By JAMES DERK, Scripps Howard News Service

With Apple being all coy about next year's announcement of the Apple Tablet computer, it is time to talk again about convergence.

It is that time of year when people look forward to Thanksgiving, the day-after rush and the shopping season. Let's get right to the letters and see what we can solve for you.

Q. I see you liked the Motorola Droid. You were a big fan of the Samsung Omnia as well. Did you try out the Palm Pre?

For a while I was the coolest nerd on the block last week because I had a review unit of Verizon's "Droid" phone on my desk before the official release date.

This prompted lots of visits from long-lost friends and plenty of Star Wars jokes ("This IS the droid I was looking for...") but finally after the flock left I was left with a few days to poke around on the phone myself.

I have received a boatload of questions recently about online backup solutions, I believe in the wake of a huge ad campaign by one of the major providers of this service.

Before we wade in, we need to lay the foundation.

There are really three ways to back up your computer.

With the launch of the new Windows, it is time to answer some reader mail.

Q. Is there a great and easy way to back up my iTunes music? I am scared to death to lose it all.

It is ready, set, go time for the Windows 7 launch, which will mean millions of computer users heading to the store to see the latest of what Microsoft has to offer.

The Oct. 22 launch will be a big deal for Microsoft, which will try to repeat the success of Windows XP and eliminate the perceived failure of Vista, which never caught on in the all-important corporate market.

It has been some time since we answered the ton of mail that has been piling up so let's get right to it and relieve the pressure on my inbox.

Q. I don't quite get your column on free anti-virus programs. Are you saying that we don't have to pay for these programs anymore?

More and more computers that I see in my computer service business are infected with fake anti-virus software. These products have various names but end up annoying the heck out of you that your computer is infected and the end of the world is near unless you pay $35 to protect your computer.

One of my favorite computer magazines, PC World, this month did a rundown of the best free anti-virus products on the market. The results were surprising.

Netbooks, smartbooks, laptops -- students and parents are bombarded with choices these days.