About MacResolutions - Professional Macintosh Service

About MacResolutions

ello, I am Fred Balin, principal at MacResolutions, now in my 11th year supporting Macintosh users. I am also a former Apple product manager, software designer, publishing professional, educator, and New York expatriate.

MacResolutions was founded shortly after attending a session at MacWorld Expo / San Francisco 1998 entitled "How to Become Your Own Troubleshooting Guru." The presentation by the engaging authors David Pogue and Joseph Schorr intrigued the audience with the claim that following just three basic steps will solve 95 per cent of your Macintosh problems.

Well, maybe…but Ive spent the last 10 years totally immersed in the remaining 5 per cent and most of what's come along since.

Unparalleled Elegance, Underlying Complexity

Apple continues to extend the boundaries of the Macintosh's highly-polished elegance, ease-of-use, and functionality. In a world of cold technologies, the Mac remains a beacon. The move to a rock-solid Unix foundation in Mac OS X, means system crashes are very rare. And the newer cadre of Unix developers moving to the Mac, further increases user possibilities. But with all the new features and capabilities comes increased complexity, and more things that are not clear or might go awry.

And, of course, no Mac is an island. We enjoy local network and Internet connectivity (wired and wireless) and with full citizenship among our colleagues in the PC dominion. Not to mention our iPhones, iPods, cameras, and a full panoply of local peripherals for storage, import, printing, scanning, backup, synchronization and content distribution.

Unless you're an expert, you may not be able to solve your short-term Mac-related problems. Apple's phone and genius-bar support is usually quite good, but they can't resolve all issues and won't delve into areas dealing with any of the multitude of non-Apple hardware and software products that may be part of your system. In that case, you may need to contact a host of other developers to isolate and solve problems.

And unless you have a lot of free time on your hand, you may not be able to adequately assess longer term needs and potentialities.

Most busy, highly efficiernt Macintosh-using professionals just don't have that time. They can best be served by a single, expert source of contact that can both conclusively resolve current problems and seamlessly move them into their specific next, best technolgy-infrastructure steps.

Defining -- and Then Dispensing With -- a Target Market

"Creative professional" has been a core market segment for Apple since the invention of the PostScript programming language and its integration into laser-printer technology in 1985. This marriage spawned the desktop-publishing revolution and saved the original Mac from oblivion as an elegant, but underpowered and limted toy.

So, back in 1998, I elected to focus on designers, communications professionals, and other content creators. In support, I called upon my own related background as a teacher, educational writer, owner of an editorial and production company, supervising editor (MacMillan Publishing Company), educational software designer (Computer Curriculum Corporation), and student of communications media (Ed.M. in Instructional Technology and Media, Columbia University).

And then two remarkable trends emerged, both of which Apple rode magnificently to its current zenith. First, major forms of content creation "moved digital" becaming more accessible, and less expensive. Digital video, still photography, and audio capture, editiing, and distribution moved from rarefied domains of costly equipment to the "Pro-sumer" market and then down to mere Consumers. Second, Apple created a full suite of elegant tools to work with this new media: professional-level products (e.g., Final Cut Pro adn DVD Studio Pro) and then the powerful, yet simple "iApps" (iTunes, iPhoto, iDVD, iMovie. iWeb).

Barriers removed; market sergmentation eliminated.

Now anyone who wishes to create engaging content is limited only the extent of his or her imagination. We all have the power and the tools to be a creative professional.

We Are At the Epicenter

My native New York City (now 17 years removed) is the confluence of the melting pot and the power structure. It is an arena of energy and possibilities, of the neighborhood and the global. It is like no other place. But the Bay Area is also special. Close to the Cupertino mother ship, at the epicenter of technological innovation, and surrounded by and exceptional and engaging clients, who push boundaries of personal excellence. And, yes, you can still get an excellent bagel (at Izzy's in Palo Alto).

Yours in maximizing the potential of Apple technologies,

Fred Balin

Principal, MacResolutions

Palo Alto, California

MacResolutions
Palo Alto, CA 94306
650-565-8120
info@macresolutions.com

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©2008, Fred Balin, MacResolutions
All rights reserved.

