Victor Cajiao first published the Typical Mac User podcast on New Year’s Day 2006. Two and a half years later and 136 podcasts later, he is still going strong. On his web site <www.typicalmacuser.com> one can find links to subscribe to this fun podcast is published biweekly and covers Apple news, new products, hardware and software. As an added bonus he has started releasing short videos from his Flip Mino on the web site, so be sure to check it out! Lucky for us, Victor was nice enough to take the time to answer a few questions.
Q: What made you decide to do a podcast?
I was switching to the Mac and I wanted to share my experience of learning about Mac, Apple and to do it in a way that I would be a contributor not just a consumer of information. The show allows me to continue to learn and grow while I learn about all things in the Apple community, software, hardware and how “The Cult of Mac” is about people coming together and sharing their knowledge. That fits perfectly into my life and how I can contribute to it.
Q: Despite the name of your podcast, you are not a typical user. Can you tell us a little about your IT background?
Well I was very “Typical” when I started the show, and although I may not be “Typical” today, I still tend to very much relate to the early days of my switching to the Mac and what things baffled me, and what I wanted to learn. My IT background goes back about sixteen years where I have been anything from a systems administrator, a developer of IVR’s and Automatic Call Distributors to a Director of development, QA\QC. This experience in IT, managing and teaching have served me very well in doing the podcast and in delivering a show that I would want to listen to.
Q: With so many episodes completed, do you have any long-term goals for the podcast?
Well to have the willingness to keep on doing it. It’s sometimes difficult because there are so many wonderful Mac related podcasts. I often have to really wonder and reflect as to whether I’m contributing something unique or just repeating what other do. I try to inject my personality and experience to the podcast in order to keep it unique. I’ll keep it going as long as I enjoy it. Of course another goal is to continue to grow sponsorship, as the money I make from the show all goes into new gear, software and all things show related. I have been able to start a business Typical Media Group LLC, because of the podcast, and that allows me to provide consulting services on all sorts of new media related content.
Q: Audience participation is a game-changer. How have the live-streaming programs been for you?
I recently had to put the live aspect of the show on hiatus while I look for another way to do the live shows. They have been super fulfilling and I miss doing them. There is nothing like two way interaction in new media, I’m so much more interested in what all of you have to say, than hearing my own voice. I will find a different way to do live content again. Perhaps not every week like I did for 18 months, however it’s too much fun to let it go. For now I UStream myself almost every weekend and lately I have been doing some almost daily videos called Victor’s Mino Moments, to keep in touch. I call it that because they are done on a Flip Mino camera in my car while I drive home. I post them on the blog and they have gotten great reaction. I’m such a dork <wink>
Q: After WWDC I see MobileMe as a potential break out service. “Exchange for the rest of us” is a major boost to iPhone sales. What are your thoughts on MobileMe (was .Mac)?
I think if Apple has the proper infrastructure to keep it available then it will be great. I have always been a dot Mac member, however the dot Mac service is not always available. Apple has to make that service completely solid so that it can be yet another gateway for people who don’t use Apple products today (other than the iPhone and iPods). If they can pull off Mobile Me with the ease of use, and dependency that is associated with other Apple products it will be yet another tool in the “Halo Affect” to draw more people into Mac computers and all things Apple.
Typical Mac User Podcast <www.typicalmacuser.com> The latest podcast, TMUP 136: It’s all about MIDI with David Sparks, was released Tuesday, July 1, 2008. To listen, visit the site and either use the web player or, better yet, subscribe in iTunes.
