In the Heart of Silicon Valley

I'm sitting here in Panera Bakery in Cupertino, on Steven's Creek Boulevard not far from Apple Computer and De Anza College.

This place is WiFi 802.11B enabled. Hi-speed wireless. But today I am posting "lo-tech," in relative terms using my Sprint Treo phone. Yes. There are many ways to the Web. Information superhighways and spiderholes and capillaries.

In Panera with me are a pair of gentlemen who are planning to wire the world one cafe, one business, at a time. It reminds me of that original Apple pledge to get a computer to everyone, one person at a time.

Around me are no less than three laptops. And there are a few other people who are "computer-free." A busy high-tech professional. Oh! Wait! There's his own Treo hiding behind a paper bag and a bunched up napkin.

And in front of me an older woman has a casette recorder and an earbud. Even if she's not digital overtly, here's a woman who is plugged in. Ah. Now I see. A blue zipped-up bag. Laptop-shaped.