User Groups Attract Visitors...and how technology saved my shoulder...

So in past blogs I've mentioned the possibilities of creating your own special interest groups, or user groups.  I've done so with the San Luis Obispo .NET User Group.    One of the byproducts of that is an ability to use your group's contacts for a chance to do some good for the community.   I had this opportunity recently when the Code Trip, Microsoft's bus trip featuring its new technologies, tried to come to town.  When a visit to CalPoly fell through due to scheduling issues, Woody Pewitt from Microsoft contacted me seeking help with a place to park the bus.   I put him in touch with Randy Scovial and Cuesta College, and the Code Trip stopped in for a successful visit this past Monday, with two sessions for students and a general session that night that attracted over 40 local technology professionals.  You can read more about the trip, including its visit to SLO, at its website.

The Code Trip

 

The picture of the bus is from outside the Moscone Center in San Francisco, where I went this week for VSLive, a technology conference.   I caught up with the Code Trippers there, and they interviewed me along with a bunch of other technology people, asking if they knew about the Code Trip.

They also asked me about my ultra mobile PC, my new toy that I got for just this reason.  I spend a bit of time at conferences, and I am sick to death of carrying around the 40 lb deadweight that is my Laptop and its accompanying bag.  So I picked up one of these:

An Ultra Mobile PC.   It is hand held, has a 7" screen, runs Windows XP Tablet, and has built in wireless capabilities.   And most importantly, it weights only a couple of lbs.  It was heaven!   I picked up some accessories so that when I had table space I could set it up almost like a regular PC:

 

including a folding keyboard like you would use for a PDA.   But it works perfectly fine on its own, with a stylus for its touchpad and a fairly easy to use thumb keyboard split on either side of the unit.   I got a lot of inquiries about this neat little toy.  I even held a meeting in my car, over the phone, using this on my Verizon Broadband connection!

If you do a lot of traveling this is the toy for you.

Robert Hope, founder

San Luis Obispo .NET User Group