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Re: Heading North

Subject: Re: Heading North
From: Wild Sanctuary <>
Date: Mon, 1 Sep 2003 12:21:27 -0700
Thanks for the kind words and encouragement, Walt. I'm grateful.

Bernie

>Wild Sanctuary wrote:
>>  As I've said, before, Walt, I'm simply a confirmed technophobe. But I
>>  am really grateful for the offer. Yeah, I've managed to learn a few
>>  things by wrote and am pretty comfortable with email, now, but still
>>  get sweaty hands at the thought of trying to learn yet another piece
>>  of software. I'll do it, of course, out of necessity. But I'm being
>>  dragged, kicking and screaming (good thing for my wife that the
>>  studio's soundproof) to the keyboard and screen. As for the tech
>>  guru, Jeff is a terrific fellow; especially because he's equally
>>  conversant in both platforms being a programmer and web designer. He
>>  also comes armed with a trait most needed on this turf: infinite
>>  patience. I traded him out my new DVD/CD burner and a couple of 30gb
>>  hard drives. Anyway, it all looks frighteningly cool and I'm about to
>>  tiptoe over to the screen after writing this note to see if anything
>>  bites.
>
>I'm a biologist. I can do the technical stuff because I have to, but I'm
>most comfortable imbedded in a swamp with no technical stuff.
>
>When the Lisa, which was the first desktop windowing machine Apple put
>out was released Apple used to offer courses in it's use for office
>clerks and such like. First thing they would have those folks do was
>each take a brand new Lisa and strip it down to the chassis by
>themselves. Then take the pile of boards and so on and plug them all in
>and turn it on. That helped a lot to get people over any kind of awe or
>fear. The Lisa was, of course, designed for easy take apart. I could
>probably strip one and have it back together in 5 to 10 minutes.
>
>The best thing I can recommend is play with it. It won't break. Get a
>sound file in there and just play. Try all the goodies on it. If it
>get's mucked up just toss it without saving and open it again and play
>more. You will be surprised just how little manuals and all that are
>really needed with a good program.
>
>My wife, who had never used any computer at all started on a Lisa. We
>got it home, I hooked it up and checked it was running and pointed out
>to her which Icon was which program. Then I had to take the kids to
>swimming lessons and she said she'd poke around and see what she could
>do. When I got back a few hours later she had already written a paper
>she needed to get done and had most of the graphics drawn. And had
>hardly looked at a manual. She's still not a technical person, but she
>just took her latest computer a dual processor G4 running OS X after we
>had loaded all the software for her here. We expected lots of questions,
>as the transition from OS 9 to OS X involves a lot of changes. But there
>have been almost none, she just continues churning out stuff at a far
>faster pace than the PC folks.
>
>The nice thing about a mac is it's so smooth you soon will find you
>hardly feel like you are working on a computer. You are just doing
>whatever task you have. Which is how I like a computer, just a tool for
>a job, not a occupation in itself.
>
>You will develop your own style of working. Don't try to exactly imitate
>how others do it, work out what's comfortable for you.
>
>>  And by the way, anytime any of you are in the vicinity, you are
>>  welcome to come by to learn what certified cryptophons actually do.
>>  Just give a call, first. Almost got a chance to meet Doug VG this
>>  summer, but we missed meeting by about 50,000 ft and a few lousy
>>  hours.
>
>I'll remember that.
>
>Walt
>
>
>
>
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-- 
Wild Sanctuary, Inc.
P. O. Box 536
Glen Ellen, CA 95442
707-996-6677 tel
707-996-0280 fax
http://www.wildsanctuary.com


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