Tag Archives: Apple

Apple polishing

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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.

Mac desktop image

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I am incapable of keeping a clean, orderly desktop on any of my Windows machines. Folders and files and shortcuts scattered from top to bottom. It is in no way the fault of the OS. It’s my sloppiness. I have discovered, however, that I can keep the MacBook desktop clean. Maybe it’s the dock or the way Finder works or, perhaps, it’s just the beautiful desktop images that ship with OSX. It would be a shame to cover them. I don’t know. But here’s the desktop as of 5 minutes ago.

Apple’s Secret Ingredient is fearlessness

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Scott Stevenson thinks Apple’s Secret Ingredient is fearlessness:

“Fearlessness allows you set aside all ideas of what people might think and focus on what feels right instinctively. Without that sort of conviction, there wouldn’t be Mac OS X, the iPod, or even the Mac. Google is one of the few other large companies that really gets this. They have different priorities and techniques, but they have the same spirit as Apple. People drive themselves crazy trying to figure out why Google does the various things it does. While there’s always basic idea of what Google should be, I think the answer is that there’s not always a precise, calculated reason for each step they take. It just seems right, so they take a chance.”

Learfield is not Apple but I think it’s a great company because the guy that started it was/is fearless.

Phil gets a MacBook

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Phil's MacBook 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).

Apple promoting business podcasting

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I haven’t played with GarageBand much but plan to. Supposed to make podcasting a snap. And the folks at Apple think there might be some business applications for podcasting:

“Promoting your business just got easier. Create a podcast with GarageBand, post it to iTunes in minutes, and reach customers, clients, and partners in a whole new way. Chefs are sharing recipes. Maternity store owners are giving the lowdown on diaper bags. And other professionals are airing business discussions, marketing new products and services, and keeping people informed.”

Things I like about the Mac OS

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In time, I suppose I’ll come to appreciate the the more philosophical (spiritual?) aspects of the Mac invironment. For now, I’m finding delight in small discoveries:

  • Font Finder – I weep to think of the wasted hours trying to identify a font. No more.
  • Dictionary – If Windows (Not Word) has one, I never found it. Yes, I know I could have installed one.
  • Outliner – Just a simple little applet for organizing thoughts. (See Dictionary above)
  • Lighted Keyboard – It was dusk and getting difficult to see the keyboard. As I reached for the lamp, the Mac keyboard became backlit. My Thinkpad had a wee light that shone down on the keyboard. Better than nothing, but…

I wonder if the Great Mac Mystique is really nothing more than lots of little “oohs” and “aahs” like these. I’m confident that, in time, I will come to appreciate, if not understand, the the more substantive differences between the two operating systems. For now, I will amaze the people of my village with tales of wonder.

My first Mac

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Steve's First Mac

The deed is done. Henry drove us to the Apple store in his space car and we were in and out in 30 minutes with a brand new MacBook Pro. My first time off the PC reservation. It’s still in the box, seal unbroken. I don’t plan to post much about my Adventures in Mac Land. PC users don’t want to hear it… and Mac users have heard it all. How about this? I’ll tell you if I return it.

Crossing the Rubicon

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Here’s the plan. Tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. I meet Henry and we head for St. Louis where I purchase my first Mac. I really think he is more excited about this Moment than I. This could be the let-down of all time but for a peek in my head, pop Sergeant York into the DVD and FFWD to the scene where a drunken Gary Cooper gets knocked off his mule by a bolt of lightening and stumbles into Walter Brennan’s church, where they’re singing “Give Me That Old Time Religion.”

If they guys at the West County Apple Store could pipe that song over the sound system as I walk up to the counter, we’d have us pretty good TV spot. My plan is to see if I can wait a few days before I crack the seal on the new toy. Just to fuck with the Mac users a little bit.

Presentations are conversations

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Garr Reynolds blogs about “professional presentation design” and offers some terrific insight into Steve Job’s presentation style, using his recent roll-out of the video iPod. Be sure to watch the video. This is how it’s done, kids. [via Micro Persuasion]

“What has always made Steve Jobs such a great presenter is that he seems relaxed and informal in tone and style (yet gracious), as if he were having a conversation with a group of friends at home in the backyard. … the essence of his masterful style is something many (most?) people can achieve in their own unique way. The secret is to communicate in front of a large group the same way you do everyday when you are talking with your spouse or your best friend down at the local Starbucks. The key is to look at presentations as conversations.”

Frozen Nano: Apple feet of clay

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After gushing all over everyone about the superior design of my Apple Nano, the little bastard has locked up tighter than a drum. Frozen solid. Tried all the fixes suggested on the Apple website but to no avail. Even tried to run the “restore to factory pre-sets” app but couldn’t make the PC see the Nano. Hmm, just like any other computer device, it would seem.

Update: When the battery finally ran all of the way down, the Nano powered down. When I plugged it back in the the PC, it apparantly reset itself.