Months later, though I love my iPad, I have decided that I certainly can do some real work on the iPad, have had opportunity on a business trip to do so, and also that I most definitely do not want to. So I bought a MacBook Pro, with the full intent of using it primarily for .NET development.

As with many of my stubborn ideas, this one also brings up quite a few questions, such as why on earth would I want to pay a gazillion dollars for an over-priced, under-performing notebook with an operating system incompatible with my primary use? Glad you asked.

I didn't pay a gazillion dollars, I paid $900, thanks to Microcenter's curiously timed clearance sale of $999, and someone kind enough to purchase this one, gently open it and put it back in the box and return it (and suffer a 15% re-stocking fee), allowing me to purchase a perfectly good open box unit for another $100 off.

Second, I wanted a 13 inch laptop because I feel it's more portable and convenient for use on the couch, which is where I'll be using it 80% of the time. This is due to my wife preferring my company, even when I'm off in my own world.

Third, this laptop feels as solid as a lightweight brick. It has a touchpad bigger than my entire iPod touch, which by the way started my love affair with Apple. It has more multi-touch functions than I've seen on any other laptop, with more than enough room for four fingers to actually make it usable, and I do use it. It's clean design and solid feel make it seem just that much more important that I use it to create clean and solid code. I know that sounds retarded, but it's a tiny bit true too.

So, I'm jumping into the world of ASP .NET development, for better or worse. I'm using VMWare Fusion on a 30-day trial, starting off with 2010 Visual Studio Express, and hoping to blog to chart my progress, if nothing else. Off we go.