R.I.P. Steve Jobs

Apple Macintosh (serial # 1) computer, from 1985
Originally uploaded by national museum of american history
Once upon a time I used these Mac computers in high school. I used square floppy disks and everyone was required to purchase a disk holder from the library. I had all my papers and poetry and stories on my disks. I love those things. I took a lot of pride in labeling them and personalizing them by color.

I never dreamed there would ever come a day when a smaller, sleeker, sexier, space saving version would come along but it did and from the unique muliti-colored iMacs (I had the elusive green one. It's still in my closet) to the toggling flat screen desk tops to Macbook to Airbook, Apple, my favorite computer in the world has come a long long way.

Sure I started out on a PC when I was too young to know better. LOL!! DOS commands and Commodore 64 were all that were around for awhile. But when Macs came along, I got on and never looked back . I remember many an hour sitting in my High School library drawing dirty pictures on MacPaint. Ahhh Macpaint. It was all so fascinating to me, the things you could do even back then.

We had both PCs and Macs at my high school but when it came time to get them out for study periods, I made sure to be among those who walked over to the computer storage room myself to roll the computers out and into my classroom. All I wanted was a Mac.

Garage Band High

Once, years ago when I was a girl, I got so excited with anticipation on Christmas Eve that I got sick and had to lie down for a bit. That was my earliest experience with the kind of overwhelming excitement that can lead to anxiety. The second time was yesterday after I wrapped my six piece loop arrangement on Garage Band. I’ve named it “Ethereal 1” for now. I have listened to it over and over again and I still plan to do some more small edits but all in all, I’m in love. Now, I’m not deluded enough to think that what I’ve done couldn’t be done by anyone. I mean that’s what Garage Band is for. This is exactly the same kind of technology used in the recording studios to create albums today. The more advanced programs like Logic and Final Cut Pro are all about making editing and arranging music and films on computer. Doing this has made me aware of so many possibilities that it’s like that Christmas all over again. Except this time, it’s not for anticipation of what I could be getting but of what I can create. I decided where the drums come in and fall out again, where the swelling electric guitar comes in and where it ends.

Obviously the real artists are the people who recorded the instruments for these amazing loops available on the Garage Band software. Guitars, strings, piano, electric, drums, tambourines etc. and all the variations in between and I mean all the variations. I’m amazed that I was able to narrow my arrangement down to the first three pieces so quickly. It was the bass that gave me the most trouble.

This kind of mind blowing excitement comes STANDARD with every Macbook or Mac Computer on the market! I mean what a waste for some who isn’t even into music! It is such an amazing tool! I’m still really excited. I can feel it in my heart. Maybe I should go lie down for a bit. : )