Hello all,

Liam here; I’m writing this from the tech room in now-snowy South Burlington. The store is busy and we are wrapping up (so to speak) a brisk holiday season and we are getting ready to ring in the new year next week.

As a holiday traditionalist, I look forward to spending the next couple of days undercover with my family in central Vermont as far away from everything as I can get—and to unplugging as much as possible. My one break from that will be using FaceTime to talk with family—a great way to use all the new technology to bring us closer rather than isolate us, which it sometimes has the potential to do.

This year has seen a lot of changes in our Apple world—iOS 5, iPhone 4S, Lion, and the end of the MacBook, to name a few. And the biggest news of all, of course, was the passing of Steve Jobs. One lesson I’ve learned is to always keep an eye on the past while moving forward into the future. This week’s articles kind of reflect that concept, with some reminders and lessons about basics that have been with us for awhile, and some good news for the future for Quicken users, who may have been struggling trying to find solutions for the Quicken/Lion conundrum.

Please drive safely in the next week or so, and of course, peace and goodwill to us all in the coming new year.

Liam
liam@smalldog.com