January 2005 was a very disappointing time.
I'd always been a great computer fan and had used PCs since the very early days.
PCs hadn't been invented when I was i school (!) so my first taster was with the Sinclair range of home computers. Initially. a Spectrum with a tape interface moving up to the multi tasking Sinclair QL with its microdrive technology. I even made some cash in he early days by getting a small program published in one of the QL magazines. In those days, the code would be published over three or four pages and you'd have to laboriously have to type everything in by hand. I offered the program for sale on microdrive and to my suprise got requests from all four corners of the globe. But I digress!
After a spell in the UK Civil Service, I found myself naturally moving into IT where I was introduced to MSDOS and the original IBM PC, then Windows 1.0 moving through every version to XP, Windows NT beta testing and every version of NT to 2000. I got my MCSE and eventually moved from the typical support type rolls eventually specialising as a Consultant in Systems Management for a major Outsourcing outfit.
But by January 2005 I'd become pretty disillusioned with PCs and computing in general. I'd just bought a new top of the range whizz bang PC with an enormous 19" LCD monitor (well at least it was at the time!). I bought a couple of TV tuner cards and a copy of Windows Media Center Edition. Screaming fast and loads of storage (OK 250GB), this was going to be my ultimate PC and restoke my flagging enthusiasm.
It arrived and I configured it and.....
Meh!
It wasn't that much different from my previously lower spec'd machine. Add in the time I'd spent tweaking it and adding in the AntiVirus software and re-installing all my apps and I was truly underwhelmed.
The number of times I needed to re-install XP on my other PCs used by the family and also the dreaded calls from friends and family to sort out Windows related problems (nearly always due to virus or malware problems) really was taking the shine off what used to be my passion.
I don't know what made me watch the 2005 Macworld Keynote. I certainly wasn't in any way thinking of going down the Mac route and they were humongously expensive and only for graphic artists weren't they?
Now it's been two years since I saw that keynote (and I'm writing this on a plane so I can't download it to check my facts) but I seem to remember that Steve started off the keynote with iPod related factoids (no change there then) but then he went on to start demoing some Mac applications. It must have been iLife. I was impressed!
Then I seem to remember he gave a preview of Tiger - Cool! Wow! This stuff looks really good. But they're still top end computers with a heavy price premium aren't they?
Then he showed us the Mac Mini - He got me!
I wanted one and for that price it would be affordable and if it was pants then no harm done.
As an aside, The Mac Mini launch seemed to be overshadowed by the launch of the 1st Gen iPod Shuffle in the same keynote - why? The Mac Mini was really low key but I believe one of the most important product launches ever.
So a couple of months later I got the Mac Mini - put the delay down to product shortages. I erred on the side of caution and got a keyboard and mouse sharing unit so I could switch between the mac and the PC. That got disconnected after three days! A word of advice to any new Mac Mini user - get an Apple keyboard and a Two button mouse. It will make the experience so much better.
To say I was sold on the Apple was an understatement. The same old buzz I had when first got into computing was back. And the software - amazing! A couple of days to get over the initial transition and I had major regrets. Why didn't I discover the Apple and OSX sooner. To be honest, there were some problems - OSX does crash (very occasionally) and applications do freeze but the difference was that in most cases the machine just keeps on working.
And thats the rub, the thing just worked! The iLife suite as supplied was outstanding and the level of integration was superb. Movie editing, Photo management, DVD creation all out of the box and it just worked. Plugged in my video camera and it just worked. Plugged in my Digital Camera and it just worked!
I think you get the idea!
Shortage of software for the mac - not on your life. A terrific number of commercially available packages are there for the buying but what really surprised me was the amount of cheap quality software provided by small independent developers. Fantastic, beautiful and functional programs covering almost anything you could wish for and extremely affordable.
Instantly, I was a member of a loyal (OK sometimes fanatical) mac community with forums, websites, podcasts all delivering additional information and support.
Within six months, from going from no Apple products I ended up with an iPod, a Dual G5 PowerPC tower, a 23" Cinema Display and had the tools and knowledge to create ScreenCastsOnline. Initially a hobby site, it grew to the point where I felt I could take a risk and give up my well paid Corporate IT Job and make it on my own.
Of course, Apple again also helped by introducing Podcast support in iTunes to make it viable to reach a larger audience. I have to also mention one none Apple related factor that made it possible to make the leap of faith and thats Libsyn. Without those guys and the unique unlimited bandwidth they provide to podcasters, there is no way ScreenCastsOnline could have grown at the rate it did as traditional bandwidth charges would have crippled me.
So here we are, two years later I'm a professional podcaster and I'm on a plane heading to Macworld 2007 to report on the next phase of Apples product releases and to meet up with many Mac luminaries and people who have supported ScreenCastsOnline since it started. Who'd have thought it! Certainly not me!
Who knows what Macworld 2007 has in store but if the next two years are anything to go by, then it could be a hell of a ride!
My heartfelt thanks to Steve and all the folks at Apple for giving me the opportunity to change my life.
Don
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Wednesday, February 28, 2007 at 5:57PM 