This is a legitimate question. While in grad (yes engineering grad school in '04-'06, the classroom was full of laptops being used primarily for IM'ing and surreptitiously poking fun at the instructor and other student during presentations to the class and for checking sports scores. Oh yeah, and the occasional web search for something relevant to the class. Note taking, scoff! scoff! The notes are usually already available in the form of hand-outs, and/or powerpoint presentations which are readily downloadable. I would have much preferred a more thoughtful dialog from these distracted students. The act of listening and actively summarizing the information on paper is an extremely effective, time-proven method of assimilating the material.

Another stroke of brilliance (sarcasm) and another brick in the wall. I wonder what kinds of discussion occurred and with whom at Intel's marketing department on how they would sell this to the "sleeping lemmings". Where might such a requirement might have arisen? Incorporation of a mobile 3G transceiver onto the die doesn't come for free. Speculation: Can you spell US government subsidy to INTEL for each Sandy Bridge Processor sold? This is or may become a path for surveillance of non-internet connected computers with a handy marketable AntiTheft angle. Security asset? This is an I/T security nightmare! This should yield some interesting posts in the future as we read how this access point will be exploited. If this story is true, one should think twice about purchasing INTEL CPUs. Consider other processors and virtualized Intel machines.