I own an iPod. Darin got me a very nice 15 gig one for my birthday in 2004. Once we finally figured out how to use the iTrip play-through-the-radio attachment, it became a permanent fixture in my car.
I have an iPod Shuffle. Last year Steve* gave every Apple employee one as a thank you for a great year. Darin said, “Are you going to use that? Because if you’re not we should give it as a gift to someone.” I tried it out, and it’s become a permanent part of my exercise habit. Have tunes, will do boring cardio workout at gym.
My brother-in-law has worked on iPod for years. Darin worked on the iPod before it came out. My running bud, Rob, worked on iPod for four years, up until a few weeks ago. (And he never told me about the video iPod, the bastard.)
I know plenty about iPod. I know who’s working on iPod (though none of them will tell me what they’re working on — Darin and Mitch don’t even tell one another what they’re working on, and they’re brothers). It’s old hat to me, right?
I have an iPod Nano in my hands, and I can’t stop playing with it. It’s so small. It’s so cute. Look at the screen! It’s so thin and tiny — and yet can fit so much music, so many podcasts!
I want to go running right now, just so I can try it out.
Apple is amazing at creating plug-and-play electronic crack. So why haven’t they taken over the world? Jeez. It’s so frustrating sometimes.
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Darin knew way ahead of time about the MacBook announcement at MacWorld. And didn’t tell me about it.
My friend Otto IM’d me: “So Darin knew and didn’t tell you? Divorce!”
Me: “No, no. A fully tricked-out MacBook, that’s what.”
Apple was nowhere near this controlled when I worked there. It seemed like everyone had the Mercury News on speed-dial. These days, Darin tells me about something, he gets fired. (I’ve decided it’s better to hold off on knowing and get the MacBook eventually, instead of collecting unemployment.) It’s better for the company, obviously. I’m just amazed they’ve managed such a veil of secrecy.
What’s hilarious is, whenever Darin and his brothers — only one of whom works on iPod — discuss the iPod, iTunes, or downloading, in the middle of whatever it is they’re saying they’ll throw in, “Don’t steal music.” I wonder if they have hypnotic programming sessions where everyone learns to say that.
* Seriously, if you’ve got to ask “Steve who?”…
Diane, this post reminded me of something that happened to a friend who used to work for Apple. (Actually, the friend knows Darin. Years ago, I saw his card, which said “Newton Wrangler” and I said, “Hey! You worked at Apple?” “Yeah.” “I read an online journal of a woman who’s married to a guy who works at Apple.” When I told him Darin’s name, he said, “Yeah! I know him! Tell him hi!” So, Don Louv says hi.)
Anyway, Don had gone back to Apple and was working on iPhoto. We were watching the address on TechTV when Jobs had the problem getting iPhoto to work. I said to my husband, “Man, someone’s getting fired. Hope it’s not Don! Ha!” A week or so later, we’re hanging out with Don and I tell him that little story. He sighs and says, “I was watching the address, too. As soon as that glitch happened, I was in my car, heading to San Francisco. The whole way, I was chanting, ‘I hope I’m not fired.’ I’m happy to say I still have my job.”
I love Apple. My brother worked at Apple back in the days of System 7 (he’s the “Quack;” he knows Darin, it’s how I found your blog) A few years ago I thought maybe I’d be the last Mac user on earth and now Apple has retail stores everywhere. It’s might be a sign of the Apocalypse, but I’m glad Apple’s back and hipper than ever.