Not since February 2003 (maybe late January of that year) have I gone to work without carrying my PowerBook G4. It has been the ultimate filofax, holding pictures, music, words, code, and all the other electronic flotsam and jetsam near and dear to me.
Tomorrow will be the first day I’ve ventured off to work without it.
Of course tomorrow will also be the first (full) day that I carry the new MacBook Pro to work.
Not a bad trade all things considered. Still, there is a feeling of nostalgia, of loss tonight. Macs were thin on the ground in central Illinois 7 years ago. My PowerBook was unique and drew attention as a result. Even in 2004 when I took it to work in Kansas City it was different enough to attract some attention. Working for the University I am surrounded by MacBooks, MacBook Airs, MacBook Pros, and Mac Pros.
Seven years ago having a PowerBook and taking it with me nearly everywhere I went made me stand out in the crowd a little bit. It was an introverts way of being different. While I may not stand out in the crowd of Mac fans at the University, I am pleased to be one of the Mac-toting crowd there.