Steve Garfield contacted me and indicated that he'd both been a member of
the Boston Computer Society (BCS) in the 1980's, and that he'd used a lot
of Macintosh computers. Since I've been working hard to capture people who
used computers other than PC compatibles, it seemed like a really great fit.
It turned out I was right.
We conducted the interview at Steve's house in the Jamaica Plain area of
Boston, a nice old one off the main road. The framing of the shot is
somewhat distant, but I thought it was a nice combination of the BBS user
and his older Macintosh computer, side by side. Steve never stopped loving
the thing, so for him it was like taking a nice trip down memory lane without
the slightest bit of bitterness or regret. Steve seemed a naturally upbeat
person, both in mail and in person, and so I was especially glad he was so
conveniently located to my home; it made for a nice day out.
Steve's enthusiasm about the subject comes off pretty handily during the clips
I've garnered from the interview, including a really incredible one about the
realization of being online in a multi-user environment. In a nice story about
bumping onto someone online, he really captures the feeling many people might
have with adjusting to meeting a real person across the computer. Most people
would have forgotten this in ensuing years, but not Steve. Like I said, he
simply moved on to other computers, and it wasn't a case of him having
any unhappy experiences with his Mac; and for the small number of (then)
Macintosh users I could have found, I think he's a great representative. Also,
he had a pristine specimen of the Macintosh travelling case, which we filmed
him using, as well as his discussions about the machine and the process of
being a Macintosh user. It was good stuff.
Steve and I talked a number of times since about editing and film work, since
he does a lot of it for himself. About a year after filming, he gave me the
information to get to the Boston Final Cut Pro user's group, and even though
I was now set on Video Vegas, I came along simply to be in an energetic room
of fellow videographers. That was a a great time, and saying hello to Steve
was very enjoyable. What can I say... Mr. Garfield is just a good guy.
