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pc/mac soldner/brent who cares what you use?

updated tue 18 dec 07

 

John Post on mon 17 dec 07


Who cares what you use ... pc/mac, soldner/brent, electric/gas etc. ?

The main question is- "Is it working for you?"
I work with a teacher who lives an hour away from the school and then
repeatedly tells us how difficult her commute is.
Sheeeesh... move- change things. (This I must admit is how I feel about
Window's users who complain about viruses.)

Did you ever see a student in a college class after one evening on the
wheel decide that they don't have the talent to be a potter? That same
kind of thing goes for working with computers. If you try Linux,
Windows or a Mac for just a few hours and decide you don't like it, you
are making that same kind of snap decision. It takes a while to learn
these operating systems but once you do then you can make a more
informed choice.
(Having said this, I still have an old windows 98 laptop on my desk
because I can't give up Glazchem and don't want to buy anything else.)

I had a really nice Shimpo Masters series potter's wheel with the big
table attached in my studio.
I bought a small Bailey to use in my classroom with the kids.
I soon after sold the Shimpo that cost twice as much, because I
preferred how close I was to the pot while working on the Bailey wheel.
I tend to assess things in terms of "how does it work for me?" I change
my firing profiles, the pots I make, the glazes I make in terms of "how
is it working for me?"

I love techy things. At one point I had 8 computers in my 3 bedroom
ranch (I'm down to 6 now). A few Macs, a few pc's and a Linux machine.
Like wheels they all have small differences that make me like them more
or less.

Lately I have been gravitating towards Macs because I spend more time
doing stuff on them instead of doing stuff to them. The other thing I
like about Macs is how much innovation is coming from Apple lately. I
don't have Leopard yet, but the fact that you can look at album covers
and pictures of your documents by flipping through them instead of
reading a bunch of file names appeals to the right-brainer in me. In
June Apple stock was selling for around 125 a share. Now it goes for
185-200. That innovation is creating a huge buzz.

I love the fact that I can go into my studio and turn on my I-pod and
have it shuffle through 1000 songs and I never have to touch it with
dirty clay hands.

...and since I am an elementary school art teacher and am busy all week,
I installed an HD TV in my studio so I could go out and watch football
while I throw on Sunday afternoons. Life is good.

John Post
Sterling Heights, Michigan

http://www.johnpost.us
http://www.schwarzkoff.com
http://www.plumbrook.org