Dear Friends,

The debates are over, and it is just a few weeks until the election. I have a completely non-partisan message for each of my readers: Please Vote! At one time, we did a whole series of banner advertising just saying “please vote” and one web site refused to carry our ads because they were too “political.” Needless to say, we never advertised there again. Voting is your obligation and a right that many have fought to protect and preserve over the years. You really cannot complain if you do not exercise your right to vote and if you do not inform yourself about all of the candidates running for local, state and national offices. So, please go vote and take a friend!

There were some great new laptops announced by Apple this week. I can’t wait to get my hands on the new MacBook Pro and try out the new multi-gesture glass trackpad and faster graphics. The new MacBooks are simply beautiful and will do a lot to continue Apple’s increasing market share in the laptop market. Be sure to check out the new notebook specs below as well as our thoughts on the changes.

I was speaking with some Apple folks about the economy and the impact on our business. Their response to the general slow-down we are all seeing is “take market share.” I think that is an important advantage Apple has right now. The latest market share survey from Gartner, Inc. indicated that the PC market as a whole (without Macs) grew at only 1.02% during the 3rd Quarter, while Apple saw growth of 29.4% and captured 9.5% of the overall market. This is up from 7.7% in the same quarter a year ago. Apple will release its 4th Quarter financials on Tuesday and I expect we will see some growth in all sectors regardless of the declining economy.

The trees still are holding onto their colorful leaves and this is one of the most brilliant foliage seasons in years. The other day I was working in the yard and I could hear Grace calling me from upstairs where she was taking a shower. She said “go up by the garden!” I walked around the house, and there, munching quietly on my strawberry plants, were two beautiful does. They looked at me and I looked at them, and after a couple minutes they bounded off into the woods. This is a great time of year to see wildlife here in Vermont. There was a moose with baby here by Small Dog last week, and I have seen lots of Canada Geese, wild turkeys, ruffled grouse, red fox and a variety of little critters as well. On the way to work this morning, I had to wait while a big old porcupine sauntered across the road.