smays.com

Too busy to post

Spent most of Saturday morning at the Coffee Zone with George, Tom and assorted pals, while George migrated files from the old Mac Book to the new one. There are Windows utils that will copy a lot of your stuff from one PC to another, but then you have to go back and reinstall all the apps, one at at time. Yes, I know there are ways to avoid this but not for Joe the Dumbass (me).

My my first hands-on impressions of the new Mac Book Pro are extremely positive. Too soon for me to try to share much here but once I stop stroking the case, I noticed the new multi-touch pad is amazing. WAY better than even the most tricked out mouse. I'll show you when I know enough to do so.

And the new NVIDIA graphic cards make everything damned fast and beautiful.

From the Coffee Zone it was out to the Prairie Garden Trust to work with Henry on a little video project. We'll post it here when it's done (assuming it doesn't suck, in which case you'll never hear another word about it). We had a beautiful fall day for.

So no post on Saturday. A rarity. Sometimes life just gets in the way of blogging.

Live from the conference room!

I started fooling with putting video online 5 or 6 years ago. It was extremely primitive back then. YouTube and embedded players were years down the road. I was doing everything on Windows (Studio 9) and the idea of a live video stream was science fiction. But I never doubted figuring out how to do this would come in handy.

On Monday, we're going to stream live video of a sales meeting, including a role-playing session. The sales reps in our "outer offices" will watch in (almost) real time and then take part in a discussion by conference call.

Not sure what my point is here, but whether it's Photoshop, or blogging or podcasting or video streaming... you have to play with the stuff BEFORE you have a practical application.

"So how'd you get that pussy blogging job, smays.com?

"Well, I started spending every spare moment online in 1996... and the rest was just dumb luck."

Oh, yeah. We're not using some six figure video conferencing set-up on Monday. Just a cheap camcorder and a MacBook Pro.

Macworld virgin

In couple of weeks I will attend my first Macworld in San Francisco. 60,000 rabid Mac fans gather for a week of... well, I'm not quite sure but look forward to finding out.

Three Macworld veterans are letting me tag along and their enthusiasm is infectious. These guys are my age and they're as giddy as a GTO full of college sophomores on their way to spring break.

They know the ropes and have planned our trip like a Delta Force strike. This morning at our planning meeting, I was informed that we'd be getting in line at 4:30 a.m. for the keynote by Steve Jobs.

Macworld sounds like a bouillabaisse of Burning Man, 60's Be-In, and Jonestown (substitute microbrews for Kool Aid). Can't wait.

iMovie '08: As easy as sliding down a hill?

Roger walked into my office this morning, flipped open his MacBook Pro and showed me a little video he whipped up over the weekend using the new iMovie '08. This might be the first video Roger has edited. He created a little iPhoto slideshow and saved that as a video... but this might be his first run at creating something we'd think of as a short movie.

And since he hadn't messed with iMovie HD (the previous version), he didn't feel a lot of the bumps that users have been wailing about, comparing '08 with '06.

I have to say, after watching this little movie (family ski trip), I'm gonna give iMovie '08 a try. This is probably exactly what the Apple folks had in mind when they redesigned iMovie. This is not your dad's home movie.

Creators, Critics, Collectors, Joiners, Spectators and Inactives

A new Forrester report divides the U.S. online population into six groups according to their social participation on the Web.

More than one-fifth of those classified as Creators—those who blog, publish Web sites, upload videos, or participate in other content creation activities—own Macs, while only 12 percent own Dell computers.

The majority of Spectators (they read blogs, watch videos, and listen to podcasts) own Macs while the majority of Inactives (they don’t participate online) own Dells.

Here are the complete results of the Forrester report [via Macworld, via Henry]

I confess to some pride in falling into the "Creator" group.

Playing with George's iPhone

"The iPhone will flop because it doesn't work with corporate email." Yep, that's a problem. For some folks, not for me. I don't use Outlook outside of the office. If I want to check  my corporate email from home or on the road, I log in to our Exchange server from a web browser.

At tonight's Mac user group, George logged me in from his iPhone and --while you can't sync-- you can check your corporate email from the iPhone. [Video runs 2 min]. This little snippet doesn't capture the cool... I offer it here just to mess with Phil (head of Learfield IT).

