One of the perks of this job for someone like me is getting to open and set up new computers and products. Yeah, the whole unboxing thing is cool but I really enjoy the actual setup process of things. Getting the devices powered on and then going through the questions and settings is fun for me. I’m not sure why. It’s probably the same reason I enjoy reading the manuals for equipment and software or setting up the stage at Broken Goblet before a show.
I can get lost in the weeds of settings for hours. Opening up System Preferences is something I do for fun. I go through each tab and look at all the settings hoping that I will find something new that was added in an update or just something I never noticed before. If I install new software the first thing I do is open the settings and start going over every option. It’s like I’m Indiana Jones studying each chalice trying to determine what is the correct one to drink from.
The thing is, I really believe that when you go through the settings of a product you end up with a better understanding of how it works. It’s like a little lesson on the terms they use and what can actually be done. The first time through there will be plenty of settings you don’t understand, but still read them all and look at the options. Now when you are using the product you may start to remember that there was something in the settings that referred to what you just did. “Ohhh, so that’s what they meant by ‘App Icon Badge Shows:XXX’”. Now, after you have been using the product for awhile it’s always good to go back into the settings to see if there is anything you would like to change. As you grow more familiar with a product you start to understand the settings. They don’t seem to be a foreign language anymore because over time you started to speak it without even knowing it. The Settings or Preferences of your products should not be something you never look at. Get in there right away and always revisit. Doing that is only going to help you work and understand your product better.
Well, that’s all I have today, so now I’m going to go party by opening System Preferences.
