MacMost: Making the most of your Mac, iPod, Apple TV and iPhone.

    Veronica Belmont is the host of Mahalo Daily, a new video podcast about everything and anything. She is also a huge Mac fan. Although her love of gaming and all things geek goes back to childhood, her love affair with Macs didn’t begin until college.

   “I’ve always been kind of a geek. I grew up playing tons of video games,” she said.

   “I’m a Mac gamer, which is kind of a rare breed,” she said. She plays World of Warcraft, Civilization, Age of Empires, and games from Aspyr. But gaming isn’t the only thing she uses her MacBook Pro for.

   While attending Emerson College and studying audio production and new media, it quickly became clear that she needed a Mac.

   “I decided to make the switch finally after seeing all of my friends who were enjoying their Macs very much, so I went all out and got a top of the line G5,” Belmont said.

   That first Mac she owned was a dual G5 tower, which she used throughout her time at Emerson where she was doing a lot of audio and video editing.

   Soon, mobility became much more important so she traded in the tower for her current MacBook Pro.

   “I can’t believe that I ever didn’t have a laptop. I can’t even fathom not being able to pick it up and take it with me. I go everywhere with it,” she said.

   “I enjoy working on computers. I enjoy Internet culture,” she said. Which has made working in new media very natural for Belmont. Professionally, she began her career in new media at CNet in the Fall of 2004, after graduating from Emerson. She spent almost 3 years there, until recently, when she joined Mahalo.

   “When I started working at Mahalo, I was very pleasantly surprised to find that they use Macs exclusively at the office.”

   She keeps her Mac by her side at all times because, “It’s my main tool of communication, obviously.”

   “I have anxiety dreams that I’ve gone to the airport and forgotten my laptop. You know how some people have those dreams where they’re in high school and they’re naked, mine, I’m at the airport with no laptop,” she jokes.

   “I’m not a big phone talker, I’m really really attached to email at all times,” she said.

   Currently, she uses it as her primary workspace, since she works remotely from her office. She’s in San Francisco, while Mahalo is in Santa Monica.

   When it comes to software, she’s serious about what she likes.

   “I’m constantly finding new stuff. I’m always deleting apps and adding new ones and trying new stuff,” she said.

   “It’s hard to find the right combination for you,” she said of locating the perfect software applications for each individual. But for Belmont, she’s found the right combination for her. She’s a big fan of Colloquy, which she uses to chat in IRC. She uses Flock as her web browser, and for audio editing, she likes Audacity, but is trying out Sound Studio from Freeverse. Finally, for editing photos she uses Pixelmator, but she still uses iPhoto for organizing photos.

   It’s not just the apps she likes, however.

   “The ease of use and the interface. It suits my personality more than a PC does,” she said.

   “I find Macs to be very whimsical, like the Dock and the genie effect. Little details like that make me happy,” she said.

   And if ease of use, good looks, and whimsical details weren’t enough to spread the love of all things Mac, “They last a long time, they’re good,” she said.

   She sold her G5 tower to a former coworker who is still using it for video editing.

   “Especially since you can upgrade them so easily, give them more RAM and stuff, it lasts a long time,” she said.

   Belmont isn’t the only Mac fan she knows.

   “Yeah, almost all of my friends are Mac users actually, even my non-techie friends have Macs now,” she said.

   Describing living in San Francisco she notes, “You go into the coffee shop and there’s 20 MacBook Pros, a couple MacBooks and the really depressed looking ThinkPad.”

   Belmont adds, “Everyone I know professionally and even non-professionally are using Macs these days. I guess it’s just the crew I roll with.”

   But her MacBook Pro isn’t the only Apple product Belmont owns and loves.

   “I can’t imagine a time before my iPhone,” she said.

   Although she’s not a big phone talker, she likes being connected to the world. After using smart phones in the past, she discovered that, “they just don’t work the way I want them to.”

   Having survived smart phone trial and error, Belmont now says that “I know the iPhone isn’t the most heavily featured phone, but it does everything I need it to do, really, really well.”

