A bushel of Apples!

Although I cut my computer teeth programming on a home designed & built microprocessor, toggling individual bits on/off, my original work experience with computers was with CP/M in the early 1980s … Microsoft’s DOS was basically a mimic of CP/M, so it was easy to transition.
In the world of Apple, people were clicking with mouses and doing all sorts of strange non-keyboard things; it made no sense to me!

In the late 1980s, I began to use a mouse when computer design of PCBs became common enough for my work to do it (prior to that, we created PCBs by sticking black tape to sheets of transparent plastic!); for this type of “art”, a mouse made sense … but for all my other computer work, it was keyboards and command lines all the way!

Of course in time, Microsoft Windows took over from DOS – but I know lots of keyboard shortcuts in Windows, and regularly dip to the DOS prompt to run things (some of our products in development today used a software development tool that I began using in the mid 1980s!)

I’d occasionally looked at Apple machines – but they appeared to have no right-click, no command prompt and no keyboard shortcuts.

In mid 2006, I did buy an iPod – I wanted a way to listen to music during the long drive of MINI Takes The States; I wasn’t very impressed with the user interface (not enough buttons!), but it was very portable and easy to get my music on to.

Fast forward to March 2008, when I happened to try an iPhone in the local Apple store – and quickly succumbed to a purchase!
That iPhone began a surprising Apple path … I learned the “it just works” mantra that Apple users sing. Within two months, I bought a Macbook Pro – helped by the fact that due to the Intel processor and Parallels, I could keep using PC / DOS tools.

By the end of 2008, Margaret was looking for a new computer and found the iMac to be much better for her – it looked great with it’s “screen only” design, and she’s eliminated all computer hassles.

Then in early December 2009, we bought another iMac, this time the amazing new 27″ screen version.
After that, I decided to replace my home PC with another 27″ iMac, and also to get an iMac for the office! Still today, most development tools are PC only – but Parallels emulation makes them work perfectly, and the benefits of Apple sneak in to the edges of my work day (for example, Time Machine gives instant access to backups and historical file changes).
I’ve been unable yet to settle on what to use for documents and spreadsheets – traditional Microsoft Office running in Parallels is super fast and I’ve used it for years (my fingers know all the shortcuts); Microsoft Office in Apple is really slow, but can look nicer sometimes; and Open Office seems more compatible with Office-for-PC, but does a few things really strangely.

But back to the topic … today I “sold my soul” for yet another Apple product, and this time (like everyone else) I’ve not seen or touched it! I’m gambling that Apple will create another device like the iPhone that “just works”:

Primarily, I see the iPad as an instant on, instant access device – I do keep my Macbook Pro by my side when watching TV, but it’s heavy and bulky to pick up for a quick browse, I see the iPad being much more practical for such uses. And hopefully, it will offer many new things too – I’d want to be able to use it for sorting / editing photos prior to posting them online, for easily keeping up with online news, reading online versions of magazines, and surely playing some games that due to the larger screen should be much more enjoyable than they are on the iPhone.
I felt no need for the 3G version; I expect the iPad to live at home (or in WiFI equipped hotel rooms) and I still have an iPhone for online access while out and about.

Work colleague Josh and I have been talking about the iPad a lot, and I think he’s right about the possibility that an iPad could be a “magic” device for all the “Joe Average” folks out there who don’t do computers today … they can get a device which works by touching exactly how they expect it to work, and for $30/month or less they’ve got access to the Internet with no need to install and configure modems, routers, etc; software installation is super easy, and doesn’t cost hundreds of dollars per program.
We techie folks might see limitations of the iPad, but if Apple get their marketing right I think they can create another new business. We will see, and meantime I get another new birthday toy, next month!

And about that “bushel” … in two years I’ve gone from one Apple (if you count the iPod, which really I don’t), to seven or eight, when the iPad comes (and including the work iMac, which I do count since I use it more hours a week than any other computer!); I’m not sure if seven is a bushel – but it’s a lot for a DOS guy 🙂