-Ryan

Have you seen instapaper.com? that’ll make your to-read list work on any computer.

shortcuts absolutely rock. its almost frustrating to watch others tenderly moving through menus trying to find the right thing.

i find im able to do everything on the computer except for math, physics, and chem (and sometimes biology) – anything requiring lots of equations. i just have a combined notebook for math and science. i think in college i’ll try and just do the equations on paper then scan them into my notetaking software

I find that when I’m browsing websites I frequently find information that I want to read later, and I’m always frustrated by the multi-step hassle of bookmarking the page for a one-time read. Then I found ReadItLater (Firefox addon). Now I can just press alt-R when I’m on a page to toggle whether it’s in my list. Love it.

Two other things that help me stay productive:
1) Have a separate area for computer work and paper work. I think I’m addicted to the sound of typing, because I find it hard to complete tasks on paper when there’s a keyboard in front of me.
2) Use keyboard shortcuts. (Enable search-as-I-type in Firefox.) They’re called accelerators for a reason!

But I’ve got to say…as great as computers are, I still love my paper…though admittedly my paper work usually gets scanned into a digital copy if it’s important.

Yes, I think the smartphone is alluring because always-on web access is the closest thing to information nirvana I can imagine, and for now, 3G connectivity is more reliable and pervasive than wifi. Also, I like the idea of an all-in-one device. I’m a minimalist and appreciate a) any opportunity to consolidate, and b) big things that come in small packages.

Personally, during the storm, I was quite frustrated in not being able to create updates for friends, family et al., particularly those in a storm-free zone. I found solace in the fact that I had set up my Twitter account months ago to receive SMS messages. The need to remain connected is a powerful one, particularly if you are accustomed to 24/7 connectivity. Already, I am considering a “smartphone” purchase after the Ike experience.

To get an idea of the issues involved, you might want to have a look at some of the paper topics from Ubicomp, the annual conference on ubiquitous computing.

Also, have you ever read any William Gibson?

Second, you give us some idea of how the media have covered this new technology thus far.

Third, you give us your opinion on the significance of the new technology, citing some specific features.

Finally, you offer us historical context in an easily-read format (table) and provide us with links for further reading.

Great job! I can’t wait to try out Chrome myself.