   Someday, she’d love it to be 3G, have GPS and do video recording, but for now she’s quite happy with what she has. For awhile she had an NES emulator and really got into Tap Tap Revolution. Belmont also really likes the new Google on iPhone and listens to some of her 20G of music in iTunes. When not talking, web browsing, or listening to music, she also takes movies and podcasts on the go.

   “I’ve started enjoying using a cell phone since I have an iPhone.”

    Ajit Anthony Prem is a filmmaker and Mac enthusiast, despite the fact that he didn’t touch a Mac or start making films until college.

   Prem began taking film classes while pursuing a business degree at St. Francis College in Brooklyn, New York. It was with the encouragement of his teachers that he decided to change majors and become a filmmaker.

   “I always wanted to do something creative. I would have loved to have been an actor. That would have been great.”

   As Prem puts it, “An Indian guy in America, it just seemed so far out.”

   So, behind the camera is where Prem became comfortable and was introduced to Macs.

   Prem was hired as an assistant video editor during college, when he began using Edit DV software.

   “A one time experience was all I needed to believe in that level of technology.”

   After that job, Prem was hooked.

   “When I got my computer after college, I got a Mac.” It was a 450 Mhz G4.

   “It came with Classic, which I still love,” Prem adds.

   Then and now, Prem utilizes the vast video editing capabilities of Macs and the available software.

   Prem is currently working as both a filmmaker and video editor in North Carolina. He relocated there after spending fifteen years in New York. Prior to that, Prem spent the first fourteen years of his life in India, where he used computers but no Macs.

   His current interests in filmmaking and video blogging stem directly from his use of Macs.

   “If it wasn’t for that G5 at that moment in my life, I probably wouldn’t have got into videoblogging.”

   Squigglebooth.com is where Prem currently videoblogs.

   “The idea for Squigglebooth was a videoblog for me and my friends,” says Prem. It was designed to allow people who share the same creative passion to feature their work.

   “It wasn’t meant to be just a videoblog for Ajit, it was meant to be a videoblog for a community of people,” Prem notes.

   But over time Squigglebooth.com has become more of a personal project for Prem.

   “It’s a portfolio of my imagination,” he said. Prem has utilized Squigglebooth.com to showcase his personal projects which have led to more professional opportunities as well, and all in thanks to his Mac.

   “I wouldn’t have been remotely interested in half the things in regards to technology, especially in regards to blogging or video blogging if it wasn’t for my Mac.”

   Prem adds, “You become a geek after awhile. Stuff I never had a curiosity for, now I do.”

   “Mac culture tends to lead you that way, to kind of know more about your computer, know about how the computer runs and why it does the things it does,” said Prem. Since discovering more about Macs and how they operate, Prem has become a bit of a Mac evangelist himself.

   “My school, the whole communications department was a PC department and I got that switched over to Mac. They weren’t too far behind. They just needed the extra push to really go there. They got a whole bunch of G5s,” Prem said about St. Francis College’s Communications Department.

   Prem boasts, “Every friend I have, I’ve switched to Mac in one way or another.”

   Incorporating Macs into his life, Ajit Anthony Prem has completely changed the direction of his life. First with the decision to become a filmmaker and then as his interest in videoblogging grew. Overall, Prem has few regrets.

   About being a filmmaker, Prem said, “I wish I was one of those kids that made films when I was like 10 years old, that would have been great.”

   But now, filmmaking and using a Mac go hand in hand for Prem who seems poised for further growth in his creative endeavors as Squigglebooth.com has gotten more media attention. Prem thinks the future looks bright for Apple too.

   “I’m very positive about where Mac is headed,” he said. When he first began using Macs, “People thought you were kind of crazy for having a Mac system.”

   But more recently Prem has noticed that changing.

   “We should really celebrate this great decade,” Prem said as he reflects on the successful run Apple has had in increasing sales and the impact of devices such as iPods and iPhones. He believes people have developed an envy of those who can use Macs and PCs.

   “It’s great that we’ve lived in this beautiful Mac period.”

    Victor Cajiao may be the host of the Typical Mac User Podcast, but according to him, he’s, “never been a typical geek.”