As good as the (pro) Apple demo videos are, they do not capture the...experience. You gotta hold this thing in your hands. I don't recommend that until you're ready to buy.

Negative impulse control

When George left me at the Coffee Zone Saturday morning, his iPhone lust was coming off him in waves. And he found the cure. Tuesday night's meeting of the local Mac users group should be fun, with several of the regulars packing The Hot New Thing.

MiPhone

Dave Morris took the plunge and writes an excellent review of  his new iPhone:

"How many phones do you have, and am I too late?" It was 5:55 pm, a full FIVE MINUTES before the doors opened. He gave me this little wink that was simultaneously geeky and cocky... and one of those dorky tongue clicks. The only thing missing was the finger-as-pistol "Shooter McGee" motion. He fished around in his pocket. This was his moment to shine!

"Here ya go." He handed me a voucher that guaranteed me the right to purchase a phone. A little quiver passed through my body... much the same feeling as when you find out your application for auto financing has been approved."

iPhone Line: 6:00 p.m.

Headed back to the local AT&T store after work to catch the final  hour of hype. At it's longest, I'd estimate the line at 50 or 60. The AT&T staff all had that deer-in-the-headlight look. Nobody had ever stood in line for anything they were selling.

My favorite moments (my battery was low so I didn't capture these) were cell phone customers who kept showing up to pay their bill and were pissed (and totally mystified) they couldn't get in. I shit you not... 9 out of 10 had never heard of the iPhone. Or the iPod. Or Apple.

One can only assume they don't have TV's or radios (forget newspapers). And to a man (or woman)... they had waited to the very last moment to pay their cell phone bill ("They'll cut my off tonight if you don't let me in to pay!").

I can't recall (in my lifetime) this much (buzz/hype/interest) in a product launch. There were men, women and children waiting in line. I saw a couple of families.

AppleJAC'er Tom Piper waited in line to get an iPhone. Learfielder, Paul Roberts, M.D. insisted he was "just looking," but I didn't wait around to see if he took the plunge. The video runs about 3 1/2 minutes.

iPhone Line: 10:00 a.m.

I stopped by the Jefferson City (MO) AT&T store to see if anyone was waiting in line for the new iPhone. James Whitehead was first in line. He says he's been on-site since Wednesday but was staying in his truck until this morning. James --from Lake Ozark, Missouri-- describes himself as a "technology whore," and is buying the iPhone mostly for the cool factor. He's not even a Mac user (yet).

There were four hardy (geeky) souls in line and I left them my umbrella since it looks like it could pour at any moment. I'll post some more video this evening, once James has his prize. [video runs about 3 min]

Early reviews of the iPhone

Crunchgear has links to some of the first reviews of the new iPhone (NYTimes, WSJ, USA Today, Newsweek). I'm planning to hang out at the nearby AT&T store on Friday to see if I can catch an interview with someone waiting to buy one of these.

YouTube on AppleTV

I downloaded the YouTube update to AppleTV last night and watched some videos on the big (bigger) screen. Stupid videos are still stupid. Shitty quality videos still look shitty. And the good ones look pretty darned good. Watching "Internet video" on the big screen in the living room takes a little getting used to.

I had the sense that I was getting a peek at the future. Thousands of videos, downloaded from the Internet to my little AppleTV box. No idea what the business model will look like but this is disruptive technology. If I was the guy responsible for "scheduling" programs on a "TV network," I'd be nervous.

You'll find a real review at engadget.

YouTube is now live on Apple TV

"Apple today announced that YouTube is now live on Apple TV. Users can download the free software update using Apple TV’s built-in software update feature, and then navigate through YouTube’s familiar video browsing categories or search for specific videos. YouTube members can also log-in to their YouTube accounts on Apple TV to view and save their favorite videos." [Podcasting News]

Haven't tried this yet, but I will. Stay tuned. Related story.

