The European Perspective
http://www.myapplestuff.com Copyright ©2006 Chris Marshall
My Stuff
by Chris Marshall
Welcome to what I hope will be a regular column. Why hope? Well if no one wants to read it or I run out of things to say, than it wonÕt continue.
I want this article to cover a number of areas on a regular basis, so please be patient with this first article – by necessity I need to establish some foundations and take time to provide some one-off explanations.
I bought my first Mac in January 2006. I bought a PowerBook G4 with a 100GB 7200rpm Hard Drive, 1.5GB RAM and two days later Apple announced the new MacBookPro! In addition I have a 60GB 5G iPod with Video, a 20GB 3G iPod, a 1GB iPod Shuffle, whilst my wife has a 4GB Silver iPod Mini and a 1GB iPod Shuffle.
I could list my ÒTen Reasons to SwitchÓ for you, but you know what they are. At the end of the day it was simply a case of I had pretty much always wanted a Mac, work and personal budget never coincided to allow me to do it until now, so I got one. End of story! For those that are interested, my reasons to switch can be found on my blog.
Before I bought my PowerBook, I listened to a huge number of Podcasts, and subscribed to a number of forums. With very few exceptions, I found them extremely useful and very friendly – the Mac Culture, right?
The purchase of the PowerBook coincided with me having the opportunity for the first time in my life to really focus on the consumer side of computing, rather than the corporate side. In fact, it was because I was going to have this opportunity, that I bought the PowerBook. I have been fascinated ever since in the wide variety of options that exist, and that is the reason to some extent for these articles. I wanted to share my experiences and learn about yours. I had already got all my music on iTunes, but there has been an explosion in my level of photography, video clips, digital media etc. and that is what I really want to cover in this column.
BUT I am not a switcher! As Adam at MacCast would say I am a slider! I have a couple of Windows machines that I spend time on pretty much every day. In one way I am frustrated that I still have to use Windows, not because I hate Windows, but because the Mac simply is a more rewarding experience. I have a number of clients here that I support and train on their Windows PCÕs. My wife has a Windows Notebook that she doesnÕt use enough to warrant a swap to a MacBook (I am working on her though, I promise), and my Windows Desktop is part of my Digital Media Solution.
My ÕCasts
Books[1] |
Fun |
General |
Mac |
News |
Review |
Sport |
Technical |
These are all available via the iTunes Music Store.
Under Consideration – Geek Brief TV[2]. I have watched this pretty much from the very beginning and I have certainly watched every episode, so it is with a mixture of sorrow and surprise that I find that I am actually considering unsubscribing. Two reasons contribute to this:
- not really enough interesting content, and
- far too much time spent on outtakes and trying to be funny.
In the earlier episodes, the presentation style was sort of naively cute and the occasional outtake made for an interesting variation. Of late I am getting the impression that the Ôcast is more about the presenters that the content. This has certainly coincided with them Ògoing full timeÓ, so I wonder is there is something behind this, or if they are trying a new format, or (and potentially fatal) they have got sidetracked by their success and believe they are bigger than the content. At the moment, I figure that about 40% of each Ôcast is outtakes and at least daily iTunes says it is having a problem downloading from their site.
I am certainly in the minority here though, if you look at their position in iTunes and the number of downloads they get a month.
Just Added – BRITISH MAC[3]. I like this Ôcast for a number of reasons:
- Will (Green) just sounds like he is doing it for fun.
- It has an interesting structure with some nice innovative touches (Ye Old Mac & Mouse).
- It has a great ÒBritishÓ feel that is somewhat unique in the ÔCast world.
With more and more of the Ôcasts coming out of the States being at or close to professional standard this Ôcast reminds me of the earlier Ôcasts that I listened to. I love that – it is a true reflection of the ÒHappy AmatuerÓ level of Ôcasting, no disrespect Will I love the work you do, although I donÕt actually learn that much from you J
Favourite ÔCasts – Surfbits Mac ReviewCast[4]. Not just because I do some writing for Tim (although that helps of course), but because I think it has a lot going for it that Ôcasters would do well to take note of:
- He has a regular format and schedule that he sticks to.
- He has found one thing that works and hasnÕt deviated.
- He has a regular team that support him well.
As a result he has a weekly Òmust listenÓ Ôcast that consistently provides content that I find useful. His regular contributors provide a nice balance, and the Ôcast is extremely informative, with no focus on the individuals other than a bit of introductory chat between Tim and Robert.
