"Welcome To Macintosh"

"Welcome to Macintosh" is the first documentary of its kind to mix history, criticism and an unapologetic revelry of all things Apple into a movie experience. The film explores the early years of Apple, the many challenges Apple has faced, and what the future may hold for the company and it's products. Ex-Apple employees, engineers and community members offer insight on the company's innovations, failures, cultural impact and what the future may be like beyond the reign of its co-founder Steve Jobs. Interviews include notable Apple personalities Andy Hertzfeld, co-creator of the original Macintosh, Guy Kawasaki, long time Mac evangelist, Leander Kahney, author of the book "Cult of Mac", Jim Reekes, creator of the Macintosh start-up sound and Ron Wayne, original co-founder of the Apple Computer Company.

More info (IMDB) here.

Official website here.

Playing at various film festival and available to purchase here or rent from the usual places.

MacBama

He's not a Windows guy.

Not master of that domain

Jerry Seinfeld has ben canceled, this time by Microsoft. The marketing campaign devised by South Florida ad agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky that featured the comedian and long-time Mac user was yanked after two strange ads.

The new campaign is said to feature an actor who resembles John Hodgman, the "PC" in Apple's ads.



How apropos!

What's the deal? Seinfeld for Microsoft!?

Always enjoy checking out the Seinfeld reruns to see which Macintosh he's using. (Not just for that, but you know what I mean.)

Now, it's been announced that Jerry will be one of several celebrities used in Microsoft's new ad campaign, being rolled out by Miami agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky.

Good luck with that!

But here's the real question: assuming Seinfeld is a Mac person, why is he doing this?

Does he need the money?

Doubtful. The syndication revenue from reruns of his old series amounts to a fortune.

Exposure? Come on! He could be on TV every second of his life if he wanted to (and is, actually, given the frequency of reruns). Seinfeld could also do guest shots, movies... even another series.

So why is he doing this? I don't know, but it's a worthwhile question to ask.

Maybe I'm putting too much into this (and maybe most people don't associate him with Apple or Macs), but isn't credibility worth something?

What's your price?

Steve Jobs

Here's his keynote address from Monday's event, as he introduces new iPhone software and 3G iPhones.

It's always worth watching this master presenter, even if you'll never use one of his products. (As if!)

Early Revolution

Unless I get bopped on the head and start remembering things I've forgotten (and don't remember forgetting) this is my first published business book review, not counting stuff I (think) I did for the local Mac club.

Chauncey Mabe, then and now the Sun-Sentinel's books editor, had me pegged (don't laugh) as a high-end novel guy — popular literary stuff like John Irving — and resisted my entreaties to review biz books until he finally acquiesced with this one.

Upon publication, in January 1999, he told me, "No more," but by June of that year, I was at The Miami Herald as a copywriter/producer/project manager in the creative services department, and the only stuff that ran in the Sentinel (or New Times) were things already in the pipeline. The following year, I began my weekly column in the Herald's Business Monday section.

APPLE'S FORMER `EVANGELIST' HAS FUN WITH MARKETING
By RICHARD PACHTER
Published Sunday, January 31, 1999 in the Sun-Sentinel (Broward/Palm Beach Counties, Fla).

RULES FOR REVOLUTIONARIES: The Capitalist Manifesto for Creating and Marketing New Products and Services. Guy Kawasaki with Michelle Moreno. HarperBusiness. 224 pages.

In the early 1980s, Guy Kawasaki was Apple Computer's original "evangelist" whose mission was to persuade the era's skeptical (and often recalcitrant) software developers to create computer programs for the company's nascent and prescient Macintosh. Now the head of a Silicon Valley-based venture capital matchmaking firm, Garage.com, Kawasaki understands the value of learning from one's mistakes. In and out of Apple's corporate orchards during the intervening years, he's lent his considerable expertise to a number of books on marketing and product evangelism.

This Guy knows his stuff — and his audience. To some, marketing is voodoo; it's not sales, per se, which tends to be black and white, and quantifiable. Marketing appears far too amorphous and complex, so books on the subject generally seize upon a principle or two and apply 'em to as many cases as possible. Because new product introduction is nothing if not marketing, Rules For Revolutionaries takes its decrees and then provides ample observations and analyses to back up each point.

With generous dollops of humor, irreverence and wisdom borne of his and others' corporate ups and downs, Rules For Revolutionaries' text is deceptively facile, but so densely packed, it's nearly impossible to absorb this huge and diverse mass of sagacity in a single reading. This is no small accomplishment. Many marketing tomes pretend to be weighty philosophical dissertations, but are too glib and paper-thin. Rules For Revolutionaries is the antithesis of this; it's bigger inside than its appearance suggests.

Naturally, given his Apple battle scars, there are numerous references to Macintosh campaigns. The triumphs and tribulations accompanying the creation, introduction and development of the prototypical user-friendly computer (replete with embarrassments, dumb luck and the occasional planned success) add authenticity and brio to Rules For Revolutionaries.

But the book is hardly a pro-Apple screed. Kawasaki's unequivocal partisanship is readily tempered by stinging self-deprecation. Despite his and Apple's valiant efforts at withstanding Bill Gates' assault, the author, in a Q&A on product evangelism, nearly chokes in response to his own question on the hardest thing he had to do: "admit that despite all the evangelism I did, Microsoft Windows was going to control the world."

As a guidebook for new product introduction, Rules For Revolutionaries more than fulfills its mandate. But it is well worth recommending to those involved in marketing, sales, advertising, management and other business endeavors. Its sly, delightful insights and practical suggestions will almost effortlessly empower anyone seeking to bring a product, idea or dream to fruition.