Bong! . . . :-) . . . Welcome to Macintosh!
In the world of Macintosh, there are many different kinds of
people. There are artists, musicians, and teachers, just to name a
few.
Then there are writers. I last interviewed
the multitalented Andy Ihnatko. As with Andy, the writer
interviewed this time needs no introduction.
But for those who'd like to know: This
man is the author of several popular Mac books and is a New York
Times technology columnist. Yes, friends, I present this
interview with none other than . . . David Pogue.
I recently interviewed him via email:
Tommy: After numerous accolades and a loyal fan base -
not to mention being considered the de facto standard in
regards to Macintosh journalism - how does it feel to be the famous
David Pogue?
David: I kind of like it, actually. :)
I'm just barely famous enough that I get recognized about five
times a year. Not enough to be annoying, but just enough to massage
my ego.
Tommy: What's the difference between the David before and
after fame and taxes?
David: More interesting: What's the difference between
the public David and the family man? Truth is, I split my time
pretty evenly. My family is awesome - my kids are brilliant and
photogenic.
Tommy: What's the weirdest thing about you most people
wouldn't even imagine as being part of your persona?
David: See above!
Tommy: Your columns and books have a quirky, edgy sense
of humor . . . does it come naturally, or is it something
requiring finesse and three meals a day?
David: I think it comes from having been the youngest of
three children (translation: the one most likely to be ignored).
The last-born, according to
The Birth Order Book, tends to be the class clown,
the funny one, the showoff. Sure was true in my case.
Tommy: What in your mind would you consider your crowning
achievement both personally and professionally?
David: Well, the Emmy was nice. Getting my own TV series
was pretty cool. But professionally, I'd have to say landing the
New York Times column was the height of happiness for me.
What an awesome gig.
Greatest personal achievement was reeling in Jennifer, my wife -
a brainy, hot plastic surgeon.
Tommy: Annoying things about writing columns and books
. . . what's in your top 10?
David: The trouble with computer books is that they get
stale so fast. Some of those damn Apple software books I have to
rewrite every single year to keep up with the new software
versions!
The trouble with the columns is having to pack up everything I
review and ship it all back. Major pain in the butt.
Tommy: Do you get mobbed by crazed Mac fans wanting
autographs or their MacBooks signed?
David: Nope.
Tommy: Who do you consider your lifetime inspiration?
David: They tend to be musicians (my first career).
Stephen Sondheim. The Whiffenpoofs. Whoever
does the orchestra arrangements on American Idol. (Just
about everyone gets credits at the end of each episode, including
the vocal arrangers, singing coaches, song-permission-getter, and
camera operators. Why not the arrangers?)
Tommy: As per your bio on davidpogue.com, you once aspired
to become a piano player and composer. Do you pick up the urge to
play these days?
David: I actually play quite a bit. At home, for example.
And I usually conclude each of my speaking engagements with a few
song spoofs at the piano.
Tommy: Have you considered writing your memoirs?
iPogue: I Lived To Tell It All anyone?
David: At 44, I'd hope that I'm not far enough along in
my career to write a memoir!
About Apple & Microsoft
Tommy: Back to the Future moment - What drew you
to the Mac?
David:
It was 1985. Senior year at Yale. I'd never owned a computer. So I
asked around, and all the smart people said, "Get a Mac."
Apple used to sell Macs at half price to college students - they
really ought to do that again - and so I was hooked for life.
Tommy: What about Apple has captured your attention most
over the years?
David: Steve Jobs' return. Does anyone remember how
boring Apple was while he was gone?
Tommy: Successes and failures of Apple . . .
what's on your Top 10 list?
David: Probably the same as yours. :)
Tommy: Looking down the autobahn, what do you see in
Apple's future as a whole?
David: The entrance into consumer electronics is pretty
cool. They made over the music player and the cellphone, but that
leaves about 400 other categories wide open.
Tommy: What are Pogue's most recommended
commercial/shareware/freeware apps for both Classic and
OS X?
David: I like TypeIt4Me, which saves me millions
of keystrokes a year.
SuperDuper for backup. Keyboard Maestro for
macros. Snapz Pro for
capturing screenshots and movies.
Tommy: Favorite tips, tricks, keyboard shortcuts for
Classic and OS X . . . what are your recommendations?
David: I've listed them in a tidy book called
Mac OS X: The Missing Manual. Check it out!
Tommy: If someone were to say the word Microsoft, what
would come to mind?
David: A seething mass of genius and incompetence, spread
halfway across the galaxy.
Tommy: Do Microsoft and innovation go hand-in-hand or out
the window?
David: Some of each. There are some truly great ideas in
Windows Vista. Presentation mode. Speech recognition (including
Mousegrid, which lets you click and drag with pixel accuracy, all
by voice). The ability to launch programs with a keystroke, which
Mac OS X still doesn't have built in.
Tommy: Your thoughts on Vista . . . will it
catch on?
David: Of course. You don't have a choice - it's what you
get when you buy a PC. So that's 400 million computers a year with
Vista preinstalled; I'd say that's pretty good odds that it will
catch on.
Tommy: In the years ahead, will the Zune phenomenon catch
on? Will we be jammin' with a stylish brown (affectionately known
as poo poo) Zune hanging around our necks?
David: Nope, I think the Zune has bombed.
Tommy: Would you ever become a technology consultant for
Microsoft if they asked nicely?
David: They'd have to ask nicely with an absolutely
enormous check in their hands.
Fun Questions
Tommy: What's Pogue's at home Mac?
David: I basically walk around with a black MacBook. I don't use the ol' Power
Mac much anymore except for video editing.
Tommy: What would one find in your living room on a
visit?
David: These really cool oil paintings of my kids. They
were computer-generated from a photo by a company called PhotoFiddle, but they really look
authentically painted.
Tommy: Your Top 10 favorite websites . . . what
do they consist of?
David: nytimes.com,
davidpogue.com, missingmanuals.com, digg.com, macsurfer.com, macintouch.com, dilbert.com, google.com, weather.com, amazon.com.
Tommy: If you had to pick one Mac you considered your
all-time favorite, what would it be?
David: 12"
PowerBook, hands down.
Tommy: Where can one obtain an autographed photo of
Pogue?
David: Hm. I don't know of any that exist, actually.
Tommy: What advice would you give to aspiring youngsters
no matter what direction they take in life?
David: Look for the holes. That is, look for projects
that nobody else is doing, or that nobody else is doing well. (Look
how well that's done for Apple!) Hit 'em where they ain't.
And don't be afraid of failing. As Wayne Gretzky said, "You
miss 100% of the shots you never take."
Wrapping Up
It was a pleasure to interview David. I have a few of his books
and have always loved his sense of humor. He really knows his
stuff.
If you'd like to drop me a line to let me know what you thought
of the interview, feel free to send me an email to
thomas (at) lowendmac (dot) com!
Stay tuned for the next Welcome to Macintosh. 
Go to the Welcome to
Macintosh Interviews index.
