A question I frequently get from customers is: “How did I learn all this stuff?” It’s not a hard question, but it’s one that’s caused me to reflect a lot. The short answer is that I’ve been doing this for a very long time, and I’m completely obsessed very passionate about this stuff. There are a lot of resources I frequent that are very helpful.
Some of my favorite websites for Mac-specific information are:
Apple – I make a point to read the marketing materials and learn about all the new features. If that’s what they’re using to sell their product and it’s a feature I’m not aware of or using, this will educate me, and sometimes even convince me to explore. The keynotes are very helpful as well. These are streaming videos of Apple executives on stage publicly announcing what they’ve been pouring their hearts and souls into since the last announcement. They’re easily every bit as excited about their products as anyone else and I feel that in every one of these streaming announcements. The next announcement is on the ninth of September. I honestly don’t know what it’s about. I’ve got my suspicions and hopes, but I don’t really know for sure. That day is marked on my calendar and might as well be a holiday.
Macworld – This is a flashy website that can bring my computer to a slow grind with everything that’s going on, but there’s a ton of great content on there. I started reading their magazine on a friend’s coffee table before I was totally convinced that an iPod touch would be a good gizmo to have.
Take Control Books – They write books on technology topics, almost all entirely Apple/Mac-centric. There’s some good stuff in there, and though there’s a paywall, they frequently have sales, and to me, the investment in their books has been well worth it.
There are many more resources on the web (like TechTails, of course!) that have been helpful, but frequently a printed book is just as good, and there aren’t any load times or internet related complications. David Pogue’s Missing Manual Series has been absolutely wonderful. The books are frequently enormous, but they’re wonderful and comprehensive. Sometimes they’ll even decide not to print a chapter and instead give a web address to visit it online. There’s a lot of content in them and I’ve found that just reading the table of contents can give me a wishlist of skills/knowledge.
Another thing that’s been really helpful in learning all this is friends and the people I meet. They’re often doing things differently, or working on very different projects. These discussions I’ll have really help to broaden my understanding and interests. It’s always been an ongoing process and the excitement of the future and “world of tomorrow” helps me chase this dynamic world that changes faster than I can learn about it.