computers
If you can find the MSI x340 for under $500 you should buy it. The machine is light, slim, and has a good user interface. The 13" screen is the right size for a portable work or entertainment computer. The x340 is what netbooks should have been; the keyboard/trackpad is optimal for real work, the battery will last long enough to watch two movies, and the screen size isn't a joke.
I've read so many "ipad killer" articles that I'm starting to really wonder what is going on with tech journalists! As a nerd I happily enjoy gadget candy whenever it comes my way, but as a writer I have to do go beyond mere drooling over technology. The iPad finally turns mobile computing into anytime, anywhere, something that laptops and even netbooks don't do as successfully. If you're looking at iPad alternatives you will see them here, but will these tablets be able provide the right amount of features? I don't think so.
The iPad is fodder for everyone with an opinion and a blog, and now it is President Obama's turn to add his thoughts. I was prompted by the recent statement to discuss the discussion of the iPad. The iPad is new and its use is difficult to define. It is not revolutionary technology, but for many people it's a revolutionary gear shift in how we consume information and create our own. People are wrapping their heads around it and trying to decide if it is good or bad, in more ways than one.
