How much does it cost by the time you add ethernet , wireless networking, a DVI port, Firewire, sound, a remote control, OSX, iLife, and the other basic goodies that Macs generally come with?

Does this not so little number have some of those recent inventions like ethernet , wireless networking, bluetooth, and the like built in, or are they "optional extras"? Strangely their website doesn't say!

Not sure I'd be all that happy forking out $400 and then finding that I couldn't actually even use it to read my email without buying a few unmentioned "optional essentials"!

Has anyone tried using FW TD mode with an iBook G4 (or possibly some other G4 based Macs) to see if a common problem with TD Mode has been remedied?

Cheers

Rod

What a beat up! Absolutely nothing has changed in the way that texting will be treated by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority. Here is the authorities public statement on the matter:

"Deputy Chief Executive, Qualifications, Bali Haque said there had been no change in the Authority's policy in regard to use of abbreviations in examinations.

Where an examination requires candidates to demonstrate language use - i.e. sentence structure, grammar, spelling - they would be penalised for using abbreviations, Mr Haque said.

Where an examination requires candidates to demonstrate understanding in an area of study other than language use, they need to clearly show the required understanding.

In these cases, use of abbreviations creates a risk of answers not being understood, Mr Haque said.

"The candidates' priority at all times should be to ensure their answers are clearly understandable to markers. The best way to do this is to use standard English," he said."

There has been no new "decision" on the matter at all. Conservative politicians and some sections of the media have simply picked up on the fact that that there is no formal "ban" on "text speak" per sé and turned this into "Nasty liberals corrupting our language".

The NZQA are simply applying their standard processes used whenever abbreviations or other incomplete forms of expression are used. What would people have them do instead? Fail anyone outright if an abbreviation or a "texting" creeps into someone's examination paper?