WelcomeToMacintosh
Latest
Get your Mac history lessons on Netflix
Although there quite a few old guys like myself who have been around since the early days of the Mac, there are a heck of a lot more people who have switched to the platform in the recent past. As such, those new to the platform might want a refresher on Mac history. In 2008, the documentary Welcome to Macintosh appeared on the scene, introducing a new generation of Mac fans to some of the early luminaries in the Mac universe like Andy Hertzfeld and Guy Kawasaki. At Macworld Expo 2009, another documentary premiered called Macheads. This second film was tagged "a fanboy documentary," and it explored the good and bad sides of Mac love through interviews with hard core fans like Violet Blue. I received a tip yesterday just before the start of TUAW TV Live that Macheads is now available in the Netflix Watch Instantly category along with Welcome to Macintosh. That's right -- you can watch either of the movies instantly on your Mac, or download the free Netflix iPad app and watch 'em on your newest Apple gear. Having lived through all of this history, I hadn't watched either of the movies, but since I'm a Netflix subscriber and the movies are included in the cost of admission, I've now seen them both. Neither of the documentaries warrant repeated viewings, but they're definitely worth seeing at least once if you're a Mac fan. If you're a Netflix customer, you can now get 'em both on demand for no extra cost.
Macworld 2010: The faces behind Welcome to Macintosh
The producer/director team of Mac history documentary Welcome to Macintosh came by the TUAW booth to chat a bit yesterday; Josh Rizzo and Rob Baca shared their experience as the film has taken off, the work they're currently doing to update it and add new interviews, and their expectations for the next project down the pike. Thanks to Rob & Josh for taking the time to visit!
Welcome to Macintosh to air on CNBC on January 4th, 2010
If you missed Macworld Expo 2009 in San Francisco last January, then you probably missed the premiere showing of Welcome to Macintosh, an indie documentary that provides an intimate look at Apple's history. It's been shown at different times and places over the past year, and you can also buy it from iTunes, but now you can watch the documentary for free. On Monday, January 4th, 2010 at 9:30 PM ET, CNBC is broadcasting the documentary for the first time on a major network. Welcome to Macintosh features interviews with many of the early forces in Apple history, including Andy Hertzfeld, Guy Kawasaki, and Ron Wayne (often referred to as the "third founder" of Apple and the person who designed the original Apple logo). CNBC seems to be vying for the title of "The Apple Channel," as we reported yesterday that they're airing a special about the app revolution titled "Planet of the Apps: A Handheld Revolution" on January 7th. [via Macworld]
Mac founding-fathers appear at Welcome to Macintosh screening
This year at Macworld 2009, two documentary films about the Mac held screenings. While we didn't have anyone on-site at MacHEADS, a few of us were fortunate enough to attend Thursday night's screening of Welcome to Macintosh. Welcome to Macintosh, a documentary by Josh Rizzo and Rob Baca, chronicles the history of Apple and the Mac, using interviews with the people and the users that were there. Tony Walla contributed a great piece about the film last April, which fills in more background. While the film is amazing (the DVD is available now and it is chock-full of awesome), the discussion after the screening was truly magical. Five of the participants from the film, along with Very Special Guest, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, appeared on-stage and answered questions from the crowd. (See the Woz answer our own Mike Rose's question here) Read on for more historic geekiness...%Gallery-41649%
'Welcome to Macintosh' DVD available for pre-order
Welcome to Macintosh, a documentary film by Rob Baca and Josh Rizzo that covers the history and community behind the Mac phenomenon, is available for pre-order on DVD. The DVD costs $19.84. Cute. Billed as "the first documentary of its kind," the film explores the early years at Apple through interviews with observers and former employees of the company, such as Guy Kawasaki, Andy Hertzfeld, Ron Wayne, John Moltz, and Leander Kahney. The DVD has three additional hours of footage beyond the 83-minute movie. Quantities, according to the official site, are limited, and orders will ship mid-December. Thanks Tony W.! [Via Cult of Mac.]
TUAW On Scene: from the premiere of Welcome to Macintosh
Here's to the crazy ones. TUAW reader Tony Walla got to attend the Wisconsin premiere of the new Mac-doc film that's sure to be a crowd pleaser (depending on the crowd), and he sent us this report.On April 6th, the documentary "Welcome to Macintosh" premiered at the Wisconsin Film Festival in Madison, WI to a packed theater of about 275 festival goers. Josh Rizzo and Rob Baca, who co-directed and produced the film, were in attendance. Before the film began, attendees could be seen checking email on their MacBooks, MacBook Pros, and iPhones. Even a Newton or two was in the crowd. One audience member even used the iSight on his MacBook Pro to snap a picture of the audience. To the attendees, this was not just a documentary, this was an Apple event.Rizzo and Baca's goal is to tell the story of the Macintosh experience. "In order to do the Mac experience, you've got to put it in context of the Mac history," notes Baca. Rizzo added, "You can't appreciate where it is today without knowing some of the past and the fact that there is a sprit, a personality. There is a flame that lives in Apple, that lives through some of the products that is dispersed though the creativity of the people that make them."