Apple, Mac, and Macintosh are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc.





		About MacResolutions ello, I am Fred Balin, principal at MacResolutions, now in my 11th year supporting Macintosh users. I am also a former Apple product manager, software designer, publishing professional, educator, and New York expatriate. MacResolutions was founded shortly after attending a session at MacWorld Expo / San Francisco 1998 entitled "How to Become Your Own Troubleshooting Guru." The presentation by the engaging authors David Pogue and Joseph Schorr intrigued the audience with the claim that following just three basic steps will solve 95 per cent of your Macintosh problems. Well, maybe…but Ive spent the last 10 years totally immersed in the remaining 5 per cent and most of what's come along since. Unparalleled Elegance, Underlying Complexity Apple continues to extend the boundaries of the Macintosh's highly-polished elegance, ease-of-use, and functionality. In a world of cold technologies, the Mac remains a beacon. The move to a rock-solid Unix foundation in Mac OS X, means system crashes are very rare. And the newer cadre of Unix developers moving to the Mac, further increases user possibilities. But with all the new features and capabilities comes increased complexity, and more things that are not clear or might go awry. And, of course, no Mac is an island. We enjoy local network and Internet connectivity (wired and wireless) and with full citizenship among our colleagues in the PC dominion. Not to mention our iPhones, iPods, cameras, and a full panoply of local peripherals for storage, import, printing, scanning, backup, synchronization and content distribution. Unless you're an expert, you may not be able to solve your short-term Mac-related problems. Apple's phone and genius-bar support is usually quite good, but they can't resolve all issues and won't delve into areas dealing with any of the multitude of non-Apple hardware and software products that may be part of your system. In that case, you may need to contact a host of other developers to isolate and solve problems. And unless you have a lot of free time on your hand, you may not be able to adequately assess longer term needs and potentialities. Most busy, highly efficiernt Macintosh-using professionals just don't have that time. They can best be served by a single, expert source of contact that can both conclusively resolve current problems and seamlessly move them into their specific next, best technolgy-infrastructure steps. Defining -- and Then Dispensing With -- a Target Market "Creative professional" has been a core market segment for Apple since the invention of the PostScript programming language and its integration into laser-printer technology in 1985. This marriage spawned the desktop-publishing revolution and saved the original Mac from oblivion as an elegant, but underpowered and limted toy. So, back in 1998, I elected to focus on designers, communications professionals, and other content creators. In support, I called upon my own related background as a teacher, educational writer, owner of an editorial and production company, supervising editor (MacMillan Publishing Company), educational software designer (Computer Curriculum Corporation), and student of communications media (Ed.M. in Instructional Technology and Media, Columbia University). And then two remarkable trends emerged, both of which Apple rode magnificently to its current zenith. First, major forms of content creation "moved digital" becaming more accessible, and less expensive. Digital video, still photography, and audio capture, editiing, and distribution moved from rarefied domains of costly equipment to the "Pro-sumer" market and then down to mere Consumers. Second, Apple created a full suite of elegant tools to work with this new media: professional-level products (e.g., Final Cut Pro adn DVD Studio Pro) and then the powerful, yet simple "iApps" (iTunes, iPhoto, iDVD, iMovie. iWeb). Barriers removed; market sergmentation eliminated. Now anyone who wishes to create engaging content is limited only the extent of his or her imagination. We all have the power and the tools to be a creative professional. We Are At the Epicenter My native New York City (now 17 years removed) is the confluence of the melting pot and the power structure. It is an arena of energy and possibilities, of the neighborhood and the global. It is like no other place. But the Bay Area is also special. Close to the Cupertino mother ship, at the epicenter of technological innovation, and surrounded by and exceptional and engaging clients, who push boundaries of personal excellence. And, yes, you can still get an excellent bagel (at Izzy's in Palo Alto). Yours in maximizing the potential of Apple technologies, Fred Balin Principal, MacResolutions Palo Alto, California


MacResolutions Palo Alto, CA 94306 650-565-8120 info@macresolutions.com		home \| why us \| services \| clients \| reports \| about us ©2008, Fred Balin, MacResolutions All rights reserved. Apple, Mac, and Macintosh are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc.