The human factor.
You can't discuss computers without taking the human factor into account, and that's mostly what this section is all about. All sorts of people use computers for all kinds of reasons; some consider it little more than a necessary evil (filled with ritual pain), while others use computers to create and accomplish spectacular things with relative ease. What makes the difference?






Computer Aversion Therapy.
Teaching someone to hate computers - to become filled with dread and loathing at the thought of having to touch a computer - is easy. Here's how:
  • First, give 'em that old hand-me-down, freebie computer you can't use anymore. The processor should be at least four generations old, with a hopelessly small capacity for obsolete RAM, a floppy drive, a puny hard disk..... make sure it's a real doorstop, one with an ancient OS and equally outdated software.
  • Next, hook 'em up to the Internet with a version 3 browser and a 14.4 modem.
  • Wait five years and repeat (if necessary) with a newer, obsolete, outdated computer.
My point is this: If you think you're doing someone a favor by giving them that old PC you replaced last summer because you couldn't use it anymore, think again. They won't be able to use it either. Make a dedicated rolodex out of it, or use it to store recipes in the kitchen. Sell it on eBay for parts, or make a sculpture out of it, or a birdhouse, or use it as a doorstop. But please don't condemn someone you care about to a frustrating experience you know enough to avoid.






Market reflects lifestyle and philosophy.
"Prosumer" is a somewhat new target subset of buyers in the marketplace. Whereas the vast majority of consumers are generally focused on price alone, prosumers tend to aim for technical specifications and professional quality.
In the computer world, the difference is often between those who only use computers as an 'information appliance' (email, Internet, word processing), and so-called "power users" who design, illustrate, analyze, edit, explore, program and create on computers.
The Prosumer market is a relatively small target, probably less than 10% of computer users as a whole. High-end products that appeal to power users can be as specialized as they are expensive; as technical requirements increase, competition and choices tend to narrow. A decision often hinges on a critical component or a single specification. Prosumers research their options to the nth degree, usually with specs and plans in hand, prepared to examine, discuss and use all relevant technologies. They take pride in being computer-savvy, they use serious tools and get spectacular results. Picky lot they are, too.




Consumers, on the other hand, don't wanna know all the grisly details - they just want it to work. They know there's more to life than technobabble, and they'd like to get on with it. They want the bottom line as quickly as possible..... which is fine, provided they're getting good advice and can afford equipment that works easily with a minimum of trouble. Computer technology doesn't come cheap, especially with a trial-and-error approach, and a seemingly simple decision can lock you into an unpleasant routine for the duration. As they say, "the devil's in the details." You won't get the right answers without knowing what questions to ask.

Even if all you want to do is email and internet, at least take a look around at the different equipment and software others are using (and their degree of success). Ask lots o'questions. Compare ease of use, speed, efficiency, capabilities, quality. Compromise any of these for a low purchase price and you'll be paying for it every time you use your machine. If delving into details is not in the plan, taking a good look around can at least suggest a path to follow.

Altsumers - alternative consumers - deserve special mention here in CA. Altsumers are in a whole different world all their own, gods of an alternative universe, they aim to "increase awareness" and "educate the public." They've found alternatives to just about everything that still works around here, including food, medicine, energy, you name it. They'd screw up gravity if they could. Using complex calculations involving geopolitics and organic chemistry, decisions are reached according to what products don't contain, or won't do, or where they haven't been. Unless, of course, the alternative is cheaper.






The 90s were not kind to "Apple's rabid fans,"
according to a pair of butthead staff writers at SF's Chronicle (front page, 1/24/96). In fact, local news media pounded Apple on a regular basis for a time. Stories of Apple's imminent demise appeared weekly, if not daily. It was relentless. Rumors were rampant. Every tiny hint of trouble was reported in mindless minutia by media "experts" as though delivering a postmortem. Almost gleeful, they were.

Even CalPERS (California Public Employees' Retirement System) made headline news when it dumped all of its Apple holdings at almost exactly the same time Apple hit its all-time historic low of $13 per share. (Someday I'll do the math and figure out how much money CalPERS lost.)

Buy low, sell high. Duh.

Not that Apple's history is lacking drama, no. It's one whale of a tale, told on magazine covers, in strange, sometimes ugly headlines and in more than a few books. There was even a goofy, made-for-TV movie that was almost as stupid as it was disappointing.

So, why all the bad press? Makes no more sense now than it did then. Today, it seems Apple has to be four times better than everybody else just to get a nybble of attention - but that's not to say the news media is capable of getting their facts straight.

Meanwhile, market pariah Microsoft becomes increasingly irrelevant. Now, _there's_ a story: Apple is posting record profits, Intel has joined the show, iPods and iPhones are everywhere. Microsoft is losing control and could soon be little more than a footnote.

Nice to see the Mac gain visibility and the recognition it deserves; after all, Apple is a computer company (as Woz rightly pointed out). Why Apple's progress shouldn't be cause for celebration - especially here in Northern California - remains a mystery to me.






Your only limitation is imagination.
I've used the Mac to remodel my house, design and build furniture and mechanical devices, make motorcycle modifications, create artwork, design databases and produce printed circuits. It edits and stores audio and video, photographs and graphics, text and data of all kinds. Plus, it keeps the books, manages communications and provides endless material for research purposes. I mention this because there are still people out there who wonder what they'd ever do with a computer. Hello?

The first "killer application" was word processing.
The ability to type and edit a document _before_ printing was reason enough to buy a computer, just to replace that old typewriter. Today, most folks recognize internet access as being a whole new window on the world, with email serving as the new means of written correspondence, both of which are excellent reasons to invest in a computer. (If all you use a computer for is email and web surfing, using a Mac provides a big advantage due to security features and ease of use.) But there is so much more you can do, it seems like a waste of power to stop at communications without branching off into other uses.

Your Mac comes equipped with software designed to manage a great many basic necessities, such as communications, photos, text, music, addresses, all sorts of things. It even comes with a set of developer tools for creating your own programs. All the basics are covered right out of the box, but for specialized applications you may need to purchase additional software.

One odd thing about software:
Good programs always seem deceptively simple, with a tasteful, coherent interface, easy to use and understand - which tends to conceal the program's power. If you can accomplish a given task with one click, it's because the program's designer has dealt with all the details for you. If, on the other hand, you have to wade through an assortment of buttons and dialog boxes to accomplish that same task, then the programmer has decided to let you do all the work. Easy for them, not so easy for you. And somehow, bad software seems to leave an impression of "sophistication" due to the complexity of dealing with it.

It pays to shop around and test drive applications before buying. The cumulative effect of using bad software can translate into a considerable waste of time and repetitive effort, which will more than offset any money saved in its purchase price. (Also true of Operating Systems and hardware, by the way.) Having said that, you may find you already have a program capable of assisting with whatever project you have in mind and additional software won't be necessary. I've often used simple graphics apps for remodel projects and precision design work, everything from MacPaint to Aldus SuperPaint to Photoshop.

Be creative!
Apply the power of your Mac to whatever holds your interest. You might find an app onboard that can handle your project, or you might decide to invest in specialized software to accomplish something amazing. Just, p-p-please don't look at the Mac as an ordinary computer or some sort of appliance. Use it! Explore just a few of the things it can do and you'll be amazed.