September 2005    

Revolution in the Valley Author: Hertzfeld, Andy Publisher: O'Reilly Media $24.95 Cloth (291 p.) ISBN: 0596007191 B&T         YBP Reviewed by David White, Customer Service Bibliographer Let me preface this review with the information that I have always been, and continue to be, a Mac user. While I have used DOS and then Windows-based machines at work for 20 years, I've continued buying Macs for my home computer. Initially it was for the allure of being 'anti-mainstream', but more recently it has also been for a more practical reason: nothing ever goes wrong with them. I have NEVER had a problem with my home Macs, while there are times I want to have "Try rebooting" etched into the front of my PC at work. Revolution in the Valley is a fascinating collection of anecdotal stories centered on the birth of the Macintosh. The book offers a snapshot of the creation of a new way of computing which continues with Windows, a barely disguised knockoff of Apple's graphical user interface (GUI). While diehard Windows fans will recoil in horror at the mere hint of this idea - a rose by any other name… Andy Hertzfeld first released these anecdotes on a website (http://www.folklore.org) in January 2004 to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the Macintosh launch. The website now has over 115 stories from the early days of the Macintosh. There are fascinating glimpses of the personalities of the key Macintosh designers and programmers. Hertzfeld's stories about Steve Jobs reinforce the general perception found in other sources - a brilliant designer and idea man who was unfortunately sometimes impossible to work with. But aside from Jobs, Herzfeld introduces us to other lesser-known names that helped change the literal face of computers. He also includes wonderful photographs of the Macintosh user interface, which show the changing face of design as the team progressed. Hertzfeld ushers us through the design of this 'grand experiment' and ends his introduction: "But I also think in the largest sense we substantially failed, because computers remain frustratingly difficult to use for ordinary users. There is still a long way to go before the Macintosh dream is fully realized, and perhaps the best stories are yet to come." Published by YBP Library Services 999 Maple St., Contoocook, NH 03229 USA v: 800.258.3774   f: 603.746.5628 w: www.ybp.com   e: academia@ybp.com All rights reserved.