The List

After the WWDC I showed my wife Apple’s video for mobile me. I now have a pre subscription for a family pack. If mobile me delivers what they say. I may finally defeat THE LIST.

We are a family of four, we have a pile of papers, sticky notes, old phone lists, torn directory pages it’s the LIST. Our personal list with the annual Christmas card modifications from the late ’80s.

You don’t know how hard and how long I have battled the list I’ve thrown every piece of technology at the list since my Mac SE-30 the Newton, two sony Clie’s a Dell x51v various laptops and now a MacBook, no wait two MacBooks, and the list ALWAYS wins. It’s the warm fuzzy blanket my wife refuses to let go of. It is the source of constant argument, and the source of stress every holiday season. It holds the key to shame or redemption, the person in charge of this list is all powerful… until now.

Apple may have finally delivered my excalibur, a weapon that may defeat, and allow me to burn (seriously, gasoline napalm whatever it takes to burn this thing) THE LIST. So that I may never again have to go through “did you change the list” “who has the damn list” “Oh crap I forgot the list” Apple may be strengthening my marriage.

My wife is a technophobe, as easy as I try to make technology for her she has never embraced any of it. She is the kind of person that has a secret magnetic technology repulsing field, I’m not kidding, watches fail (we have a box of them) cell phones die and computers have random problems when she uses them. My quest to defeat the LIST, digitize it, make it fluid make it useful, has to include my wife, and something practical enough for her to want to use.

After the mobile Me video she was actually interested in trying it, and I almost cried. I know as soon as the information is edited online, and she accesses it without THE LIST I will have won, it will only take one time.

The list must die, I have secretly plotted against the list since my first scanner. I have tried to digitize, organize, reproduce, copy, and web 2.0 the list and it always wins. My wife makes one modification and all my efforts are obsolete, the data flawed, the information that was at my fingertips no longer valid… sigh. I know if our house were burning and I was trapped my wife would glance over at the list and hesitate if only for one moment, and consider saving the list first, this may even become life or death for me.

Mobile me may finally, finally be the end of the LIST I don’t care how much money it takes, or how much time, THE LIST must die, it will die, thank you thank you Apple, I look foreword to using mobile me in battle, I will have my password ready if only I can find it.

yep It’s probably on the list.

Update to mobile me…..

we’ve been using our account now for awhile, and I have to say…………. I like it.  I really do, it has synced to my laptop easily back and forth, my kids have used it without any real problems.  I have heard in other places the report is not so good, but with me it’s been just fine, no data loss, no real issues.  We have not killed the list, but with mobile me I feel like I’m sharpening my knife before the slaughter, I will kill the list, I will I swear.