(Personal News) A Confession: I am now a Mac user

I am glad to announce that I am writing this on my new Macbook Laptop. I am now at the point where I am writing my thesis and the old "Acer" laptop was breaking down every few days--so I figured it was time to actualy invest in something like a good computer that would be mobile, and this really is the best laptop going. Many of you might say "How can you afford that?" The truth is I can't, that is why I am paying for it over the course of two years. Seventy dollars a month for two years. I am excited about it and now look forward to working on this very important work (my thesis).

It is amazing how much of a thing in our culture this Mac-people vs. PC people has become. Mac people are like these weird people and PC people hate them and Mac people hate PC people--its odd, adn I don't intend to become one of those Mac-people who are always like "You gotta get one" however this is only my first day and I am very impressed. Watch the commercials above to see some of the pros. Today I was at a wedding and I was introduced by one Mac-guy to another by saying "Mark got a Mac today." The guys face lit up and he physically held out his hand and shook it! As if to say "Welcome you have arrived." Weird. BUt maybe something I can only understand in a few months...

Obviously the brilliant marketing of Mac/Apple recently is helping Mac to become the one of the fastest growing companies in the world.Their commercials personify computers in two types of people: PC as up tight and Mac as cool and hip and young. Beyond brilliant and expensive marketing Mac relies on innovative products and the quality of products. Single-handedly they put earphones back into peoples ears which had pretty much been removed because of skipping CD that people had to lug around with the invention of the iPod the best selling MP3 player in the world (I don't have actual numbers on that but I am assuming it is--if anyone knows different please let me know I would be interested)...Apple also popularized (i hesitate t say invented because who knows where some of this stuff actually comes from!) Podcasting which in itself is changing the landscape of audio information...and so much of it free. For instance I, as a pastor/preacher, find it very helpful to download sermons for free from preachers like John Piper, Mark Driscoll, and Erwin McManus--all for free. At the encouragment of some people involved in my ministry I created (my friend Steve Harris technically created I just preach he does everything else ) a Podcast of the teaching/preaching that I do at deep.spirited.friends (DSF--our churches Sunday evening service)--(To subscribe see right side of this Blog).

Thomas Friedman has cited Podcasting as one of the thigns that has "Flattened the world"-- in his stellar book "The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century." And I think he is right. I used to listen to Christian radio and every week the preachers would say that a person could order a tape for three or four dollars plus shipping--now tose same sermons are free because of Podcasting. I don't know how this plays into costs/payments for radio time for those preachers but it is certainly great to have such free services at my disposal.

I would love to hear your stories about how Podcasting or recent technologies have changed your life.

Blessings.