If the laptops have some Linux OS installed, then I would say it is a good will gesture. If the laptops have MS-Windows installed, basically someone is handing them a laptop full of virus-infested software. MS-Windows has been detected as one big virus itself. Stuff that in your USB port.

I still have my Commodore Computers. I fired them up about 5 years ago, and I can STILL read my floppy disks from ages ago even with the 1541 (1 or 2) 5-1/4" disk drives that are suppose to be prone to head-alignment issues (I keep them stored with the head-protectors in place and I try to keep the disks away from magnetic sources.)

I bought some Apple ]['s in the past 10 years, so I can see my assembly language programs. (remember call -768 or call -936, or in#6 or pr#6?)

If I could, I'd get an Amiga today. The reason why you don't see new Amigas around is because Bill Gates made sure the Amiga market would die by 1995 and REMAIN dead. Because he wanted to make sure he could get Windows 95 out to the masses, unchallenged, because Windows 95 could easily be overthrown and outperformed. Bill Gates and company did not make anything better than what was already out, so he had to KILL the competition through blackmail, covert backdoor deals, encourage dishonesty in competitor companies, and litigate companies and products out of existence. In retrospect, it wasn't until Windows XP that Microsoft and PC suppliers could almost "catch up" to the Amiga. So with the Amiga gone and unable to be redeveloped effectively (still to this day), Bill Gates leveled (ie: demolished in a very unethical and lawless way - but you pay off your Congressmen, and your wishes become the law) the existing playing field and rebuilt the playing field around Microsoft. The Amiga, by 1990, had VGA graphics, a sound synthesizer chip, an IDE hard drive interface, a hard drive, modular memory, a 32-bit True Pre-emptive Multi-tasking operating system, a Graphics User Interface, and the most popular accessory that sold very well for it was the Video Toaster. By 1995, most PCs had these basic features (Microsoft was still struggling with the OS, it was not true pre-emptive nor true 32-bit. Some parts are still not 32-bit until Windows 7 - It takes this long for a company like Microsoft to implement 1990 technology?) And, about 5 years ago, well after the demise of the Amiga, someone hooked up an IOMEGA SCSI ZIP disk to it, and guess what. because SCSI was an established standard and the specs were open, the Amiga could implement and use the ZIP disk to the fullest extent, even though the ZIP disk was created well after development and production stopped on the Amiga. Now that is a powerful computer. try developing the computer now. The technology is still around. But you can't because all the parts that make up the Amiga were carefully and strategically divided amongst various companies that are indirectly paid off to KEEP it divided so that IT WILL NEVER be developed AGAIN! All this evil done onto the people of the world by Microsoft.

This guy is dissin Microsoft. How dare he? FLAIMBAIT. RELGIOUS NUT! OUTDATED idiotic thinking! Throw chairs at him! Microsoft owns the WORLD. It is THE ONLY solution you should ever use. BAWHAWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAW!

Counter-Anti-Microsoft post paid for by Microsoft

What you will want to do if you have a Windows machine on each end, is to secure each machine first. That would mean, over-writing the Windows operating system with a Unix/Unix-like system (Linux, BSD, Solaris, Hack-Mac). Then you have (most likely) built-in SFTP servers and clients. That is what I would do. Someone would eventually hack into your Windows system. That is the way Windows is, so that MS or an MS-partner can sell you the antidote to your virus woes (even after your cure your woes, they will come up with something another virus so as to sell you another cure to get your money.) Get security right from the start instead of an add-on. Go with Unix or a Unix clone.

Wyandotte MI is a self-sustaining city. It has it's own power, water, cable-tv, and probably it's own internet (wired or wireless) http://www.wyandotte.net/ in spite of the fact Detroit or Detroit companies hold a monopoly on most utilities in the area. When the Detroit utilities want to muscle communities in the area, where Wyandotte holds it's own, they laugh. Comcast is especially upset that Wyandotte had cable even before cable was available anywhere. Comcast can't touch it like they do in the Downriver Area. It is evident you know Wyandotte Cable has been around when the software for the teleprompter stops, and it shows 'Amiga OS 3.9' somewhere on the screen. The power of independence.