Rent moves on iTunes, watch on Apple TV

Apple is in talks with the Hollywood studios to make new movies available for rental on iTunes, with titles
to rent for $2.99 for a set number of days before expiring. It is unclear which studios might participate. [WSJ.com]

I hope --and expect-- this to come together. Netflix is great but there's still some lag time. And I can't recall the last time I bought a PPV movie from DirecTV. Selection pretty much sucks. As Barb and I have less and less time (or so it seems), the convenience and choice of on-demand becomes more and more important.

YouTube coming to Apple TV

Beginning in mid-June, Apple TV will wirelessly stream videos directly from YouTube and play them on a user's widescreen TV. [gismodo]

I bought Apple TV "on the come." It did cool stuff right out of the box but I had a hunch there would be more down the road. Like this. I'l let you know how it works.

"We're hearing that a lot."

The following telephone conversation took place earlier today:

Caller: "Hi, this is Kevin with Dell and I'm calling about your Dell Dimension 100. Your three year warranty expries this month and I'm calling to see if you'd like to renew... and tell you about some of our special offers."

smays: "Uh, I'm afraid I've got some bad news for you, Kevin."

Caller: "You've switched to Mac."

smays: (surprised) "Yeah, I have. Uh, how'd you know?"

Caller: "People always say, 'We've got bad news...' just before they tell us they've switched."

Apple gets retail

Roger points us to this New York Times story on the success of Apple's retail stores:

"Mr. Jobs understood, however, that his stores would sell not merely products but also gratification. He told the trade magazine Chain Store Age Executive in 2001: “When I bring something home to the kids, I want to get the smile. I don’t want the U.P.S. guy to get the smile.”

Customer response is told in the numbers. Last month, Apple released results for the quarter ended March 31. More than 21.5 million people visited its stores, which now number more than 180. Store sales were $855 million, up 34 percent from the quarter a year earlier, and they contributed more than $200 million in profits."

If you decide it's time to buy your first Mac, take the time... make the drive... visit an Apple store. It is a unique retail experience.

PS: Received this little reminder while posting this from the home office Dell.

Daddy needs an upgrade!

Three new Mac ads. Choose a Vista, Genius and Party is Over. Am I just missing the Vista ads or have I developed some sort of "Windows blindness?"

Update: Thanks to Andrew for pointing me to a couple of Vista ads.

Another Update: "In the first three months of 2007, Mac sales jumped 36%, to 1.52 million units. That's more than three times the industry's growth average of 11%." Might be several factors but a good ad campaign didn't hurt. (BusinessWeek, May 14, 2007)

iMovie potpourri

I'm having a blast with iMovie and with each little project, I learn something new. Here's 90 depressing seconds I call "Pump." Next time I do one of these I'll take the time to sync the images with the music (Blue Man Group).

I've done a bunch these with Windows apps (Studio 9, Movie Maker and others I can't recall). While the final product is comparable, the process was more difficult. Just enough so that I'd say, "I don't have the time." I guess that might be called "the Mac difference."

Unexpected uses of iPods

Like all good lists, there are 10 of these but my favorites are:

• Train Doctors to Save Lives: iPods can double interns' ability to identify heart sounds
• Bring Criminals to Justice: using iPods to hold copies of wiretap transmissions in a large drug-conspiracy case.
• Record Flight data: iPods as flight data recorders in light aircraft.
• Flashlight:  For about $13, you can purchase Griffin's iBeam, an attachment that will quickly turn your iPod into a combo flashlight and laser pointer.

iDVD

[Mac shields up!] I created my first DVD last night, using iDVD that ships with OS X. Now, I've burned files to DVD's before but iDVD makes it fun and easy to create a more finished product. Pick a theme, drag over your video from iMovie, your still images form iPhoto, pull some music over from iTunes... hit the burn button and you're done.

This first effort looks like it. But the next one will be better. I haven't done much with DVD's because it seemed like a cumbersome way to share media. But this was fun and the resulting DVD looks pretty snazzy.

Life before YouTube, Flickr and Mac Book Pro

I just wasn't thinking ahead. When I started messing with websites and putting stills and video online, everything was just hard. Almost nobody had fast internet connections. YouTube, Google Video et al were somewhere over the digital rainbow. And hard drives had not become as cheap as they are today, so just "keeping" these big files was a problem.

