EXPOsure – Private Showings and Much, Much More
MWSF ’03

Nemo’s first personal demonstration following Tuesday’s keynote address was by Serge Kamen of Intego. Their suite of security and backup applications is impressive and very affordable. Serge was calm in spite of chaos surging all around us. He walked me through major features and attractive interface in each component program. Intego appears to be attacking Symantec with full frontal assault. It will be a pleasure to audition such innovative new products.

Nemo rating: VERY FAVORABLE

Prosoft Engineering held an official press conference in quiet room 270, which felt a thousand miles from the Expo floor. Greg Brewer explained (and Nemo agrees wholeheartedly) that YOUR DATA IS CRUCIAL, much more so than computer hardware or software. Prosoft introduces Data Rescue, Data Recycler, and Data Backup, giving competition to Dantz, Symantec, and other utility developers.

Nemo rating: VERY INTERESTING

Annette Smith from Exabyte explained the company’s approach to highspeed FireWire tape backups for small offices and high capacity individuals. Hardware is expensive, but very reliable. Tapes are cheap and durable. MyMac.com will obtain a review unit later this year.

Nemo rating: POSITIVE

I then strolled across the South Hall, and was greeted enthusiastically by Kim and Gary-Paul, our perennial pals from Peachpit Press. Stopped by Harman-Kardon pavilion to arrange review of Creature multimedia speakers, followed by their new Invader units. Great sound, terrific design. Andy at Macally will help MyMac.com obtain their wireless peripherals for review, once dust settles from January’s Expo. Ditto for GLOO’s HomePod audio MP3 distribution device, marketed by Macsense.

Aladdin gave next press conference (why are they all so poorly attended; big mistakes, fellow media reps) on latest versions of mighty StuffIt Deluxe and nifty Ten for X bundle of software.

Nemo rating: ALADDIN IS TOPS

Mendy Hill from E-Book Systems gave quick demo of their Flip Album software, to be released after Macworld.

Nemo rating: HAS DEFINITE POTENTIAL

Olympus ushered us into private cubicle for first look at latest trio of their digital still cameras. With 5 megapixel capacity, tiny new media cards, and zoom range up to 10x, we were enthused. Idea: let’s use demo cameras next Macworld to test in real world documentary conditions. Some readers think MyMac.com’s Macworld photos are great, and other people think our pictures are awful. Will better cameras make any difference?

Nemo rating: OUTSTANDING

Leaving Moscone for nearby Sony Metreon complex, where we attended low-key cocktail-hour presentation of three new high-end displays by Sony. Nice stuff!

Nemo rating: IMPRESSIVE

Tuesday ended. Feeling excited and exhausted. Can’t wait for Wednesday.


Next day:

Adam Fingerman, Toast product manager, introduced Roxio’s new $30 Photo Suite, slightly better than Apple’s new iPhoto, but works also within OS 9. An integrated link to Toast allows users to burn several formats of CD, including the underrated Video CD. Editing capabilities include tools found in most basic image apps: filters, lenses, warps. And it works with all versions of iPhoto!

Nemo rating: CAN’T WAIT!

Stopped by booth of John Wiley, one of our favorite book publishers, for quick conversation with Michael Roney, acquisitions editor. He proudly showed me “Mac OS X Illustrated,” part of a new series by Design Graphics from Australia. Book Bytes here we come! Met James and Kathy Wiebe of WiebeTech, staunch supporters of MyMac.com. We love their products, and they value our reviews.

Another poorly-attended press conference by the highly-regarded eMedia company, demonstrating a prototype of new Piano Method learning CD series. Nemo is part time piano teacher in real life, so he is particularly interested in using the $60 software with students.

Nemo rating: IT’S ABOUT TIME

During lunch in the Media Room, five of us bantered on what was not said or offered in keynote; compared Steve Jobs presentation to holy roller revival meeting for hardcore loyalists; met soft-spoken John Rizzo, the MacWindows expert, who works as freelance writer much of the time. He didn’t remember us, but everyone at table knew plenty about him.

Sybex Press had arranged personal howdy with Nemo. Dan and Yaniv did brainstorming for best way to involve Macintosh reviews with Sybex’s much-improved presence on the OS X and digital imaging bookshelves. Nemo truly appreciates personal relationships with so many fine technology publishers. Thanks to them from all our loyal readers.

