The original digital optical presentation device I proposed didn't gain much traction, even as similar devices soon starting appearing. For example the VideoShow device, which used 5.25" floppy disks which had a 1.2Mb capacity. This time I decided to use Pagemaker and Illustrator to create a desktop published document and I would present it to the whole EPD management team. This time I would suggest using a Mac II as the basis for a audio/visual workstation. I'd found out that Kodak was actually manufacturing Macintosh II motherboards for Apple, at the Elmgrove Plant. I was pretty audacious using a flat panel display in the illustration, since color ones weren't available yet. I used the first versions of Aldus Pagemaker and Adobe Illustrator to create the proposal. This was a first at Kodak, a desktop published document, and it resulted in new standards for documentation. I would end up creating all the important docs for the division. Protocol docs, requirement docs, timelines, and tiger team product changes.
I believe this was the meeting that prompted the marketing manager to tell my supervisor to have me cease and desist any more talk of computers. It was probably overwhelming to many of them, hearing that computers might change their business model. Most everyone at the meeting was silent throughout, so I wasn't sure if they were even following me. Afterwards, several managers told me it was a good presentation. I'd been really nervous, and perspiring a lot, because I'd actually worn a tie for the meeting. Here I was, a new technician, (not even an electronics tech) telling engineering, sales, marketing and product team managers what the future of imaging would look like. As one of the only people in the division who was an artist/photographer and actually owned a personal computer, I felt I was THE target audience for any new digital products and I knew exactly what would be needed by others like me. |
