Bollix

Apple in 'hyping new product' shocker. Supply chain difficulties meant initial delays in release but they couldn't let down the US market or SJ would have looked like a tit. Now they've shifted plenty of units, its time to wheel out a bit of spin to explain why they can't ship internationally yet.

Course, all your early adopters will have got one via eBay or a freight forwarder (Bundlebox, Borderlinx etc). Leaving just the mildly interested to wait for the UK/EU release.

Paris, because I bet she's got an iPad already.

Schools, 'collages' and 'unis'

I assume you meant schools, colleges and universities? I digress. Did you miss the part where the economy is in the toilet? We've barely got enough money for standard £15-20 each course text books, never mind equipping 800+ pupils with fancy-dan iPads.

Yours, mired in reality.

A Teacher

I know I shouldn't get upset but.....

*Adds to very long list of reasons to hate Dell*

Utter utter utter twats.

The vague notion of buying a Dell Mini to hackintosh is now very far from my mind. Gosh, I probably wouldn't be able to manage it, what with being a bird and all. I'd best get back to trying to find one of those newfangled fancy websites to buy some shoes or something.

Paris - as a feminist icon she wouldn't stand for this shit.

You people are just plain crazy

I started my netbook journey with the original eee 701 (still have it), onto a HP2133 and finally the

Samsung NC10.

The Samsung wins by a country mile. XP, decent keyboard, good screen, superb battery life.

HP good design but Vista and that VIA processor - hellish.

eee 701 - sweet and tiny, Xandros Linux fine and pretty nippy but keyboard cramped and screen too small for serious use.

The Acer looks fine but horrid Linux variant and difficult to upgrade the RAM.

Tsk...

Oi! Auntie so-called Beeb! Nooooooooo!

The British people are clearly yearning for the final Tripods book to be serialised. So sort it out.

They were much scarier for kids than some overblown tat about killer foliage.

@Dave

Dave - most Key Stage 4 and 5 courses (GCSE/A Level) require students to complete coursework using specific types of software e.g. Spreadsheets/Databases - the exam board spec will normally 'suggest' some packages which will be acceptable. But of course, most schools are running MS Office, so its a done deal.

Personally, I am trying to loosen the evil hold of Gates over my own establishment by phasing in Open Office over the next 12 months.

As for eeepc's - I bought one for myself and love it but its not sturdy enough to stand up to 6 hours minimum use everyday. Our classroom PC's will typically last 2-3 years. We don't purchase laptops for student use because, like many schools, we don't yet have a wireless network. The screens on the eee's and similar minibooks are too small for extended use, IMO.

An insider speaks...

I used to work for Voda some years ago. I ran a report at the behest of a Customer Services Manager to identify customers with credit balances on their accounts. Turned out there were a lot of more elderly customers who, when the bill arrived, sent a cheque - even though they had a direct debit set up. There were plenty of folk who had accounts that were thousands in credit and Voda had not contacted them to let them know (or give them their money back). Of course, this was years ago and I'm sure they have sorted out any gliches in their billing process which allows this type of thing to persist *cough*

Paris, because she's used to being shafted.

If only.....

This should be fun, especially if Apple lose.

Of course, there is a school of thought that Apple would be the predominant OS by now, if they had sold the OS separately. But of course, they were more interested in shipping zillions (or so they thought) of 'puters. And thus, it came to pass that evil Bill Gates took over the world.

Paris, because even she has a business plan.

As if we didn't know.....

That O2 were going to muck it up. Last time, fanfares and fake queues to try and build some momentum. Few cared and tons of unsold stock. This time, price it right, completely underestimate demand and cheese off your (few) loyal customers. Despite giving it the big licks for PAYG, announce that it won't be available until Christmas by which time petrol will be £50 a litre and a new mobile will be the last thing on people's minds.

Never been on O2 and now I believe I never will. Will await the hacked version appearing on eBay on July 12 and stick my Voda SIM in it.

Paris, because even she could organise a p*ss-up in a brewery.

Too little, too late

Over £300?

Nope. Not this time. No sireee.

I'm waiting for the Acer Aspire One and I will not be moved.

Unless I buy that little red Dell.

Its official

O2 website confirms cheapest tariff £30 and £99 for handset.

You can get the 8gb 'free' if you are willing to pay £45 pm or the 16gb for £75. 18 month contract.........

so £700-800 pounds over 18 months then , which is probably as long as the battery will last before it packs up.

Paris- because being a jailbird, she can see a scam a mile off.

3G - its official

$199 for 3G iPhone. So at least £100 here, if not more once the 'UK Mug tax' has been added.

Woo hoo.

Same old, same old from Apple. If you want one, you can get one on July 11th.

Enough hype, already

Richard A - they discounted iPhones weeks ago to shift all the unsold stock and presumably try and create some 'buzz' for the new one.

Steve Jobs is on his feet now for his keynote speech, all he appears to have announced so far is a lot of apps that are already available in the big wide world - wow, look, a colour coded calendar.........Google Apps, anybody?

Paris, because even she wouldn't swallow this.

Does wood more good.....

I'm not buying something that I have to creosote every summer.

Seriously, what is with the wood effect? Is it to blend in with the laminate flooring of the expected buyers?

R.I.P. eee

I want one. Sooner than immediately. And am willing to lie down on the floor and throw a Veruca Salt-style tantrum until I get one.

(puts eeepc on ebay).