How about a rule that says that if you specify that your Sent mailbox should show a To: column and not a From: column, which (duh!) always lists the sender (me), that this will remain in effect should I close mail.app?

How about a rule that says that if I attempt to open an already-open message, that there is sufficient program that it brings the open message to the front?

And how about a set of rules that allows me to send messages to the back of the stack of windows, so I can manage the mess that mail presents me with?

I DO realize these are not programmed rules, but they oughta be in place before we even talk about user initiated rules.

I found the NYT column silly. What the author seems never to have hear about was the initial reason for the modern use of intercaps. (I've always thought of it as TechSpell.) Because early programming was done with limited memory, all variable and constants had to be written without spaces. Intercap format was used to increase readability. Which is exactly the opposite of the argument made by the author.

Another reason to mourn the passing of Bill Safire.

One aspect that bothers me is the center flexing of the page. No one pulls a page from its center. The page turn should be from a corner. Preferably the top corner. Otherwise, it looks great.

I bought MS Office 2008, installed it, and worked with it for about two weeks. The change to docx format, the space wasting menu band, and the ramp up factor caused me to uninstall the beast and retreat to a serviceable 2004 version.

When my family visited Art Schawlow at Stanford in the early 80's, he showed us an Apple I that he kept under a table in his office. Although I don't think his computer had the classy cut-out "backsplash". He told me that he provided some suggestions for improvements to its inventors and builders.

Don O'Shea

Amen to the lack of viewfinder!

I will NEVER buy a camera that does not have an integral viewfinder. In less than perfect light conditions the lever arm (literally!) can defeat even the best anti-shake compensation.

Optical Design Principle #1: Never use software to accomplish something that can be done by hardware.

All I want is an Expresscard adapter for SD cards! Surely there's enough pent up demand to make a decent profit on it!

Singular: lens; plural: lenses

I read the Time piece and looked at the accompanying links (http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/03/technology/03basics.side.html). It is worth the time.

Not being a tripod toting type, I opt for viewfinder cameras with image stablization, but I can appreciate the HDR technique.

Perhaps THE most impressive thing about that piece was a link to Sean McHugh's gallery of breathtaking photos of Cambridge at: http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/cambridge-gallery.htm. We all have a lot of things to do these days, but a trip to this site is worth it.

For those with G5s and Apple displays, you just touch the power light on the front of the display. I still find that SO neat!