still work fine in these situations, it's just that the majority of drivers are so unaware of how their vehicle works that if something, anything, happens out of the routine norm, they have no idea what to do. The brakes in ALL cars are hydraulic, and separate from the electronic systems of the vehicle. The brake booster may be hooked into the electronics, but the brakes WILL STILL STOP THE CAR you just have to press them harder if the booster fails. The likelihood of the throttle sticking, the transmission failing in such a way that you can't put it into neutral, AND the entirely separate hydraulic brake system failing, ALL at the same instant is essentially NIL!!!

No, you misunderstand the analogy. It's more like you live in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. You have a gate around your house with alarm system and hired security on site 24/7, while I live in small town VT and don't lock my door and my neighbors all have a key anyhow. Who is more secure?

Agreed. Teamviewer is incredibly simple to use and works great, even when I'm on a super slow connection. I can literally have a connection set up with the least technical users in my family in a couple of minutes.

They only 'recommend' Vista because they, like every other large computer manufacturer, are required to in the terms of their agreements with Microsoft in order to keep their OEM pricing model. If they 'choose' (and I use that term loosely) not to 'recommend' Vista in their advertising, their wholesale prices will go up, and they will be unable to remain competitive with the ultra-slim margins that most computer companies operate on.