Well folks, here it is--my 25th and final Tech Talk.

Over the past two years, this column has been host to many a topic, from the introduction of MMX in Intel's processors to the introduction of repetitive strain injury to my arms. It's been the best of times and the worst of times.

The past has been full of knowledge and truth, although most of that truth has been made obsolete by the rapid technology development cycle.

But this is a preview page with thoughts toward the future, so a preview column is in order!

Enough of the past--let's take a look at the exciting world to come.

I see at least two ways to preview the technological future. First, we'll need a big black cauldron with eye of newt and all that jazz. But seriously, the technology future for graduating seniors will differ significantly from that of the remaining classes.

We seniors will be leaving the protective shelter of high speed Internet access, subsidized software and pre-paid, door-to-door computer assistance.

We prepare to enter a savage and cruel world full of smaller mail quotas and busy signals, $400 Microsoft Office and inadequate warranties. How ever will we survive?

Our future consists of questions from what to do with that now useless but expensive Ethernet card to how to unsubscribe from all those mailing lists. For most of us, watching streaming video over the Internet will be considered a brief luxurious memory of the Golden Age at Harvard.

For us, the future sucks.

For the remaining classes, you guys have the good life. You spoiled rugrats will experience the thrill of roaming Ethernet, which enables you to connect your computer to any network jack in any room on campus.

You can look forward to your own customized Harvard web page. And cold fusion is just around the corner.

These differences are significant, but the stratification--like that between society's richest and poorest citizens--occurs on a continual basis.

Three years ago, for example, I was a member of the first class to find pre-created e-mail accounts when we arrived on campus. Before that the kids had to actually call one another. Oh, the barbarism.

There is some common ground between these two worlds of the future, though. I can think of at least three major technology topics that will affect both sides of the commencement line.