What do the "gay" monkeys do? This researched only talked about the male monkeys having sex with females. Is homosexual activity amongst monkeys not normal that someone would not show research on it? Do the gays monkeys just exchange meat and sex in all sorts of ways? What happens when groups of monkeys, male and female get together for a meat and sex orgy? I would hate think if whole families of monkeys just get it on. And if the monkeys would engage in Humanality (like Beastiality, just in reverse.) I think after this point, the meat and sex issue get a little obscured.

Even though good law and experience has shown that, leaving an industry to select few increases chaos, and decreases quality and innovation. It is no different here. The laws on the books said close down Microsoft, but Microsoft money paid to political election funds and special interest groups bought and locked in their illegal hold on the market. Thus, the platform that was designed to be a stand-alone system and not networked is the worst offender with spam-bot networks generating oodles of spam. You won't see the proof, because like all politics, Microsoft controls the tech media, blaming strong tried and true Unix and more specifically Linux, for the blame of IT follies.

I think that in these companies, and many other individuals, see Democracy as an opportunity for themselves to stay free under Democracy's rule, while subverting others below them to enslavement to their little dictatorships within the Democratic system. The patent system may exist for the sake of equality under Democracy, but it appears it is being manipulated to substantiate little dictatorships within a Democracy. It is just one of many system in Democracy that is being manipulated for this purpose. How about we enforce the principles of true Democracy and stop all these attempts to create little dictatorships with system, so that EVERYONE is free and benefits from Democracy, not just a select few.

The reality is: research that truly has an impact cannot be tied to product cycles.

I guess that is why some of the greatest things that exist only in MSR never come out as a product, because Microsoft upper management is only looking at the money, and how to completely own the technology so that they control the entire product. Not "give it away" or (some of it away), and let people interact and contribute to it. What good does technology and new ideas do for people if they are not given access to it? In the Microsoft model, we as consumers have to COMPLETELY DEPEND on Microsoft. That is how they maximize profit. They do a pretty good job at doing that. The balance of the situation between MS leadership and consumers is off. That is why MSR is not tied to product cycles. And since MS leadership only looks to the importance of the product cycle (capitalizing on upgrades), things in MSR hardly ever get out. You can have one, but not the other.

MSR only exists for the sole purpose of feeding MS management ideas, and giving them exclusive opportunity to make a profit. MS management does not share their new knowledge. And they don't share to the point that they are fat and rich. There is another way however, but Microsoft is resistive to the change it needs to continue as a business working with others in a democracy that is made "for the people", rich or poor.

How about all the jobs and innovation that were lost when the Microsoft Mafia gave Stac Electronics, Netscape, Corel, Caldera, Apple, Commodore, and Atari some dead fish and a pair of cement shoes. How about their insistence to continue slamming innovation in companies that is not Microsoft. They have money to burn on their Mafia-style politics. They don't care about helping people learn how to run computers. They care about how to feed people more Microsoft kool-aid and smoke more Windows crack, and make it look good. The road to HELL is paved with good intentions. Want to learn great skills? Load your computer with Open Source software and a Linux OS. Open-source software has always provided free education, by nature. Take advantage of an open-source education right now! I never needed Microsoft to teach me anything about computers except how to monopolize the market. But I am not a Socialist. I am a Fighter for True Democratic Freedom.

Until we can start working on ELIMINATING these things that don't work

Yea, tell that to Microsoft. Eliminate the monopoly so a freer market can exist. Microsoft has artificially injected motivation to key points of control in government and in the market, that in order for everyone to do the right thing, they would have to not listen to Microsoft.

And this isn't just Microsoft. Many (evil-to-true-democracy) companies do it. Lobbyists and litigation. Some just get away with it better than others because of how much they pay the watchdogs to look the other way. Where is the justice? (It's slow, because it has been slowed down not to judge right from wrong, true Democracy versus Monarchy/Dictatorship/Red Communism/Slavery, but to allow the robbery of freedoms.) If we won't repent, we can not continue in freedom, but we will hold ourselves in bondage. Going deeper into debt is one way to secure that bondage.

In the end, after all the bailouts have been made, all we might say is, "Guess that didn't work." It's not the rich and wealthy that will be hurting. It is the people who are not them that will hurt.

blame the IT guys.