Apple Makes Any Event Better!
by Gerrit Dalman
Apple is well invested in making the Mac the "hub of the digital lifestyle." That hub has much bigger spokes than the home now! The tools Apple and third-party companies offer can reach into bigger parts of your life. You too can impress friends with your Mac at any social gathering!
For me, the most recent example was my wedding. From planning to execution and wrap-up, the big day was "made on a Mac."
For starters, the tight integration of iCal and Mail made let us plot out major events and share them with other family members. By subscribing to the calendars I published on .Mac, my mother was able to keep track of daily changes to our itinerary.
iChat helped everyone stay on the same page too. Though we didn't have four-way video chats because Tiger had not yet been released, our iSight did let us do things like show the flower girl her dress from all angles before we flew home for the ceremony.
Other applications did more that facilitate coordination. Applications like OmniOutliner and Microsoft Excel kept us organized by monitoring objectives and tracking RSVPs and Google's new maps section helped distribute last minute driving directions to the rehearsal.
We even used iTunes to assemble a playlist for the reception, then export it as a PDF and send it to our DJ at Music Unlimited. When they were missing a few of the songs we wanted, we simply loaned them an iPod to play from - and it sounded great!
Along with the music, there was a slide show playing too. Thanks to iPhoto's keyword and album features, it took just minutes to prepare a slideshow featuring pictures of my fiancé and me from the past few years. With iPhoto 5 the slideshow looked great and thanks to an NEC projector borrowed from Vortekx, a local internet and gaming parlor, it filled the room!
At the same time we were recording new memories. Our photographer captured everything on digital cameras, friends and family had their own, and even the disposable cameras we provided were developed digitally and the images burned onto CD.
Since all of our photos are digital, sharing them with those who couldn't be there is a snap. Within hours of the honeymoon I announced a new .Mac homepage featuring some of the best shots. We're also ordering several beautiful iPhoto books and using a superdrive we're burning hundreds of photos onto DVDs for family.
Macintosh is the most flexible and user-friendly platform for applying digital technologies to everyday life. Whether you're installing an AirPort Express in seconds so all of your visiting relatives can get their iBooks online or referring friends to the Alaska Mac Store when they are impressed by the ease with which you handle a large event, Apple is making it possible... And fun!