All change is not growth, as all movement is not forward.
       -- Ellen Glasgow

I have to say this has been one of the more difficult issues of Computor Companion to put out. It's supposed to be the spring issue, but it hasn't felt like spring at all. This winter has been the longest one we've experienced in years, and well, it snowed yesterday, so let's just say spring is really taking it's time getting here. It may be the end of April on the calendar, but it has felt like February.

In much the same way, it feels like the computing world is sort of stagnating. No one is interested in Vista, and Office 2007 has been widely panned. Frankly, I'm ignoring both, and haven't bought into the hype at all. (I mean come on; I'm supposed to get exited about the Office ribbon?)

Today's technology news is dull. In many cases, what passes for news is simply a morphing of other things. For example, one headline says a filmmaker is going to create a cell phone movie. I'm sorry but that's beyond uninteresting; in fact, it's pointless. Another headline says that Asian history has inspired a new online game. So, okay, someone went to the library or what? Who cares?

In other news, apparently Macintosh sales are up, probably because even long-time Windows users don't want to get near Vista. Microsoft's operating system updates are always great for Apples sales figures, so that's not exactly new news either. Another headline says researchers have determined that the way Windows update works really stinks. Gee, ya think?

Sadly, it all feels a little like the political campaigns of recent years. People would like to find someone with something new or interesting to say that they can believe in or support. But lacking any type of inspirational candidate, instead, most people just go with the "lesser of two evils" vote.

In much the same way, the thrill of new technology is gone. In today's ever more tedious techno-world, if someone actually came up with something truly novel and interesting that really makes a difference in people's lives, it would take off like wildfire.

But until then, it just feels like a long winter of discontent with bloated buggy software and the same old useless time-wasters topping the headlines. Summer can't arrive soon enough.

Susan Daffron
Editor