Presumably, Adams’ Macs are a bit speedier than Deep Thought. The writer uses Macs to experiment with interactive fiction and computer games like the Starship Titanic he created. These days, Adams spends his time as “chief fantasist” at an online entertainment company, The Digital Village, and working on “the 137th rewrite of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy movie screenplay, an all new novel, and a new secret project.”
Q: Just how many Macs do you currently use? A: My main ones are a PowerBook and a G4 with a Cinema Display. I have an embarrassingly large number of old Macs: some iMacs, a blue-and-white G3. My oldest Mac these days is a 20th Anniversary Mac, which I want to set up for Internet radio.
Q: Which piece of Mac-related paraphernalia can’t you do without? A: The Cinema Display. It is a stupendous piece of kit. I use Final Draft and Inspiration a lot. And Microsoft Word, I suppose. Also, iMovie has been a bit of a revelation for me, and I’m working my way up the nursery slopes of Final Cut Pro.
Q: Pick an iMac flavor. A: Mint. A completely clear iMac. An obvious gap in the range.
Q: What was it like making your first iMovie, Rockstar, featured on the AppleMasters Web site? A: I loved it. I’ve done a bunch of iMovies since then as well. In fact, I’m going to have to scrub that software off my machine soon, or I’ll have too much fun and not do enough work.
Q: You’re an Apple developer. What do you create? A: I want a palmtop Mac, with always-on Internet and GPS.
Q: Who’s missing from the Think Different ads? A: Kurt Vonnegut.
Q: Do you have any fictional heroes? A: Lord Emsworth, from the P.G. Wodehouse Blandings books. My ambition in life is one day to live in Shropshire, own a pig, and be vague.