published
MPU · Focused · Automators
before going all-in here
and counting
It Started at Radio Shack
Hi, I’m David. The first computer I ever programmed was a Radio Shack Color Computer, and it wasn’t even mine.
I rode my Schwinn ten-speed to the local Radio Shack every single day and spent about four hours programming the display model right there on the store floor. Eventually the employees figured out it was easier to let me run the demos. So they did. I’d show customers how the thing worked while my bike leaned against the window outside.
That bike logged a lot of miles. The habit never wore off.
Love at First Byte
Then I found the Apple II. After that, the Mac.
It was love at first sight, and it stuck. I’ve been using Apple products for about as long as there have been Apple products to use. The hardware changed. The fascination never did.
The productivity obsession started in a courtroom. I practiced law for 30 years, and the pressure of trial work is where I learned to make a Mac carry real weight.
That fascination is the whole reason this site exists. I get to spend my days figuring out how these machines work, and then I get to tell you about it.
In a world where technology keeps trying to steal your focus, my goal is simple. I want to help you do what matters most to you, enjoy your life while you do it, and use technology instead of becoming another one of its victims. That’s the North Star. Pretty much everything I make points at it.
I believe in this so much I’ve staked my livelihood on it.
Where to Begin
New to all this, or have you been around for years? Either way, here’s the map.
The Blog
Running since 2007. Quick keyboard tricks that save you time, the occasional AppleScript that writes your email for you, and bigger ideas about scheduling your days with intention.
Read the Blog →The Field Guides
I wrote my first book over ten years ago. These days I make video courses, which teach this stuff far better than print ever could. Come turn yourself into a digital ninja.
Browse Field Guides →The Podcasts
I’ve made Mac Power Users since 2009, one geek at a time, these days with Stephen Robles. With Mike Schmitz, I also host Focused , about doing your best work in a world full of distractions.
Start Listening →The Labs
A community of people trying to make technology work for them instead of against them. Weekly tutorials, members-only podcasts, and monthly meetups. It’s a lot of fun.
Join the Labs →Getting Productive
Focus is the skill I’d bet on for the next twenty years. My roles-based system borrows from modern productivity theory and a couple of old Stoics named Aristotle and Epictetus. It’s helped a lot of people.
The Productivity Field Guide →Newsletter & YouTube
I send a regular newsletter about Apple gear and productivity, plus whatever’s new around here. And now and then I post videos on YouTube about the apps I actually use.
Sign Up →Get in Touch
Customer Support
Trouble with your Labs account or a question about a Field Guide? Write to support@macsparky.com .
That one goes straight to my support person, here Monday through Friday. They’ll get you sorted out.
Mon – FriTo Reach David
Everything else comes to me at desk@macsparky.com .
I get a lot of email. I try to read it all, and most of it is wonderful, but I rarely write back. If I answered every message, I’d never publish another thing. To borrow a line from E.B. White, the morning mail is my enemy. No offense to your letter. I just have this overwhelming itch to make new things.
A short, friendly note about the mail I never answer:
- Podcast guest pitches for a client you represent.
- Subject lines I can’t make sense of.
- Mean-spirited email. You know the kind.
- Paid link deals and “cross-posting collaborations.” MacSparky runs ads, sure, but these are a no. Please, please don’t.