Seeing that we are coming up to the San Francisco MacWorld Expo again, I would like to tell a true story of my past MacWorld experience for all of you that care to hear it. So sit back, relax and read away.
It was 2002, I was seventeen years old, on my own, and five hundred miles away from home. I had arrived in San Francisco a day early and would be taking the subway downtown the next morning. I was ready. Everything was planned. This was my first MacWorld Expo, and it was going to be perfect.
I knew that Steve Jobs gives the Keynote speech every year, traditionally releasing the "Next Big Thing." I had stayed away from the internet the night before, so I did not know of the new dome iMac. However, I knew that it was going to be something big; Apple had been hyping the keynote for the past week. "It's like a backstage pass to the future," Apple.com's website read. Unfortunately, I did not possess a pass to the keynote, only to the Exhibit floor, where I would have to be content to watch the action on the big screen.
When I arrived, I was disappointed to discover that since the Exhibit floor was not opening until the day
after the Keynote, there would not be a big screen. I was at MacWorld and not able to watch Steve Jobs' speech. If I had stayed at home, I could have watched the keynote over the internet. Regrettably, I was not at home; I was in downtown San Francisco separated by a thin, white wall from the keynote that I so desired to watch.
I walked outside and leaned against a wall, observing the pre-keynote activity of which I was no longer a part. There were other Mac people congregating, all of them going into the keynote building, except me. Believing in the impossible, I walked up to the first entrance and explained my predicament to the security guard. He was sympathetic but answered that he could not let me in. I was not yet worried. I walked to the next entrance and told my story to that security guard asking whether he could make one exception. He also refused my request, as did the guard at the media entrance. Now I was worried.
I was informed by one of the MacWorld staff that I might be able to watch the Apple keynote over the internet at the Sony Computer Emporium. Watching
Steve Jobs' Apple keynote speech at
MacWorld on a
Sony Computer would be, at best, ironic. So I concluded that I had to discover other options. My thoughts went to trying a James Bond move and climbing through the roof vents. I soon noticed that all the vents were not in easy reach and that I wasn't James Bond, so my fantasy quickly ended. When my trip back to reality was complete, I walked over to the Emporium where I discovered that it opened one hour after the keynote started.
I was out of options, watching the last half of the Apple keynote on a Sony computer was my only choice. How ever terrible an option it was. Not knowing what else to do and with the keynote starting in minutes, I walked back to watch the last minute bustle. Most people were inside the building by now, but a few were still meandering around outside. Unexpectedly, the current guards went inside with new guards replacing them. I had suddenly acquired three more chances to get inside.
I walked up to the first entrance and pleaded with the new security guard. He said he was sorry, but he was not permitted to allow me in. I went to the second entrance and received the same response. I had one last chance. Walking over to the media entrance, I again told my story. Once more, I was denied entry. I then explained that if I could not get in, I would have to watch the
Apple keynote on a
Sony computer. The guard laughed, understanding the irony, but explained there was nothing that he could do.
Defeated, I turned to walk away when the last remaining media person approached me. I had been overheard by Ilene Hoffman, the head of forums at MacFixIt.com, and my story about watching the Apple keynote on a Sony computer had obviously moved her. She was not going to let a Mac person go to the dark side during the peak of Apple glory. She possessed both a media pass and a personal pass, she handed me the latter.
The pass felt like gold as I put it around my neck. I was now wearing the required Apple medal that allowed me to attend the Steve Jobs keynote. Barely caring that I was five minutes late, I walked into the keynote thanking Ms. Hoffman profusely. Steve Jobs was talking, people were watching and I found my seat. I had heard about Steve Jobs Reality Distortion Field, but nothing that he could do could every amount to the reality that I had distorted to get there. The End.
Bryan
P.S. I hope that all of you liked my story and that your MacWorld experience is not quite as eventful
P.P.S. And just so that you all know, I'm rooting for a Video iPod.
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