Hi Richard… and Andrew! (nice to see you are reading these pages too 
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Just come out of hospital after I came home to Susan and told her all about the nurses on scooters. She didn’t even let me finish the sentence that it was, in fact, Richard wolf whistling and not me… (“Hi” Fiona 
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I think you’ve summed it up, Meester Cassidy. Did somehow feel like a backward step from the Islington Design Centre events and Apple’s stand was stingy. Adobe’s presentations were much more professional this year (I seem to recall last year’s presenters making such classic comments as “Damn! it’s crashed again… that’s the 20th time this morning!”). I learnt a fair bit and would love to attend a free Adobe or Macromedia seminar/sales day if they organise them again.
The most impressive new design software was Apple’s Aperture. Amazingly fast. It refused to do one task for the presenter, crashing twice attempting to move something or other, but the presenter did remind us that the software wasn’t released yet as this small niggles were still being ironed-out (fair enough). However, more impressively, when the software was re-loaded, none of the work done to that the point of the crash was lost. Kudos to Apple!
I can hear the self-questioning as to whether SketchUp should be bought for the coming 10 years. And I know why – it is a strange product in that it is a tool for professionals and yet can also do a great impression of being a toy on your desktop. It’s worth going to the shows to see what it’s capable of as the demo shots they use there are from true architecture professionals – and it shows. Pity they’re not allowed to use these beyond exhibitions.
Even I was tempted by the new iPods. The 30Gb is now starting to look like a bargain considering all it can do. And the size of it is amazing. How does a HD, colour screen and battery fit in that??? But very much second the sentiments about iPod accessory stalls being too prolific. Perhaps there’s call for a separate iPod show?
The TV tuners for Apples were impressive. There was a tiny £90 unit that also did Freeview. Would be great if there was such a tuner built into an iMac (and would pay more for that) so long as it’s high def reception. A 23” iMac with tuner would make the ultimate TV recplacement. Perhaps in another couple of years?
Final observation was the Wacom graphics tablets. They are now simply perfect. The new marker pen stylus emulated the real thing spot-on; both on-screen and physically. The new wide-screen aspect ratio tablet made a lot of sense considering Apple’s LCD line-up. If only I could justify one…
In all, very much worth the day out as I did learn things and it was good to meet up again. Would be great to have a larger meet up there next year
Nick
Missed it this year, simply down to bad timing with some deadlines. A double shame, really, as (apart from me likey spendey) I’d have also been there on Friday, and it would have been good to bump into you and Nick again, much like a couple of years ago.
Hi Andrew – good to hear from you.
A couple of others have expressed an interest for next year after hearing about my trip so maybe we could all get together? Let me know.