My Forums
From time to time you may see me around on the following forums:
Apple - http://discussions.apple.com/index.jspa
AV Forums - http://www.avforums.com/forums/index.php
GAP - http://gap.us.playstation.com/
MacCast - http://www.maccast.com
ScreecCasts Online - http://screencastsonline.com/forums/
Mac Headz - http://forum.mac-headz.com/
I tend to find that I visit forums when I have a very specific reason (usually a problem) or when I realize that I havenÕt made a visit for a long time – in many ways I treat them as my friends! I am always pleased that I have spent time in them, and nearly always get the answer or advice that I want. My ongoing gripe with forums though is that not enough people close down a thread with a confirmation that advice they received worked. As a result, it can get frustrating trying out fixes that you donÕt know if they will work or not.
European News
Robert wanted me to cover the ÒApple NewsÓ here in Spain. I explained to him that would take up about as much space as the iPod on the SNL skit.[5]
Apple of course has a web site in Spain http://www.apple.com/es but no stores (to the best of my knowledge, none planned either). From a size perspective, this is a little strange, as both Madrid and Barcelona are top European cities with large businesses, high earning individuals, and a large tourist population. To buy any Apple products other than online, you have to relay on the understocked Òstore in storeÓ areas in the local PC CityÕs etc. Having visited Apple Stores in London, New York, Chicago, and Tampa, I am certainly getting withdrawal symptoms!
As a result, I donÕt know one individual or company that uses Macs. This has certainly enhanced my use of the various Ôcasts and forums to keep in touch with fellow Mac users.
In subsequent columns, I will explore and explain in more detail the reasons behind this absence here in Spain. I attribute it to a totally different culture and attitude towards work and leisure. For now though, I suggest you read this article from Dennis Sellers[6] back in June 2004, as it will set the scene nicely for you.
For now though, I will leave you with a tip. If you have an iSight camera or Airport Express that you no longer want, you may want to consider selling it on eBay and shipping to Europe, as it is no longer possible to purchase them in Europe[7]. ÒThe decision to stop selling the products, is to bring the company in line with the new European Union Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2005 (RoHS).Ó
Digital Media Solution
This is my current project/obsession/drain on my funds.
Over the years I have accumulated a pretty wide range of gadgets, TVÕs, Computers, etc. and like many people, have gone through phases of buying DVDÕs and Music (CDÕs and ITMS).
Currently my numbers are:
DVDÕs – 230
Music – 60GB on iTunes
Hard Drive Capacity – PowerBook (100GB), Windows Notebook (80GB), Sky + (Like TiVo 80GB with 16 movies stored on it), Windows Desktop (180GB), and an External Hard Drive (230GB) a TOTAL of 670GB.
My Desktop is a Sony Vaio Media Centre PC, which is currently hooked up to a satellite receiver and a Sony TV, so that I can record stuff off the Satellite onto the PC, and then view back either on the PC or the TV.
I have three B&O TVÕs linked with their BeoLink hooked up to a second satellite system (Sky +) that is a TiVo type service so I can record a couple of stations at any one time, and the B&O throws this around the various TVÕs as I wish.
I use an Airport Extreme Base Station and two Airport Express units, which gives me two ÔMusic NetworksÓ that I can wirelessly connect to from my iTunes.
My vision/task is to try and remove or reduce the physical media that I own, get as much as I can onto hard drives, and to be able to access this data from any TV or Computer that I am at in the Apartment. I intend to document this process over the coming months and would really appreciate you sharing your experiences in this area.
And Finally ÉÉÉÉ My Sites
It seems like hardly a week goes by without a new Òsocial networkingÓ site been launched, and I guess like a lot of you I try a lot of them out, but to date not for long! Anyway to ÒsupportÓ these columns I am going to make an effort to really understand and use the following:
Frappr: http://www.frappr.com/myapplestuff
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/myapplestuff
Podshow: http://myapplestuff.podshow.com
Blog: http://www.myapplestuff.com
Digg: http://www.digg.com/ (MyAppleStuff)
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrismpics/
Personal: http://web.mac.com/chris.marshall
A word of warning though – I havenÕt really got beyond setting these up, but thought that I would cover my progress as part of these columns. I will try and cover at least one each column, but in the meantime, please visit them and help me discover their value! Add me as a friend, stick me on your map, digg me, or whatever it is that we are all meant to be doing to each other these days J
About Chris Marshall
Educated in the UK and USA, I have lived and worked in the UK, USA, and Spain. I currently live in Spain in a state of semi-retirement where I spend most of my time developing my skills on the Mac and understanding the significance and opportunities of the ÒWeb 2.0Ó explosion.
I have recently started writing reviews and articles for macCompanion[8] and for The Mac ReviewCast[9].
From a Òday jobÓ perspective I donÕt really have one at the moment. I am doing some PC training and support locally and have been advising a couple of small start-up businesses. When I do work, it is a business consultant[10] with an emphasis on small and start-up businesses and mentoring individuals. I am particular keen to help US organizations establish themselves in Europe. I am also keen to develop my writing skills.
