Ok, so you've reached the point of asking "what else"? Let's see...

Well, it's been a few years now that I relocated to the U.S. -- and that I moved back to good old Germany. In March/April 2004, my decision to accept the offer of moving to the U.S. pretty much shuffled things around and unhinged (especially during the first months) what was known to me as my comfortable routine life. But yes, that was a well accepted part of this overall incredible experience of temporarily living and working on another continent. After the first months of setting everything up (getting an apartment, getting a social security ID -- the key to everything --, getting a new drivers license and so forth), things were more or less back to normal. These two years gave many opportunities to enjoy deep and first-hand insights into the american psyche, the glaring lights of the "city that never sleeps", and the marvelous nature surrounding it. Ever since these days, I've been enjoying the new friendships I was so fortunate to be able to establish, the memory of all those precious moments, and the broadened horizon I've been taking back to my home country.

But back to the normal stuff... computers! One thing right away: Microsoft is not the answer - it is the question, and the answer is no! No doubt, the vast majority of the PC market is ruled by Windows and Intel-based PCs - but following the masses and doing what everyone else does has seldom turned out to be the best way to go. Ok, Windows is getting better. But still: there is not a single day passing by that I don't hear one of my colleagues complaining about something that's awful to use, doesn't work as easy and intuitive as it could, or just simply doesn't work at all. Linux is a nice try, but why should you struggle with the software and the hardware, forgo the binary compatibility with mainstream software like Office, Photoshop, Quark, etc.? You can get it all right out of one hand: Apple. Apple makes the operating system, and Apple makes the hardware - and Apple makes sure that everything works together seamlessly. With Mac OS X you get the power of Unix, the ease of use that only Apple can give you, and the full and seamless compatibility with the rest of the world. Mac OS X is definitively the Unix with the coolest user interface and the broadest spectrum of applications available - no wonder that it has quickly become the number one Unix in the world!

Oh, and another thing in the category of "toys for boys": cars. If you're looking for elegance, perfection, power... likewise the Apple amongst all the gray PCs, or in other words: simply the best you can get, there can only be one choice: BMW! Those superb bavarian cars, unmatched in the automotive industry, offer superior performance, ultimate standards in quality and safety, and gorgeous designs. And they add another dimension to driving a car: fascination! Or as we say in German: "Freude am Fahren. BMW."