   “I’m a switcher. I actually started doing a podcast back in 2005, doing a ‘Typical PC User Podcast’ at that time. I had been working with PC’s all my life.”

   But all of that changed in October of 2005 when he bought his first Mac, a Mac Mini. Cajiao was drawn to Macs, largely because of the community of users.

   “I had never really quite found the PC community, so it was really attractive to me. So I said ‘Ok I’m going to buy one of these and kind of dip my toe in the water.’”

   “Wow, there was just no looking back after that,” he said.

   Soon he had purchased a 20″ iMac, and in January 2006 he started the Typical Mac User Podcast.

   “I’m going to just start something that focuses on people like me, people that are new to the Mac,” Cajiao said about starting his podcast.

   He had plenty of computer experience to bring to his latest project, even if he was new to Macs. Cajiao has been an IT professional for a Fortune 500 telecom company for about 20 years. He’s also worked as a professional saxophonist in the Los Angeles area.

   “I’ve found the Mac to be a really good instrument to write music with. Specifically, I use a program called Reason by Propellerhead which is really kind of an all in one suite for writing music and it makes it very simple to do so,” he said.

   In additional to his Typical Mac User Podcast and writing music on his Mac he also has another podcast called Immigration Tales that deals with immigration and people’s personal stories of immigration. Cajiao immigrated to the United States from Cuba when he was nine. His family is also what what got him into podcasting.

   “The Typical PC User was based upon a 70 year old aunt of mine who I got to sit down in front of a computer and she loved horses and within three hours I was able to show her what the Internet was and that she could use that technological instrument to research her passion and I just saw this sparkle in her eye,” he said.

   “I went: Wow, if I can do that for her, then you know there are probably 10 other people like her that are typical in that way,” Cajiao said of teaching his grandma.

   He adds, “I think that pertains to the Mac as well. I think the Mac is so much more accessible to people like my wife. She was a PC user forever and I was forever having to be tech support for her.”

   With a hint of jealousy he notes, “She actually got a Mac before me. I convinced her to buy a Mac before I ever had one.”

   Surprised by the outcome, Cajiao describes a change in his household duties.

   “All of a sudden, I saw her doing things on her own that I couldn’t believe. This is really cool. My support time has gone down 30 percent, she’s learning things and she just kind of experiments,” he said with relief.

   But converting posed some challenges for Cajiao when he got his Mac also.

   “I think at first the eye candy helped. I was definitely influenced by the whole iPod generation. When I got to the Mac, I had to learn how to think more simply. As a PC user I was over thinking a lot of things that on the Mac are just very intuitive,” he said.

   “I had to have some shifts of approach into the OS and into the desktop and into the Finder. It was those little things that I had to kind of work through,” he said of his first interactions with the computer.

   “But then, what I was getting back aesthetically, and literally gaining back in productivity was more than making up for any of those frustrations because I found myself with the time to be more creative,” he said.

   Cajiao passionately describes the learning experience with Macs.

   “I was able to explore the world from the eyes of a Mac user, and then I was hooked,” he said.

   “That, plus the community. There was never a time, never, ever, ever, when I had an issue or a problem that I couldn’t reach out to the Mac community, whether it was in forums, or even my listeners, that was the beauty of it, is I never came into this as a know-it-all or a guru,” he said.

   Most Mac users would probably agree that there is room for everyone from recent converts to seasoned experts within the Mac community.

   Cajiao further describes the connection between Apple and its community of users by saying, “It’s really interesting to me that we have this entire body of people who are probably more hippies than not, that are willing to absolutely follow ‘The Man,’ when ‘The Man’ is Apple. It’s a really interesting relationship between corporation big business and the cult of Mac.”

   But the cult of Mac is no longer just about computers, as Cajiao readily admits.

   “Especially today with the iPhone being the next entry vehicle to Apple, with Leopard being the next entry vehicle, with the Apple TV being the next entry vehicle, that’s going to get people to come over (to Apple),” he said.

   Cajiao adds that, “Vista has done wonders for Apple.”

   He believes that the future looks bright for Apple.

   “I think there are going to be many more typical Mac users coming (to Apple) than there probably have been anytime before this,” he said.

