I hate it when they pirate our open-source software!

Could someone post the crack for that open-source warez?

Can't.. don't want to get busted:
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/to...icle733264.ece

I'd much prefer a crack for our closed source hardware

Powdered macadamia nuts are on sale on the streets from your local law enforcement agency. 100% pure, public domain recipe.

Nokia tablets are not laptops. Few customers expect them to run standard desktop applications.

What percentage of, let us say, US population knows how ot use LaTeX?

Now find a few dozen millions other MS haters and maybe you can persuade industry dump MS applications completely. Until you do that, they are basically a requirement for any widely sold desktop or laptop.

Lots of them. You are forgetting that most schools require homework (papers, presentations, etc.) to be submitted in MS Office formats and not just any formats but ones teacher's copy of the Office can open.

It's getting there, actually. You're both right, mind you. Having worked in several Fortune 500 companies, and knowing plenty of folks who do, a very large number of them have mixed environments and my mantra of 'anything but Microsoft' is starting to stick more and more every day. I'm pretty sure that always having been in a position to recommend things helps but even trade publications like Business 2.0 and even the Linux-hating Forbes is starting to show it. It's not there yet, mind you.. but I can clearly see it starting to happen. Until then, your point is perfectly valid and the most successful laptop-type systems will be able to run Windows. But his point is that the Tablet isn't really viewed as a Windows system and much like the VCR, the GPS device, the microwave and the car.. people just want it to do something and do it well--Windows is certainly no requirement for an Internet Tablet (might even be a detriment, given its reputation for awful security and flaky reliability). Of the non tech-saavy people I've seen using the N800's around me, they just want it to reliably fetch web pages, RSS feeds and maybe run a favorite app or several and the lack of Windows is far from an issue, probably a benefit in their eyes.

As I understand it, OpenOffice does an impressive job of exporting to MS Office formats and appears to be vastly more viewable (compatible) on the systems they're likely to use than someone who just bought a PC and got the latest version of MS Office.

why would the community try to make a kick *** interface?

Yeah - to be honest, if there's one thing open source community-based apps often lack it's a nice interface...