And I was so intent in putting everything I did online, I didn't bother to save high resolution still images. I rendered most of my video down to files sizes that could be downloaded.

I'm reminded of my lack of foresight every time I go back and upload a clip to (in this case) Google Video. Like this performance by Daniel "Slick" Ballinger, recorded in March of 2004.

And I should add that the iLife suite (iDVD, iMovie, iPhoto, etc) that ships with OSX just makes it so easy and fun to create. Who knew? Now we save everything. Uncompressed. Best quality. Word to the wise.

Another one bites the Mac

Learfield pal David Brazeal has looted his son's college fund to buy himself a new MacBook Pro. He'll be Mac-dazed for bit, unlearning the thousand things you need to know to make a PC go, but we'll try to keep up with his progress here.

On the off chance my own Mac experience contributed to David's high dive into the Mac pool, I've added him to the Mac Gallery.

Clyde Lear: Mac Guy

Learfield CEO Clyde Lear proudly displays his new MacBook Pro (larger image). Clyde insists it's for his lovely wife Sue. If that's true --and we hope it is-- Clyde will soon be trekking back to the Apple Store in St. Louis. I think it would be nearly impossible share a MacBook.

For now, we'll add Clyde to our gallery of Mac Sliders. Someone call Cupertino, we're gonna need more Kool Aid.

iPhoto Fun: Roger's Ski Vacation

Co-worker Roger Gardner bought his first Mac a few weeks ago and put together a little iPhoto slide show of a recent family ski trip to Beaver Creek, CO. He brought back some really nice images played around with the Ken Burns effect and all the other nifty effects that make up iLife.

Looks even better at high rez/full screen but wanted to show him how easy it is to upload to Google Video for easy sharing.

Apple TV: The price of simplicity

I spent part of the weekend playing with Apple TV. George came over Saturday and we had the thing up and running within 15-20 minutes. I won't try to "review" this device because a) I don't have the technical chops, b) I'm not a videophile or power user by any stretch and c) lots of websites and blogs have provided professional reviews.

And just for the record: Windows Media Center is light years ahead of Apple TV. Superior in every way. A different league. Cheaper, better, faster, taller... you name it. I have no experience with Media Center but happily stipulate to the above.

George described Apple TV as "your iPod on steroids." A pretty good description. I liked this from a review in PC World:

"The basic rule of Apple TV content seems to be: If you can play something in iTunes, you can play it on Apple TV. That puts some limitations on users, but then, that's the price of simplicity."

The price of simplicity. Yes, I will pay that price. Gladly. And Apple TV does everything I wanted to do. And just those things. And does them beautifully.

When we turned it on, all of my photos and all of my songs and podcasts immediately transferred (wirelessly) to the Apple TV.

So I can now play my music through the TV speakers or the sound system speakers.

I created a couple of slide shows in iPhoto (with music from iTunes) and shoved 'em over to Apple TV. So easy that I'll do this a lot more now.

Probably as much fun as anything was to put the music on shuffle and let Apple TV shuffle images from iPhoto. And, as you might expect, Apple does this in a very cool and visually interesting way. You'd have to see it.

Navigating the Apple TV menu is as easy and intuitive as... well, the iPod. No learning curve. Which also describes the Apple remote [far right in photo below].

Bottom line for me: I will do a lot more with my music and my photos than I have in the past. Just as the iPod changed the way I listen to music (and podcasts)... Apple TV is going to change how I use my TV. Like the box says, "Now there's always something good on TV."

"My name is Chuck and I'm a Mac"

Former Learfield and uber-blogger Chuck Zimmerman just purchased his first Mac. When was the last time you were so excited about something you bought that you immediately told the world about it?

Mac Sliders

My sources tell me that another long-time PC guy is very close to getting a Mac. If/when this happens, it will be the fourth person in my little world to step off the cliff. I thought it might be fun to keep a record here. Top row, left to right: smays; Phil Atkinson, Head of Learfield IT; Roger Gardner, Learfield President/CEO. If you decide to Get A Mac, drop me a line (and a pic).

