Can somebody explain this to me?

A quick check of the Staples web site shows two nearly identical reams of paper, one costing $4.99 and the other costing $6.29.

I said "nearly identical". What's the difference between these 2 reams of paper (besides the $1.30 in price)?

The ream of paper costing $6.29 is "3-Hole-Punched".

Why does paper with holes punched in it cost more than paper without holes? Don't you get less paper if there are holes punched in it?

Tired of Keeping Up with the Latest Technology?

I've been programming for 25 years. Started with 3270 Assembler on mainframes. My first programs were written on punch cards.

Over the years I've added Windows desktop application programming (Visual Basic) and web development (ASP/HTML/CSS) to my skill set, mostly on my own time.

Now I'm "between jobs" as they say, and somehow my skills have become obsolete, and I'm desperately trying to add .NET to my repertoire and convince prospective employers that I can use (nay, thrive in) this newer technology.

This problem has been compounded by HR people who are looking (for 20-30 seconds, max) at my resume for certain skills and there's no .NET-related work experience.

Why does it matter what technology is used (are decisions really based on ROI or TCO?).

Has technology become and end in itself, rather than the means to an end?

Aren't the results more important than which technology was used to produce the results?