January 11th, 2000

[6:00 AM] MACWORLD Expo Wrap-Up: Vision Thing Q&A Offers Mac Analysts Insight by John Braun Although perhaps too early for some, Friday's 9 AM Vision Thing Live! session (in its 3rd year) offered a lighthearted look at some of the issues on the minds of Mac users, and expert commentary from Mac personalities including Andy Gore, David Pogue and Chris Breen. Here is a rundown of the questions we were there for, and a summary of the responses. Q. Mac rumor sites - gonzo journalism or just gonzo? The general consensus is that since Steve's reign, Apple has been so incredibly tight (as tight as a *** sphincter, according to one panelist) with upcoming product information, that there is no choice but for rumor sites to exist. It was pointed out that the more rumors (hits/impressions) they produce, the more money they make, but then that's probably the case with many sites. Of special interest is that panelist David Pogue referred to us in his most recent back-page article in MacWorld magazine. Q. If the iBook is a girlie computer, what would it take to make it more manly? Chrome fenders? The responses to this were varied, suggesting the inclusion of the ability to spray beer, blow cigarette smoke, and adding a combination lock for which the owner doesn't have the combination. Q. Name your favorite web site(s), excluding anything with the word "dance" in the URL? Here are some of the sites mentioned after this question: Macworld Magazine (Duh) MacInTouch Buy.com (low prices) Shopper.com (price comparison) Sitelink.net (mac site links) Macsurfer's Headline News (mac site links) Dealtime (price comparison) Q. How important is it that a human interface is lick-able? Comparisons of the new interface were made against poisonous jell and Aqua Fresh toothpaste. A suggestion of a scratch-and-sniff interface was raised, but quickly dismissed. A general concern about form over functionality in Mac OS was raised. Although most users don't know or care about new Mac OS X features live preemptive multitasking and protected memory, they will help the platform become more stable and useful. (From audience) Q. Why do IT guys hate Macs? Corporate IT (Information Technology) folks don't like the Mac because of the relatively low number of support personnel required for Mac support versus PC or UNIX. The larger their staff, the greater their budget and the more power they wield. It was observed that, although there are many folks that can configure and operate NT, few enjoy the task. It was also noted that Linux is gaining ground in the corporate arena. Apple - MACWORLD Expo SF Special Report