.FLYINGHEAD FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
.TITLE Conducting a symphony of cats
.AUTHOR David Gewirtz
.SUMMARY PalmPower Magazine kicks off it’s Premier Issue with this warm-hearted introduction. You’ll get the inside scoop about starting the publication and you’ll also learn how the great features of this site can help you get the most out of your PalmPilot organizer.
.DEPT
Imagine conducting a symphony when all the musicians are cats, each a card-carrying member of the feline species. Each cat has her own idea of where she wants to go, or what he wants to do. The kitty isn’t being difficult on purpose, or even mean-spirited, it’s just that cats are highly independent and very mindful of their own needs and desires. Yet cats do co-exist with us humans. They want love, food, and a tummy-rub, not necessarily in that order. But they want it entirely on their own terms.
Starting a new publication is a lot like conducting a symphony of cats. In house, we have our editorial team. But we have to work with, and gently nudge, a number of well-meaning, but feline-inclined constituencies. These include our independent authors, our advertising sponsors, and even the fine people at 3Com, who are providing web page links and watching with amused interest as we try to make this thing work. Even the web itself is like a cheerful little cat, climbing the drapes or refusing to image a file, just for the fun of it.
Yet we’ve made it work, and this issue is a living, digital testament to that accomplishment. Along with Managing Editor Denise Amrich, I’ve been conducting this symphony prior to launch for lo’ these many months. And I’m extremely proud of what my team here at Component Enterprises, as well as what our authors and other constituents are presenting in this first issue.
Just take a quick look at our Table of Contents. You’ll see articles ranging from an enlightening discussion with PalmPilot creator Jeff Hawkins to a product "shoot-out" comparing software for computing the tip at a restaurant, with other articles on Graffiti tricks and Lotus Notes connectivity, and even more.
You’ll get this quality and diversity of content each month, and it’s all free. PalmPower Magazine is a monthly "how-to" journal about the PalmPilot organizer. Each issue will offer great ideas and helpful techniques designed to help you get the most out of your PalmPilot device. You’ll also be able to view the latest news about PalmPilot-related happenings, read product reviews, and interact with other PalmPilot organizer users as well as with vendors of PalmPilot software and hardware products.
Our style and tone extend to the design of the overall web experience. The PalmPower site is designed to be attractive, but with a minimum of fluff. This means that we use graphics sparingly and pay great attention to the user experience and the speed of page downloads. In other words, it’ll be fast, even on slower modems.
.PAGE
Here are some other features of the PalmPower experience:
.BEGIN_LIST
.BULLET Many illustrations for articles (screenshots and the like) are generated in a small, fast-download version that’s shown in the body of the article and in a full-size version that displays when you click on it. That way, you don’t have a long wait to read a page.
.END_LIST
.BEGIN_LIST
.BULLET The articles are also generated into small, on-screen pages that are a little longer than a screenful. This allows you to easily bookmark articles you’ve only partially read and makes the online reading experience much more like that of a print publication.
.END_LIST
.BEGIN_LIST
.BULLET Back issue catalogs are automatically generated and as we progress into future issues, all back issues will be as easily readable as the current, featured issue.
.END_LIST
.BEGIN_LIST
.BULLET Each article can be easily printed because every article has an EasyPrint button at the top of the page.
.END_LIST
.BEGIN_LIST
.BULLET You can also easily send a link pointing to an article to a friend anywhere on the Internet. Just click the E-mail to a Friend button and you’ll be able to instantly send a link to anyone, anywhere in the world.
.END_LIST
As you can see, we’ve put a lot into our Premier Issue. But there’s lots more coming in future issues. In the coming months, we’ll be opening the discussion boards (where you can share ideas with other PalmPilot device users), and the vendor support boards (a single-point of contact for support from nearly all the add-on vendors of PalmPilot products).
We’re thrilled with this first issue, but we’re far from done. We want your feedback. We NEED your feedback. Feel free to contact me directly at david@component-net.com or Managing Editor Denise Amrich at denise@component-net.com.
Have fun, read on, and more power to you. PalmPower!
.BIO David Gewirtz is the Founder and Chairman of Component Enterprises, Inc. He is the Editor-in-Chief of PalmPower Magazine, published by Component, and The Insider for Lotus cc:Mail, published by The Cobb Group division of Ziff-Davis. He is also the author of The Flexible Enterprise and Lotus Notes Revealed! He has been regularly interviewed by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty as well as Information Week, Nations Business, and Small Business Magazine, among other publications, and has been called a "Virtual Tycoon" by US1 Magazine. David is the wholly-owned property of Samantha Cat, a long haired kitty who’s totally convinced David’s sole purpose is to scratch behind her ears, rub her tummy, and maintain a warm, soft, lap. She’s probably right.
.DISCUSS http://www.component-net.com/webx?13@@.ee6b7f4