Update: Bottom/left is Chuck Zimmerman (3/6/07)
Update: Clyde Lear (4/4/07)
Update: David Brazeal (4/18/07)

The truth about switching

This post purports to be an "honest word about what it's like to switch" to a Mac. It certainly mirrors my experience. My favorite was #13: "You'll be amazed at how little there is to modify"

"I was the ultimate tweaker in Windows - registry entries, options, toolbar buttons - and was taken aback at how few things there are to tweak on the Mac. At first it seemed to be restrictive, but I've realized it has actually freed me to do things other than tweaking, like work on this website."

If you're thinking about getting a Mac, this is worth a read.

Apple iPhone teaser ad airs during Oscar telecast

The advertisement started with a collection of scenes from television and film with actors saying "Hello" on a telephone. The scenes are played in rapid succession, and the iPhone appears on the screen. Then a black screen with the words: "Hello" ... then ... "Coming in June" and finally an Apple logo.

Simple and brilliant. Lots of folks pissing on the iPhone but let's talk again in December.

AirPort Extreme: Fast and Easy

One of the more frustrating computing challenges I've encountered is setting up a wireless network in my home. I knew enough not to attempt to try this on my own and called on some of very clever men and women I work with. But it was a booger, even for them.

Today my buddy George came over and set up my new Apple AirPort Extreme ("Easy as a Mac"):

"Just take the AirPort Extreme out of the box. Plug it in. Install the software, and in five minutes or less, you’re good to go."

And it literally took George 5 minutes to install and configure the base station. My Netgear base station was doing the job but the AirPort Extreme had a couple of features I wanted.

Before, I had to have my Dell desktop box turned on to print from our laptops. We can now print directly through the router.

I also now have an external hard drive hooked to the router...and visible on my MacBook desktop when I'm at home. No more storage issues and three times a week the MacBook does an automatic back-up.

Yes, I'm sure it's possible to accomplish these things in Windows on PC's. But the folks at Apple just made it fast and simple. And I promise to share any problems I have with the new base station down the road.

Speaking of down the road... the Apple TV is scheduled to start shipping in early March and George tells me our new TV has the necessary connections and cables to take advantage of the features.

Update: Surfing from the couch (base station upstairs in the office) and --perceptually-- pages are loading twice as fast as before (on the Netgear base station).

Apple TV: node on the iTunes peer-to-peer video network?

I ordered one of the new Apple TV doo-dads right after they were announced. Didn't/don't fully understand it but it sounded like fun, so... Since then I've been hearing and reading all kinds of knocks on the gadget, usually from serious video-philes.

Then I came across an interesting theory about where Apple might be headed:

"Here is what I think is happening with the Apple TV hard drive. I think sometime this summer Apple will ship a firmware upgrade for the Apple TV and it will suddenly gain an important new capability. That's when the Apple TV becomes a node on the iTunes peer-to-peer video network. "

"Apple would have one or many content channels roughly equivalent to an HBO, Showtime, or perhaps Discovery. Yes, I think Apple will do direct content deals, buying programming that it will then either distribute to subscribers or support with Google ads, thanks to Google CEO Eric Schmidt's position on the Apple board. Apple's network will give you the same content with or without ads, delivered from the same servers, one of which may be underneath your TV."

Hmmm.

Another Mac Attack

My alternate headline was, "Gomer Does the Big Apple," but the Jim Nabors reference would be either too dated or unflattering to Learfield President and Chief Operating Officer Roger Gardner, the latest Learfielder to break down and "Get A Mac."

Like Phil and me, Roger has been flirting with the idea of buying a Mac for sometime. He's been teetering at the precipice for weeks and finally went over the edge this week and purchased a 17" MacBook Pro (with all the fixin's)

In all fairness, Roger has two teenagers at home and they needed another computer and --like a lot of folks these days-- couldn't come up with a good reason not to try a Mac.

Cancel or allow?

The latest in the Get a Mac TV ads pokes fun at how Vista --the new MS operating system-- handles security.

I think this will be funnier after we've all had a chance to install and use Vista. And then maybe it won't be.

"Computers for people who believe in feng shui"

That's how Charlie Brooker describes Macs. He really wails on Macs, people who use them, people who associate with people who use them, etc, etc.