   He hopes that the community won’t splinter into two groups, the old Mac users and the new converts, iPhone and Apple TV users, etc. Because after all, it was the community of users that ultimately turned Cajiao into a convert just a couple of years ago.

    Mac lovers aren’t that difficult to find, but a Mac loving Monk, well those are a bit more obscure. Sean Patrick is just that. He’s a formerly ordained Theravadin Monk and the owner of Boulder Mac Repair in Boulder, Colorado. He has been using Macs since 1985, starting with a friend’s dad’s 512K.

   “I would go to his house and play with it everyday. I just fell in love with it,” Patrick said. “Throughout school I always had the ability to work with them, I just couldn’t afford one,” he said.

   Patrick later developed an interest in graphic design, an industry that has virtually always been dominated by Macs.

   Eventually, he purchased his first computer and now, “I probably have about 60 or so in here. It’s like a small museum,” he said about all of the Macs in his shop.

   Patrick’s love affair with Macs continues today. As the solo owner of Boulder Mac Repair, he spends his days tooling around on the computers he loves while dreaming of returning to the place he loves, Cambodia, in the near future. His love affair with South Asia developed after he went there to study Muay Thai, a martial art practiced in several South Asian countries. He left the country for a new start after losing his job as a web programmer during the dot com bust.

   “I lost my job with everyone else, I was a web programmer,” Patrick said. “What am I going to do?”

   “So I left the country.”

   And on every trip he’s made to Asia, his Macs made the trip with him. When traveling he uses them to send emails, write, manage photos and videos.

   “When I went to Asia the first time I had a clamshell iBook, the graphite edition,” he said.

   Traversing another continent with his Mac has reinforced why he loves them so much. Patrick said, “Most of the time they haven’t even heard of it. A lot of the countries I go to like India, Cambodia, Burma, they haven’t even seen the Apple logo. I travel kind of shoe string style, so it’s not something I really flash.”

   Traveling can really put a computer to the test.

   “I love having my Mac, because even in Thailand and Burma, I was able to keep that computer running for 90 days straight,” he said of their stability. “I didn’t have to restart it once.”

   “This is traveling hard, in the back of pick up trucks and staying in $2 hotels.”

   Stability can also be proven closer to home.

   “There’s a computer at my house, my Mac Mini that’s been on for 7 months without a restart,” Patrick declares. “That’s not unusual. You couldn’t do that with Mac OS 9. You’d be restarting everyday,” which is why he likes many of the changes introduced with OSX.

   “I know that I can get on there and it’s stable. I can keep programs (running) for 15 days,” he said.

   But stability isn’t the only thing he likes about Macs.

   “Personally, what I like is the combination of high design, the aesthetics of the cases,” Patrick said. “Macs aren’t just pretty on the outside, they’re also pretty on the inside.”

   Patrick also said he loves, “Just how elegant the user interface is. It’s very intuitive for new users.”

   “For Unix users it’s very powerful,” as well. Macs have a broad reach and are powerful tools for users ranging from beginners to experts.

   An expert himself Patrick has been repairing Macs in some way or another for the last 12 years. Professionally, for the last 3 years.

   “I was pretty much that guy that people would call to get free repair work done,” he said, which prompted him to start Boulder Mac Repair when he returned from his most recent trip to Asia.

   “I’ve had the shop open on Broadway for a year now. Each month my work has nearly doubled exponentially,” Patrick said of the success of his business. Part of that success may be accredited to support of his business by the local college students and the Boulder community as a whole. At times, he has as many as 20 or 30 iPods in a week in his shop for repair. Fortunately, he has a full time iPod repairman on his staff to handle that aspect of the business. But his success may also be accredited to his strong sense of the impact of money and greed on people, gained from living in a Monastery during part of the time he spent in Asia.

   As his website states, “I’m not trying to get rich off of this gig, and the discount rates I charge reflect that. I’m just trying to live a simple, joyful life.”

   It seems that is what Sean Patrick has been able to do.

   In addition to all of the repair work he does, he mostly uses his Macs for media and communications. He listens to music, watches movies, sends emails and browses the internet, among other tasks.

