LAUG 2.0 News

Last year I got great feedback on my postings about MacWorld, but people wanted more details. As you know, Brian Best has been posting his experiences so I’m going to mirror his style a bit. So you might ask? How do you get ready for Macworld. Well, I’m a bit of a worry wort for those that don’t know. Always get anxious before a trip. Afraid the house will burn down while I’m gone. etc. So how does one prep for MacWorld? Glad you asked. As you can tell this isn’t a vacation. That happens after the show!

First thing when traveling is you gotta remember all the chargers and cables! Here’s what I have to bring: phone charger, phone syncing cable, iPod cable, iPod AV cable, headphones (my Etymotic ones that double as earplugs) , iPod Shuffle for backups and listening to in the plane , spare ethernet cable, laptop power adapter. Geez. Note to self: stay away from heavy duty magnets! Also, while this isn’t a problem at KCI…I always put my laptop in as the very last thing. People sometimes walk off with laptops at security so I keep a good eye on it. Speaking of keeping a good eye out, I start scoping for a power outlet. Flying to SFO is long and I want to have a full battery when I board.

Then, since the business is run out of the home, I run a full and complete backup of critical files to DVD. I keep this in the glove compartment of my car parked at the airport. If a disaster happens while I’m gone, actually most receipts and stuff and electronically stored, so I can be up and going with that. I also turn off the myriad number of devices in the house so I don’t waste electricity. Printer, scanner, monitors, etc. I however do leave my Mac on for remote control purposes via Timbuktu. If I was traveling during the summer, I’d probably unplug some stuff in case of surges. At this point, our TV is not HD, my Mac is a 2.0 dual g5, and my printer is 20 years old. All the stuff is insured…so nature..go ahead…buy me new stuff without committing insurance fraud.

Because I need my Mac running so I can remotely control it, I do reboot my Mac…give it a nice fresh clean start before I leave town. I also move my Mac files to my Macbook and most importantly, my Palm database to my laptop. Ah..what playlists for the plane? 3 hour or so flight. Do I want soft relaxing music? like My new age collection? How about Matisyahu. Yeah, he’s always good for inspiration. Setting an alarm on my iPod, the standard clock radio, and my watch. Not going to miss the flight! Am I OCD? Maybe a little I’ll also bring a book for when they say “As we begin our decent into San Fransisco, please turn off all portable electronic devices”. The Change Functionwas recommended to me, so I’ll read that.

Already checked in online and printed my boarding pass. Midwest Airlines says 10am flights get the fresh baked cookies. My flight leaves at 9:45. Cookies? Don’t know. Better bring a protein bars with me to eat. I pick my flight via seatguru. I’ll get there early enough so I can try for the exit aisle. Best seat on the plane generally.

So what’s the plan?? Get off the plane and take a cab to Moscone. Probably $50. Ouch. Cabbies make more than I do an hour. That’s kinda sad. Actually my father, z”l, was a cabbie in NYC. I’ll arrive at check-in and hopefully will have a press pass. The rules this year are extremely draconian. You need a permission slip from your employer. The passes don’t cost anything–IDG just doesn’t want someone who writes a blog for their high school wasting their time. Since I freelance, it’s a catch-22. Can’t get the pass unless I have the approval of the editor, and the editor doesn’t want to commit to a story. I do have a backup plan. Passes are free if you sign up online…so I already have my backup pass. Why are Press Passes a big deal? Well in theory they are backstage-style passes that get you into anything. However, first year I went I had both badges on. When I wore my DoctorDave™ badge, I wasn’t treated as well as a “trusted member of the media“. Vendors simply treat press people better at the booths. You get LOTS of free stuff (aka swag) and you make better contacts. I printed the email that said I was qualified just in case.

I’ve printed out the map and will spend the first hour or so doing a quick walkthrough. Does something particularly strike my eye as innovate. What’s the theme this year? Who isn’t there that should be? Who am I surprised to see ? It’s like when you walk into a party…you first check out who is there, what refreshments are being served, and of course the food.

I’ve got a standard canvas shopping bag to hold all the information I’ll be receiving. First year I was carrying stuff in the plastic bags vendors give you. Not only does the plastic cut into your hands…but then the handles break and you start playing 52-pickup.

I also bring with me a pre-addressed Priority Mail Flat Rate box so I can ship the materials back to myself in Lawrence. First year I went, I barely was able to bring all the stuff back I pull out the business cards from any informational packets I receive and keep them with my carryons, so that way if the materials are lost in the mail, I have the contacts at the companies so they can be resent.

I’ve got a short list of questions and information clients have asked me to research, such as “Is there a way without a server to print a cover page WITH the name of the document, billing code and pages after each print job?”. What’s up with Freehand. Is Adobe killing it? Don’t know. What accessories are there for the Macbook and Macbook Pro. I hate the way black Macbook shows oils from the skin.

The show started on Tuesday, but I always go towards the end of the show (Thursday and Friday) for a few reasons. Primarily it’s because of my clients. I don’t like leaving them that long! Also towards the end of the show, the excitement and craziness is less. People are tired. The line around the iPhone won’t be as long. Less crowds also people are more eager to chat at the booths. Little known secret. Vendors hate to haul stuff back. About an hour before show closes, they’ll sell you stuff cheap just so they don’t have to box it up. You can always get a deal or two. I’ll tell you more about the culture of show end on Friday.

So now I just got to decide whether to try to sleep…or just forget about the whole thing, stay up and do paperwork so I sleep on the plane?

Tomorrow evening I’ll try and post my first day impressions of the show. I should be able to get up close to the iPhone. My biggest concern with the iPhone. Scratches. With all that surface area…wow. That just seems like an accident waiting to happen. Speaking of accidents. How are you going to dial with your fingers while you are driving?

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 11th, 2007 at 1:54 am and is filed under Commentary. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.