Hewlett-Packard printer presentation by Sandy Gramely convinced Nemo that H-P is committed to Macintosh marketplace, particularly in high-end pro-level graphics and art and prepress fields. Newest printers are stunning, affordable, and produce eye-popping results.

Nemo rating: SUPPORT COMPANIES THAT SUPPORT US

Robert Altman from Formac welcomed Nemo to second floor Industry Room over at W Hotel. Presentation was focused and self-assured, with highlight being Formac’s new mid-priced DVD recorder with custom software. Thanks, Robert, for the notebook with all your company’s products itemized and documented extensively.

Nemo rating: WANT TO TRY FORMAC PRODUCTS

Maxtor is proud of their high capacity FireWire storage drives, complete with easy backup capabilities in X and 9. Paul Streit gave Weeks and Nemo thorough presentation, promising to make review units available soon.

Nemo rating: PLEASE BACKUP AND ARCHIVE YOUR PRECIOUS DATA TODAY AND EVERY DAY.

Final meeting was with Macromedia, describing software too new to be mentioned in public, but which will be a big splash in certain circles when announced.

Nemo rating: HOLD YOUR BREATH

Time was vanishing at Wednesday’s Macworld. Weeks and Nemo were first in and John was last out of Media Center. David left town for important family event; Nemo was struggling with really awful cold and would not return to Expo again this week. Thursday and Friday were spent recovering from illness, submitting articles and photos, and tutoring generous host where Nemo was privileged to sleep and eat all week.


Nemo advised eight different companies he would probably not be able to attend PR meetings due to sickness; another dozen will hear from him once he arrives safely back in Tucson, Arizona.

Here are some parting thoughts and parting shots. Nemo reserves space for additional follow-up, as does Weeks. At the top of today’s list:

  • Using “foreign” email software is a pain, but not excruciating. Weeks used his standard Eudora accounts via high speed wireless at Moscone, but Nemo chose to use web based email, for reasons of his own. AOL’s webmail interface keeps improving, and is very reliable, but using it still requires too many clumsy and inefficient clicks and screens. Lycos’ webmail is much better, and remains Nemo’s out-of-town email service of choice.
  • Email deluge during Macworld is overwhelming. PR announcements flood inboxes, and normal email routine is totally impossible. Nemo averages 500 – 600 “keeper” messages per month on average, and now he’s pushing 800. That’s a big difference, when each one has plenty of potential significance. Solution: one week email moratorium immediately following Macworld, dedicated to complete catchup. Nemo is considering using a special dedicated email address next time for all conference and expo messages, to help him keep everything under control. Suggestions?
  • San Francisco / Bay Area media give plenty of print and broadcast exposure to Apple and its expo, but some of the writing is appalling. See if you can access the article called “Not PC but true: Mac fans are geeks,” in San Francisco Chronicle on January 8. Go to http://www.sfgate.com, and type the work “geek” in search box upper right. Let us know your thoughts.
  • Nigel from Willow Design sought out Nemo, who was sequestered with his rotten cold, unable to meet downtown in person. Nemo sent secret agent deputy, who briefed John on Willow’s case for new 17″ PowerBook and other pending items. Thanks, Nigel.
  • And to Harvey Stone from Brenthaven, another computer case manufacturer, who offers to make new products available for our evaluation, and who was delighted to see Nemo shouldering TiPack all during the Expo. Terrific product.
  • Nemo used OS X exclusively for an entire week. He doesn’t like it any more or less than before, when he often used OS 9, but now he respects X’s many nifty attributes with its heart and soul from the core of Apple Land.The atmosphere at San Francisco’s 2003 Macworld was friendly, patient, enthusiastic, and honest. Will we attend next January? Certainly hope so, especially with help from additional MyMac.com staff. Regrets? That Nemo and Weeks each missed two days at the conference. Opportunities? Plenty! I could spend all day at Macworld, five days each week, and it would take months before I ever ran out of new and exciting people and products. Long live MyMac.com and the worldwide Macintosh community.

    OH, ONE MORE THING: Nemo’s face appears for two seconds during rebroadcast QuickTime version of Steve Jobs’ keynote address, starting at 1:22:29. Finding Nemo? We knew where he was all the time, Big Steve.


    John Nemerovski
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