    At Bang Salon in Denver, Colorado, they not only follow the latest trends in hair styles, but also in computers. They’ve used Macs since opening up in 1999.

   “I always have felt like Mac and Apple is more artsy,” said Lisa Garcia, co-owner of the salon. “To me, there’s a specific type of person that uses Mac. People who tend to be more artsy and trendy and more what our salon is all about.”

   “Nobody really walks into a salon or a business, if you’re using a PC, and says ‘Wow, that’s cool you guys use PC’s.’ They do walk in and say, ‘Wow, I love the fact that you guys use a Mac,’” Lisa said.

   Bang Salon is co-owned by Lisa and Rodger Garcia, a husband and wife business team. Lisa has a background in public relations and handles business operations and is a part time stylist, while Rodger focuses on providing award winning service to his clients.

   Bang, located in the trendy, upscale Washington Park neighborhood, was the recipient of the “Best of CitySearch” award for “Best of Hair Salon” for 2007-08.

   When the salon opened in 1999 the brightly colored first generation iMacs had just been released. They purchased a green iMac and a blue iMac to launch with. They also chose to use Macs at their Park Hill location, which opened in 2005.

   “I used to work for a PR firm,” Lisa said. “They used Macs and so that’s what I learned on. So that’s what I felt most comfortable with. Even though I tried using a PC, I just never really liked using them.”

   Lisa specifically sought out software that would meet her needs on a Mac. She found Salon Transcripts [http://www.salontranscripts.com/], an application designed for use exclusively on Macs that empowers salon owners by streamlining scheduling, payroll, and inventory among other features, all in one application.

   “I just feel like they’re way more advanced, as far as being trendy and you know just what we feel our salon is all about,” said Lisa.

   The image that Bang Salon and Apple computers represent are synonymous: funky, cool, hip, urban, sleek, modern. That also describes the clients of Bang Salon.

   From prominent local businesswomen who pay top dollar for Rodger’s expertise, to college students who get more affordable cuts from Bang’s junior stylists, the clientele is as unique as the salon and the neighborhood.

   One thing the Garcia’s considered when designing the look of the salon was the visual appeal of Macs and how that fits in with the salon. Rodger was the primary designer and he incorporated elements to set the salon apart from their competition. Lime and tangerine colored walls flank the seating area which is punctuated by modern black leather couches. Their renowned iMacs sit atop a custom built reception desk and inverted triangular shaped mirrors form dual sided styling stations. All of that to show that if they look good their clients will look good too.

   “Our salon is not a stagnant salon. Every time you come in there’s going to be something new, changing to keep up with the industry,” said Lisa. “That’s why we change out our Macs when new ones come out. We try to keep everything fresh and updated, the latest. We just feel like that’s really important in our industry. It’s hard and it’s expensive, but I think that’s one thing that makes us kind of stand out from other salons. We’re constantly keeping updated.”

   In addition to new Macs, Bang stays competitive by always broadening the skill set of their stylists.

   “With our salon, we’re very focused on education,” said Lisa. “All of our other stylists that are in the salon are continuing their education, and not in Denver. We send them to New York usually, or LA, or we’ve even gone to Europe for education.”

   It is that commitment to bringing the freshest, most modern styles to Denver from the world’s fashion leaders that makes Bang Salon unique. That, and their use of Macs. But using Macs for business has other advantages as well, like reducing the expenses associated with employee training. Bang’s Wash Park location has 12 stylists and 18 employees, while their Park Hill location has six stylists and 10 employees, which totals many hours of employee training.

   “I mean all of the schools that my kids have gone to, they were using Macs,” said Lisa. “So I think it’s a lot easier for people, the young people who are coming in that work our front desk. There’s very few that have said, ‘I’ve never used a Mac before.’”

   But the Garcia’s don’t just use Macs for business. They also have a G5 laptop at home and some of the Salon’s old iMacs.

   In addition to surfing the Net and sending email, Lisa said “I use iPhoto and iMovie. I’ve made quite a few movies. My kids love to use it to play video games.”