Apple: More Than Meets the iPod

I don't own an iPod. Don't get me wrong: I love music and devote an entire computer to serving my iTunes collection, but the idea of walking around all day with earplugs stuck in my head seems bizarre. Given this un-hip attitude, you might think this year's Macworld Expo would hold no appeal for me—but you'd be wrong. It's the Macintosh, after all, that changed prepress production—and my life—from a mundane series of repetitious tasks into a daily adventure of creative empowerment.

Early in the morning on Macworld Expo's first day (January 8), a troubling thought flitted through my mind when I stepped onstage as host of the two-day Power Tools Conference on Adobe Acrobat. Would Apple's iPod-driven expansion change the dynamics of a show once dominated by desktop publishing applications? Fortunately, no. When I asked for a quick show of hands at the start of my first conference session, all but three attendees were involved in print design or production.

Being my first workshop on Adobe's new Acrobat 8, we explored the wealth of new features as I stumbled through the vastly streamlined interface. Just as exciting was my chance to show a sneak peek of Enfocus Pitstop Professional 7.1, an Intel-native rewrite that introduces QuickRun automation, a text-to-outline feature, Form Editing tools and more.

Macworld's second day began with the now-famous keynote where the iPhone was unveiled and Apple dropped the word “Computer” from its name. As usual, I skipped the fiasco to set up my laptop and AV equipment for the subsequent session.

As the Power Tools attendees trickled in following Apple CEO Steve Jobs' dynamic presentation, I recognized the familiar dazed look of adoration I once saw in the eyes of a Denny's waitress in Asbury Park, NJ. (“Bruce Springsteen just left! You're sitting right in the same seat!” she told me, barely able to write up my order for eggs and toast.)

Other celebrities were to be found at Macworld, as well. Rock legend Graham Nash was on hand to host a tribute to the life and accomplishments of Bruce Fraser, featuring a Who's Who of digital imaging legends. I toasted his inspirational life later that evening, as IDG World Expo VP Paul Kent and his Silicon Valley Houserockers tore up the stage at San Francisco's Great American Music Hall.

Friday was the show's final day, and I was back to work as host of the Art Directors Market Symposium. A lively crowd peppered me with questions as we covered design-related topics, but the day's highlight was an all-star panel discussion: two of the Bay Area's top art directors—Tim Luddy of Mother Jones Magazine and award-winning independent Roz Romney—shared the stage with photographer/educator Erika Kendra and Jim Duffy, president of Alonzo Printing.

We talked about creative workflows and the sex appeal of interactive media, but it was Kendra who uttered my favorite quote from this week-long celebration of digital technology. “There's just something about print that I really love,” she said. “It has a resolution and a richness like nothing else.”