According to the latest buzz we are in the middle of the tablet/slate revolution. This is based on the popularity of the IPad, the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Tab and countless other upcoming devices of the same type, as well as the popularity of IPhone and the recent launch of Windows Phone 7. In my mind all these devices are signs of the coming cloud based Internet where we no longer store our own data on huge hard drives in our home computers or NAS boxes on our networks, but rather just use sleek touch based devices with virtually no local data storage capabilities, to consume the data we want. But in that consumption there is a challenge; all these devices are excellent at consuming data, but not great at creating it. Who would use their IPad to write a report or work with a spreadsheet? Or write code? For those tasks a laptop or desktop is still the best choice. But when it comes to reading the latest edition of Wired or watching streaming video, the slates beat the laptop/desktop hands down. Dropping down on the couch with the laptop is OK at best. I am sure that this division of labor will change over time, but right now I think it is food for thought. And as always; feel free to disagree!

Morgan