>>>LOL. You want to wager against IDC's prediction? Give them a call. Or provide your own specifics and I might consider calling your authority if for some strange reason I want to bet on it. Or we can simply wait a year and not waste any more time like this.
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>>Enjoy Boca, you lucky dog.
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>>Just wanted to say I have enjoyed this discussion. My knowledge of mobile OSs, apps, tools, etc. is approximately zilch so I have just been lurking until now. This thread has definitely given me food for thought. Overall my personal strategy is close to something Charles said. I think there will be enough PC development work (web based and to a lesser extent desktop) to sustain me for the remainder of my career, and while I always find new technology interesting there isn't enough time to keep up with everything. But you probably changed my thinking about how quickly non-trivial "real business apps" are moving to smartphones and tablets. Thanks to you and all others who have contributed to this discussion.
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>Now that I think of it, though, there is something suspicious about a Kiwi who leaves there in summer to come here in winter ! I mean, the first rule of mobile should be "move someplace nice" <bg>

Oddly enough, I had that thought about the hemispheres and seasons ;-) I imagine John's American clients are making the hardship worth his while. And definitely a tip of the hat to someone who seems to have clients littered throughout the U.S. despite living ~18 hours away by plane, and not doing all of it remotely.