Yes, ladies and gentlemen; it is that time again. It is Holy Week; time to pray at the alter of Steve Jobs. That most magical time of the year: MacWorld Expo. And, as is necessary of a blogger of my stature, my audience requires, nay demands, that I give my thoughts on the various aspects of this most splendid of events.
Complaint, the First
What was going on with the spacing? For those of you who are Expo Virgins (which would be most of us; ba-dum ping; thank you ladies and germs. Be sure to tip your waitresses), MacWorld Expo is held at the Moscone Center (no Twinkie jokes, please) in beautiful downtown San Francisco. For years, there were two centers: Moscone Center North (on the North side of Howard Street), and MC South (on the South side of Howard Street, aka across the street), and for most years (except for the lean ones) the convention has been in both centers, with a convenient underground tunnel to get from Point A to Point B. This year, however, the convention was in Moscone Center South and MC West, which is not only down the block, but can only be reached by going outside and having your pale skin torched by that bright, shiny object in the sky. Poor planning, organizers. Did the date sneak up on you this year?
My MWE Plan
I think of MacWorld Expo as a giant grocery store. Not a dingy corner store, but a bright, beautiful, gleaming, yuppie store. And, if there is one thing that has been drilled into my head: when shopping, stick to the outside isles (where the nutritious food like fruits, milk, eggs, vegetables, etc tend to live) and ignore the middle (where cereals, processed foods, evil spirits tend to live). MacWorld Expo is kinda like that. In the middle are all of the big guys: your Apple, Microsoft, Adobe, Intuit, Epson, Brother, Canon, etc. It is on the outside isles, however, that you find gems like Circus Ponies, CodeWeavers, and the like.
Apple Does it Again
I have to say; the MacBook Air is an amazing looking machine. It isn’t for me, because I require USB and FireWire, an ethernet port, and a larger screen, but there is a crowd out there for it. I’ve already had three people come up and touch my hands as if I had been near La Pieta as it bled. It is more substantial than you would think, and looks like it could take a college student beating (which is the target market, I think). Very cook, Mr. Jobs.
Celebrity Alert
I got to see Andy Ihnatko in person! He is much shorter than I would have imagined. If you are into tech and are not actively reading his blog, then you are missing out. He is a fun read, indeed.
Favorite Quote
Heard as I was coming down the escalator before entering the temple, as spoken by a guy in his early 30’s:
“I didn’t have any girlfriends in high-school”.
Um…duh? Goes for all of us, pal. Brothers in arms, we are.
See you January 5, 2009!