Perhaps she thought her firewall was an international border, and should be open for all.

I shared your frustration, but you have to realize that some percentage of people are scared to death of computers and minimal users. I didn't realize how many people are basically computer illiterate until I was in a 400 level class (senior at my college) called "advanced Oracle database design". It was the last in a series, and you had to have completed 5-6 classes in sequence prior. but somehow a girl slipped into the class when she really needed "into to a computer 100". She couldn't log in, didn't know what the address bar was in a browser, etc....we kind of marveled over her like she as from outer space. Thankfully she dropped. You could have been a cook, and decided that you wanted to "learn computers", so guess what....that Comp 101 class is the level they have to start at. Think about it, just to get into Word or Excel, you need to log in, use a mouse, navigate, launch the program, and then learn the common windows functions. All of these computer skills transfer no matter what Windows program you use. So, while its frustrating now, ride it out because it gets better.

I wonder how long it would take to backup 8TB to carbonite dot com?

Well they probably would not have a permit to sell anything except human food, so the point is moot. But yes, people will pull stuff like that, the only thing they promised was a print. Also they did not say you could pick which picture to print, so they can pick the one where you blink, etc. Portrait studios are famous for doing this kind of thing,,,come in for a $10 family photo, dress up the family, they snap 10 pictures (because the first one the kids are not still,....the second the baby cries,...the third I blink...) but of course the first snap is the $10 one, other pictures are only sold in 'packages', starting at $50. Happens all the time. We have purchased groupon discounts to restaurants (and others like from restaurant dot com) and even though there are no restrictions on it, the establishment manager will put restrictions on it table side. I can understand things like liquor not being included in deals (even though the groupon never said it was excluded), but they will line item the menu when you get there, so be sure to show it before ordering. And yes, when they do that, we are inclined to not go back, and that is why they needed to drum up business in the first place.

Funny...doesn't say the print will be on photo quality paper either. Full page coverage, desktop color laser print, on regular paper....cost about .75 cents US at most. Oh you wanted photo glossy paper? Thats an extra $20 each, etc, etc, etc....its all about the upsell.

It does't say a professional photographer does it? It just says photoshoot. They could be keeping the interns busy. But a decent chunk of these things never go claimed, and I am sure there are things that they can upsell the groupon buyers on.

That actually furthers my argument, because IBM realized (unlike Apple) that the gold does not lye in making the hardware, so they sold it.

Google has left the hardware to the hardware makers, preferring to write the structure (the OS) and reaping a direct cut of the innovations to come (the APPS).

You realize that first to market with a great idea, reaps HUGE profits and marketshare...believe it or not, as much as Apple made with previous Iphones, it was only a small fraction of the cell phone market.

IF Apple had done what Google is doing, nearly EVERY phone in the world would be running Iphone OS. Every phone would be locked into buying apps from Apples APP store, and Apple would be able to sit back, lock the door (the market), while others scratched to get in.

Instead, you will end up with Apple and RIM with about 50% of the market, and Android with 50% of the market (baring some disruptive innovation).

I argue that this parallels Apple failure to successfully release its OS to third party computer builders in the 80's...which is why Apple has about 5% market share of desktop OS right now.

Again, its not about the hardware or even the OS, its the cut of the APP sales...Google is destined to make waaaay more money on the deal by virtue of simply having more people running Android and thus buying apps from the Android Marketplace.

Google GIVES away android so that they can have handset marketshare, and thus a MUCH bigger cut of APP money than Apple will ever have.

Its interesting to see Apple to have such great products, but get so hung up on the minutia of wanting to control the hardware so badly, that they fail to see the real gold was in getting the software on as many units as possible.

Why pay beta testers, when people will pay to beta test your product?

Because fully patched pcs, with updated antivirus, running a firewall, never get compromised right?

I would assume most college level students can work any 4 function calculator just fine. They will gripe about it, but to bad. As a recent MBA grad who has traveled to China, I agree...separate the Chinese student. It really is a part of their culture to share everything.

I seem to remember a mythbusters episode where they just strung up some long copper line on the ground, under some high voltage lines, and collected electricity that way. Why not just have the plane land "near" the high voltage lines and collect electrons in that manner?

People that use messenger won't have girlfriends, your argument is invalid.