I'm positive I did not pay the tax. No license sticker. They actually take off the 100 dollars in their web selection tool when purchasing the laptop. They are very up-front about this.

I have Dell Precision M3800 for my work and it has been fantastic. It comes pre-configured with Ubuntu and thus saves you a hundred dollars vis-a-vis the Windows LIcense cost. I am very happy with the machine and use it has a workstation replacement. I push it hard and it has been fine. I would suggest that if you use it as a development machine to purchase a stand to allow it to cool properly. The graphic device drivers are great and it is an actual working touch-screen which I honestly don't use (emacs users) but does make the Unity interface actually usable. Link is here; http://www.dell.com/us/busines... Lenovo's have been good in the past but Lenovo is reducing quality fast and thus I would not suggest such a machine. HP also would not be a good choice. (Thanks Fiorina!)

If I wanted to meet interesting folks at the Maker Fair I would simply manufacture them in my 3D printer.

Actually we felt it in Boston. I could feel the swaying. I sent an IM to somebody asking if they felt it. Later they said they had. Once I read this message the the time 1:41pm EDT I noted that my IM message was sent at 1:44. My clock is probably off somewhat but that's close enough. I have felt other quakes in New England. This would be the fourth so it is not unheard of. Also much of Boston is filled-in land thus it tends to amplify the shock waves.

First I commend the many find responses offered to this important question. My only comment that has not already been articulated would be that I disagree with the thought that there is no limit to management and that it is possible for a middle-manager to rise to the c-suite. This no longer occurs which is actually a problem. The upper management ranks now consider themselves aristocrats and pay themselves accordingly and dispense with employees of all kinds in the lower ranks accordingly. It also appears that there is a trend towards more experienced technologists. I am 42 year old coder and architect and I am often ping'ed with job requests even in this economic environment. I've done some management and speak often with management given my position and there opinions of management job prospects vis-a-vis tech seem to square with my opinion above. If you want to move to upper management you are best starting your own company if you are not a Harvard MBA. That's my two cents in any event. I suggest trying management since it appears from your post you desire this. However, be prepared to abruptly change course again if you decide this is not your karma because project/middle management is extremely difficult and not highly valued by upper management. In any event I wish you the best of luck. I truly do.

You hit the problem I've always had with him. In fact, I could add to the list a device that extracts water right out of the air with very little power. That could be powered by electricity and solves the issue of actually getting water at all which the other devices do not. Did he ask "Is the issue lack of technology or lack of access to technology?" He never asks that question. So everything is a technological solution which is not really what the world wants nor needs.

I think TiVos firmware lockout is less about making sure that no one can hack on their boxen than it is about controlling their support costs.

They're doing mainstream consumer electronics that's continuously maintained by their self-upgrade process. Would *you* want to support that if you allowed firmware hacking??? Ugh!

They've released some of their kernel patches at least. Would I like hacking my TiVo to be easier? Not sure -- it's never been worth it to me to do what hacking is currently possible.