"I hate Macs. I have always hated Macs. I hate people who use Macs. I even hate people who don't use Macs but sometimes wish they did. Macs are glorified Fisher-Price activity centres for adults; computers for scaredy cats too nervous to learn how proper computers work; computers for people who earnestly believe in feng shui."

You can read his full article here and it's worth the registration. I hope to god he never stumbles across my "Mac Lust" post from last April. [via Jeff Jarvis]

Chris Pirillo: "Apple gets the consumer"

Chris Pirillo thinks the iPhone "is going to kill." So does his non-geek brother, Adam:

"My brother Adam isn’t a geek - and he’s never written to me about any other device (from Apple or any other manufacturer). It’s not even out yet and I already hate the iPhone… largely because someone else didn’t make it four years ago. Seriously. Apple gets the consumer in ways that no other company ever will. It makes my new Smartphone seem so… ancient."

I'm still not convinced I need any kind of mobile phone but would like to have all other features of the iPhone. For the time being, it's much cooler to piss on the iPhone than gush over it. Good to see someone whose opinion I value, weigh in on this.

Apple TV selling faster than iPods

Despite the fact the product isn’t even out yet, Apple says its upcoming PC-to-TV device is the fastest-selling item on its website, even beating out iPods. Apple TV is poised to become a surprise hit, says analyst Shaw Wu of American Technology Research. “If Apple were to convert 1 percent of those iPod owners to Apple TV owners, it would be a success. That would be a million units,” he said. [LostRemote]

I ordered one, too. Supposed to ship in February. I'll report here once it's up and running.

Get A Mac: Surgery, Sabotage, and Tech Support

In the first new Mac ad, PC is getting surgery in order to receive all sorts of upgrades to run Windows Vista. Tech Support involves the PC receiving a camera upgrade (via masking tape to the head) so that he can do important business things like videoconference, only to find out that Macs come with built-in iSights now so they don't need to upgrade. In Sabotage, the PC has decided to sabotage the commercial altogether and replace the Mac with another actor who says everything the PC wants him to say. [Infinite Loop]

The men and/or women responsible for writing these commercials are the very same people that played Keep-Away with the fat kid's hat a lunch time in the 7th grade. Until he cried.

Voice recording on the iPod nano

One of my rationalizations for buying a new iPod nano was the Voice Memo feature. Plug a mic in and record directly to the iPod. I had no idea how well this would work until tonight when I plugged in a tiny little mic called the iTalk Pro from Griffin Technology.

Pops into the bottom of the iPod and records in mono or stereo. The interface on the iPod is a wonder of simple design.

I'll let you decide on the quality but I can certainly imagine recording an interview with this delightful little gadget. And I've always got the nano with me anyway, so...

Three new Get A Mac ads

Apple has three new ads for their Get A Mac series and Justin Long is still part of the campaign. But John Hodgeman clearly seems to be the star of the series.

I couldn't help thinking of these ads as I watched the pathetic TV spots for the Microsoft Zune. Like the Supreme Court justice said about porn ("I know it when I see it.)... most people know "cool" when the see it. The Zune might eventually be a technical and financial success, but it has a ways to go before becoming cool.

Apple selling lots of iPods and Macs

At least one consumer electronics analyst predicts Apple's sales this quarter will break $7 billion.

"...mature products are the ones that make big dollars. Apple is well on its way to reaping the profits from five years of investments in music and retail. And because few other companies have invested as much for as long, it will also take years for anyone to dislodge it from its now dominant position."

I'm looking forward to the buying public's reaction to the Zune.

Thinkpad vs. MacBook

Blogging tonight --from home-- via the old Thinkpad R40. Looks like my router is hosed and the only computer that will connect is the Thinkpad. Sure glad I kept it. But after six months (?) on the MacBook, the TP suffers by comparison. Oh, it works fine. But it feels like... like what? I'm not a cyclist, but maybe the difference between racing down the French Alps on a sleek, $3,000 custom racing bike...and peddling yourself to work on a big old fat tire Schwinn. They both get you there, but... (sigh).

New Get a Mac ads

If you haven't seen the new series of Get a Mac ads you probably will. The Better Results ad hits close to home for me because I used Windows apps to create videos for the three or four years. It worked, but...

