>>Can these devices run CAD or heavy graphics design software? Can they manage a high end scanner or printer?

I don't see why not- since newer devices are more powerful than a desktop just a few years ago. The usual objections are keyboards and screens, both of which are available using Bluetooth or wifi in 2013. FWIW, I've discovered that my new notebook also can control wifi screens.

>>I find it ironic that most web apps are developed on desktop machines.

Much transport was by horse when the automobile became a practical reality. Was that an argument against the automobile? ;-)

Sheesh, I take your point... but it used to be popular around here to boast about prophesy, and if you check back you'll see that I was predicting the rise of the portable device as early as 2000 when numerous others, including gurus, simply knew it never could happen. I also argued more recently with KG that Android was accelerating away and becoming so dominant that the dominance war wouldn't be between operating systems, but between Android device manufacturers. Today I'm just as certain that portable devices will replace grandpa boxes almost entirely over the rest of this decade, with miniaturization leading the way toward huge private screens that nobody else can see. But then I also was one of those who saw MS's "damning with faint praise" plans for VFP and jumped ship to Java in 1997, which was far too early. IOW there is no monopoly on good ideas or stupid mistakes. ;-) We can all consider the facts and make our decisions. Meanwhile those who managed to keep earning $ with VFP while MS sequentially foxed its own recommendations, have reason to feel at least a little smug. Especially when they see what VFP Compiler and Lianja can do for them. ;-)