Every time I hear or speak the word I get a warm fuzzy feeling inside; my face radiates joy and happiness, and I cannot help but reflect upon my past. I’ve been working with the Macintosh since 1984, but it wasn’t until 1992 that I actually purchased one. And let me tell you, it was the happiest day of my life (thus far). The Mac has changed my existence more than any other single event or experience.
It was in 1984, as a twelve year-old grade seven student, that I saw my first Macintosh. My school library had purchased two of them for use by both teachers and students. From the moment I laid eyes on it, I was hooked. I used the Macintosh (as did my other classmates) to prepare compositions and title pages. But to me, it was much more than that. The first time I saw the Macintosh I knew it would change the world…or at least it would change my world.
I purchased my first Mac, an LC II with a 12” RGB monitor, 4MB of RAM and a 40MB hard drive, in July of 1992. I remember excitedly opening the boxes and feeling incredibly fulfilled. I had finally got that which I had wanted more than anything in my entire life. The then sleek design of the LC II…the new-out-of-the-box-smell …the irritating noise of styrofoam rubbing together…it was all so overwhelming. I was officially a Mac user, and I couldn’t have been happier.
Since that time I have owned two other Macintoshes: a IIvx (forgive me) and a Power Macintosh 7100/66av. I spend my working day repairing, preaching, and writing about Macs, and I spend most of my free time sitting at my own Mac (much to my girlfriend’s dismay). I’m not sure what I would do with myself if I didn’t own or use a Macintosh—but I honestly believe that my life would be quite miserable.
During the past few years I have had opportunity to use IBMs and PC-Compatibles quite extensively. I just don't get it. I’ve argued with PC users, and soon-to-be computer buyers, often times until I was blue in the face (well, not really blue. Kind of a bright magenta). I’ve tried to spread the word of Macintosh, through speech, the written word, and by adorning Apple clothing. PC users just don’t seem to understand me, and I certainly don’t understand them. I did have a recent victory though: I convinced a relative—who was within seconds of going out and buying a Pentium clone—to instead purchase a Performa 5200CD. What a triumph! Not simply because I knew that my cousin was getting an excellent computer—but because I had wooed another recruit to our side. Every soon-to-be computer owner is a potential Mac user. I truly believe that if everyone used a Macintosh, the world would be a much happier and more peaceful place. And I am proud to fostering the realization of this goal (though, admittedly, I’ve got a few more million people to have a good heart-to-heart with).
I become more and more involved with the Macintosh industry each day. About 18 months ago I got a part-time job with a campus Apple reseller. This past fall I started an online service and consulting business with a friend, and I now work at an ‘Authorized Apple Service Centre’ as a technician. The most monumental event, however, occurred about a year and a half ago. I ran into someone who would have a dramatic impact on my life, both professionally and personally: I met Chris McVeigh. It was a fateful January day that I hopped on board to bring MacSense: The Macintosh E-Zine to the masses. And today, I continue my role with MacSense as a Senior Contributing Editor and Administrative Assistant.
I’m not sure what my future holds, but you can be rest assured that there will always be Macintosh on my desk and an Apple T-shirt hanging in my closet.
 
Renzo Piche's favorite movie is Jurassic Park—and it's not because of the dinosaurs. According to Mr. Piche, it's the movie's Quadra 700s which are the real stars. He welcomes feedback at rpiche@aol.com.
