1. Small TV – just for some noise besides the radio. I love my texas country, but having the news on or the discovery channel would just kick ass. (Plus a nice break when I want to play some Call of Duty)
2. Microwave / Convection oven – I’m not sure I need the convection part. But being able to heat up my cold cup of coffee without having to go downstairs would be nice.
3. Sofa / Futon – A place to get away without really getting away. Plus getting one that converts to a bed is a plus when we have guest over
4. Mini Fridge – Just because i am too lazy to walk downstairs
5. Bookshelf – I didn’t realize how many books I had until I got my desk set up and had them stacked up on there … I really need a place to put these.

In a perfect world, I would already have those 5 things. Instead I have to prioritize, which means the bookshelf will be coming in first. After that I could see the TV or the Fridge, maybe the sofa. But with everything else going on in my world, I doubt I will see more then one of those by the end of the year.

I have to admit, I am a fan. Ever since it came out, I was impressed with the user interface, things actually flowed and it become smart to use. I was finally able to install it at my new job. I am continue to enjoy using Outlook 2007, Excel 2007 and even Word 2007.

My only gripe, is I have to run Windows to use Office 2007. Even the Mac OS X 2008 isn’t the same. I wish Microsoft could look at they are doing and what they are losing and create a better compatibly layer to have their office products work inside Linux or any other Operating System.

I am such a huge fan, I would probably go out and buy the Office 2007 Enterprise just because I enjoy the interface that much. I have also been an advocate of OpenOffice, especially OpenOffice v3. While I still push OpenOffice for home users, I understand OpenOffice is still a distant 2nd in the Enterprise world, and that is because employees can’t be bothered with file compatibility issues. It’s a sad truth but the until document formats become more standardized Microsoft Office will dominate in this market simply because of their market share.

So I would like to challenge Microsoft to open it’s eyes. It doesn’t have to create a products for the OS only, they could expand into other markets. This would not only be better for everyone out there that doesn’t use Linux, but it would also help Microsoft rep. While they aren’t too worried about that right now, it is tarnished, and it is getting worse.

Our technology leaders in the world need to stop and and quite fighting with proprietary standards and doing things only their way. The world is change, we are becoming one, they need to follow suite and work together. It is okay to have competing products, but consumers should be able to move from one to the other without losing their data.