The Macintosh has influenced me in countless ways over the years. I was first introduced to computers way back in 1983, when I encountered a Commodore 64 at a friend's house. And from that moment forward, I had to have one. I incessantly begged and pleaded with my parents to buy a C64 for our home, and soon enough, we had one with all the trimmings. Little did I know that purchase would lead me down a career path that has me writing for NetworkWorld today, but I digress.