Command-Tab

When It All Began
My interest in technology comes from a long-standing curiosity about the inner workings of computers and other electronic devices, and, well, breaking things. Having a broken gadget gives me a reason to get inside and explore how it works, and discover what needs to be done to make it work again, or perform unintended tasks that make it “better.”

As best I can remember, my interested was sparked by Lego building bricks and watching MacGyver on TV. Together, they influenced me in ways I never could have imagined at the time. The simple Lego toys — “Technic” pieces, not those house-building ones — encouraged me to understand machines and electronics, and I would spend hours building with them. As for watching MacGyver, I carry a Swiss Army Knife to this day because of that show, and use it daily. I like to think I took along some Minnesota wit and wisdom, as well.

My First Mac
My first Mac was a Performa 5200CD, though most Mac users I’ve met started out on machines dating back to near the beginning of the Macintosh history, like the Mac 128K or SE. However, my interest in computers quickly brought many more machines, from the Apple //e up through my current Mac. Though I started out somewhat late in the Mac world, I now have more Apple-branded computers of all shapes and colors than I know what to do with. Some get mashed-up and some get used for parts, but I’ll always enjoy Apple’s unique hardware design and attention to detail.

What I’m Up To Now
Though I’ve taken a great interest in many areas of technology, my daily work focuses on interface design and web application development. Previously, I worked on hardware ranging from laptops and desktops to servers and iPods, giving me great hands-on experience with the real nuts and bolts of computers, plenty of which ends up on Command-Tab.

Command-Tab
I purchased Command-Tab many years ago and regularly posted Mac news, although it was more for refining my web development skills than anything else. I learned how to manage domains and set up web servers, picking up PHP and MySQL along the way. My seemingly endless curiosity has brought a wealth of knowledge which I’m proud of, and more than happy to share with anyone willing to ask.