Let me introduce myself: I am Ken Gruberman Papa Tech’ve answered questions on technology and personal writing since 1991. And now, it’s an honor to be here at Huffington Post. I hope to be your trusted guide, counselor and wise-cracking partner as clear a path through the jungle Tech!
Yes, how can I be the dad Tech? Returning to where it all began.
They say (the “them”) the first type of team that tries to be the one you love and you are attacked. I’m sure it’s true: my first computer was a Commodore 64 … and I hated it! For 3 years I struggled to get to do almost anything, even if they have a certain charm. But what I expect from a computer that I bought at Toys’ R Us? It was as if I did not understand computers, I went to UCLA and Caltech, and I learned FORTRAN when I was 14 years. But for me the Commodore 64 was beyond hope.
Although there is solid science and technology education, my profession has long been in the field of music education. For 42 years I have called a copyist of music, even if no one – except copyists other music – really knows what you mean. Basically, these are people whose job is to get the music for the head of the composer and arranger and orchestrator and the web. Produce the parts and the results used by musicians or recording services for film, television, nightclubs and concerts, the success or failure of the project is on my shoulders. Copiers in music are an amalgam of the writer, editor, composer and artist. Mozart and Beethoven had copyists. It is demanding, exacting and arcane employment remained unchanged for hundreds of years.
But then, in 1987, changed everything – both for me and for the preparation of music. I saw a demo of a music notation program called the professional composer. The team was running on an Apple Macintosh. I knew it was the future, and it was decided to adopt it. I bought a Mac Plusthat weekend and no more with it in 3 days in last 3 years with the Commodore. It was the love geeks!
I became the scribe first studio in Los Angeles to adopt the basic notation. It was hard going, and dot matrix printer, I used the music produced looked terrible. I have been ridiculed – and rightly so – for some of the best musicians as a great … but I stayed with her. Today it would be difficult to find professionals in Los Angeles, writing music by hand.
The most clever of me with a professional composer, easier than I did with the Mac soon joined MacValley User Group in Northridge, CA to expand my knowledge of the Mac experience, and computing in general. That when things really took off for me. Soon became the program director (I booked speakers for each month), the MC meeting and the editor of the newsletter – positions for 14 years. I participated in debates and round tables, both at headquarters in San Francisco MacWorld Expo and Seybold Seminars. In the 90s, I started writing for MacUser magazine, over nearly 7 years I have helped dozens of journals, articles and services.
In the 90 computers were added to my repertoire, because there are things that I wanted to do, which could be done by a system based on Windows. I built my computer as a way to learn about them and began to integrate the two platforms and help others with similar features.
And I got in the wider field of personal technology. I had always been an audiophile since the age of 12 years, so it was natural that I get the first CD, where he has been offered to the public.I was one of the first customers of the two laser discs in the 80′s and DVD and TiVo in the 90s – the digital video recorder (DVR) and services that define industry. I still have and use a TiVo Series 3 lovemy! And now, TiVo has announced a series of 4 cars (but that’s another column.) Mobile phones, digital cameras, PDAs and handheld devices, audio and video … if it spins, beeps or flashes, you may have had or have.
Now, we close our first decade of the 21st century, the mill and Tech is a still faster. I feel the bitterness of not having my own personal jet pack and Jetsons Hovercar Y2K when you arrived?Of course! After all, Popular Mechanics said that we all have, right? Liars. However, there are many technological marvels, to the surprise. An isSibelius, notation software that I use now, I am a fan for many years and, sometimes, enjoy the demo of the product.