Counselor and Self Pity both make their respective points very cleverly. I have never seen a campaign bring out so many different versions of an ad, so quickly, and keep the quality so high.

Videocue: Your very own teleprompter

Videocue is a clever little application that puts a teleprompter right on your Mac (I'm sure there are similar apps for Windows). Just type in your script and position it under the (built in) iSight camera on the MacBook and start recording. Drop in still images; control the scroll speed of the text... all for $29.00. The pro version includes Chroma Key (I can't wait to do my first stand-up in front of the White House). I'm telling you, this thing is too cool for school. I usually just ad lib my videos but there are times you want to work from a script and this makes it a snap.

Here's a little 3 minute demo I did last night. [9 meg Quicktime]

Apple polishing

Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced some new stuff yesterday. These events get Mac users hopping from one foot to the other and --now that I have a Mac-- I sort of understand why. I can't explain why, but I kind of get it.

Speaking of "get it" ... I'll eventually have to get one of the slick new nano's (I just watched the amazing ad for same). The new Shuffle is literally wearable computing.

And there's a new version of iTunes. I'm a sucker for a pretty UI and this is about as nice as they come. I haven't seen them but there's talk of a new series of Get A Mac ads poking fun at Windows efforts to mimic the sleek look and feel of the Mac OS. I'm sure Vista is/will be pretty but if the new iTunes is a hint of what the new Mac OS is going to look like... it's no contest for me.

If you spend 90% of every waking moment looking at a computer, that time is more pleasant...more fun... if it's Mac.

Hell freezes over

Phil Atkinson, head of Learfield's IT operation, was forced... I mean, he really had no choice... to purchase a MacBook Pro. As our company does more with podcasting and video and iTunes... having a Mac in the house will just make Phil's life a little easier. At least, that's the line he gave me. Here you see him closing the cover on the win box and opening the Mac. An image heavy with symbolism. He reports that Bootcamp makes it a snap to run OSX and XP (sound of cash register in Cupertino).

Net Neutrality explained

Daily Show Resident Expert John Hodgman explains the Net Neutrality Act. Brilliant. The segment includes a subtle nod to the Mac ads featuring Hodgman.

Making fun of Mac TV spots

The Mac TV ads have been properly spoofed. [Thanks, David]

Mac on the road

I can't remember who made the first "portable" computer I owned but the bastard must have weighed 15 pounds. Connecting to the web wasn't an issue in those days because it didn't exist (in any way that mattered to me). I can't even remember what I did with the laptop on the road.

This is my first outing with a Mac and I couldn't be happier. The hotel charged me $10 a day for cable access but I just plugged it in and was up and running. Wifi was very slow at the conference but the Mac found the signal with no fiddling or port futzing.

I'm posting this from the Seattle airport where $8 buys 24 hours of really fast net access. Nobody needs 24 hours but what a great way to pass the time (or do bidness). And, again, so easy. This is the way mobile computing was meant to be.

Thirty-minutes later: Okay, this is fun. Waiting for flight. Fire up iTunes and see there's a new Digg Nation podcast. Download. Sync with nano for upcoming four hour flight.

Mac migration continues

After I purchased my iPod nano (a year ago? two years?), I installed iTunes on my home desktop Windows machine. And for the most part, that has worked fine. This morning I migrated everything over to the Mac Book and sync'd up the nano. My original thought was I wanted to be able to update podcasts wherever I might be. Before, I had hook up to the home PC...now I sync with the Mac Book which I am keeping with me more and more.

I've also loaded my Outlook contacts back on the nano (I've found this to be extremely useful). First time I did this it was a bit of a pain. Had to export the contacts from my Win machine at work and jump thru a couple of hoops to get the file on the nano. These days, I keep my Mac Book Address Book sync'd with work (I just drag and drop a file) and sync'ing the nano with the Mac Book is... well, you've seen the TV ads.

Pre-Mac, I tended to keep a lot of stuff scattered between home, work, laptop. I find myself looking for ways to get my most important stuff on the Mac. I'm looking forward to my first road trip with the Mac.