Hello Again From Poland

Hello Again From Poland (by Pawel Pokutycki)

This year’s biggest computer fair, INFOSYSTEM ’96 in Poznan, was one of the greatest because of the growing popularity of multimedia and the Internet. Everyone, from young computer users to professional programmers, were searching for good hardware and software needed to start up a multimedia machine. You could see hundreds of people who wanted to work on the Net for free, using Microsoft’s latest software. Every step there were CD-ROMs with virtual games and multimedia encyclopedias. You could always find some relaxation in the internet cafe and join the world’s best web sites…

Everything seemed to be dominated by PCs, but I was inflexible and found some signs of Mac’s existence over there. While I was looking for some nice CD-ROMs, my friend proposed that I take a look at French computer products, promoted by Axall Media from Paris. I said “OK!” and we went there to see what they had to offer. I saw plenty of CD’s with modern multimedia projects like a virtual trip to Paris or a computer cook-book. I asked Beatrice Tarka (marketing manager) to show me this stuff and I was shocked when I saw that most of their products can be run on PC and Macs!
She said “…Lets see… OK! This one can be use on a Macintosh” and I was watching this CD-ROM without even wondering why she wanted to show me this on a little Mac instead of a Pentium 120. As she explained “A computer is not only a thing where you have to put CD-ROMs, it has to give people the best pleasure in using it… Macintoshes do it, because it is a machine with heart – not with the latest graphic-card or fast modem. If a computer can survive for a long time without the newest hardware – it is the real, friendly people machine!”. I thanked her a lot and went over to Apple’s area. The company had a place in the “typography” block of the fairs. Why? They said that it is easier to sell one big printing Mac computer station then 50 Macs to private people. Sad, but I was happy that they have had some successes in professional publishing. Although Apple has some problems with selling Macs, Bogdan Jedrzejczyk (director of Apple Computer IMC Poland) was very generous and decided to give a LC 630 to the winner of Young Electronic Arts (take a look on http://www.pwr.wroc.pl)! I was very happy to hear that. It was not possible to find another sponsor because who would give a PC for a 1st prize.

INFOSYSTEM’96 was a good time to discover the Mac’s values. I hope next year I will see more of these wonderful machines. They are really “with heart”.

Pawel Pokutycki
PO BOX 38
55-080 Katy Wroclawskie
POLAND
tel. 0048 71 166684
fax 0048 71 551699
yeaplpz@sun1000.ci.pwr.wroc.pl