What inspires you to cover Apple and run iMore?

[pkcable]

Rene,

I know you and iMore go way back, in fact the site was actually called something else when you guys started it! Old heads will remember tipb.com or The iPhone Blog. Tell us why you do this. Is there a person or persons that got you in to this? Is there a story behind how you got started with what has become Mobile Nations? What keeps you coming back and inspires you to write such interesting stories and compelling podcasts?

I guess I'm asking for your origin story, lol!

 

[Rene Ritchie]

Rene,

I know you and iMore go way back, in fact the site was actually called something else when you guys started it! Old heads will remember tipb.com or The iPhone Blog. Tell us why you do this. Is there a person or persons that got you in to this? Is there a story behind how you got started with what has become Mobile Nations? What keeps you coming back and inspires you to write such interesting stories and compelling podcasts?

I guess I'm asking for your origin story, lol!

Secret Origin of Rene at iMore:

I was working in marketing for enterprise software and while it was fascinating, it wasn't as interesting for me as personal tech. I got a Treo and started hanging out on the TreoCentral forums. Then, when iPhone was announced, I got one as soon as I could smuggle an unlocked one into Canada.

Around that time TreoCentral launched a sibling site for iPhone called Phone Different and I started hanging out there. At one point articles stopped getting posted regularly, and then I saw Dieter Bohn doing a couple random updates. I knew him from TreoCentral and WMExperts (now Windows Central) but had never seen him on the iPhone Site. So, I asked him what was going on.

He said the person who had been running the site had left for an IT job and then asked me if I wanted to do some writing instead of complaining about the lack of writing. I said sure.

From there I eventually complained my way into being site manager for what's now iMore, and as of last year, network manager for Mobile Nations.

Kevin Michaluk was kind enough to bring me on full time and the rest is, well, not history but a lot of great years both behind us and ahead.

It'll sound cheesy, but I do it because I love it. I made my passion and hobby my job. That does mean my work and play bleed into each other, so keeping a balance is hard, but I genuinely enjoy the hell out of writing and talking about Apple and related topics.

The best way I can describe it is that I have articles in my head and I *need* to get them out. This gives me a way to do that. I basically want this stuff for myself and since no one else is doing exactly what I want to read, I need to write it.

Not sure that makes sense, but humans don't always make sense

 

[comiken205]

What ever happened to Mike Overbo? I listened to every podcast from him and Dieter from 1-till the end *sad* I miss my Treo.

 

[pkcable]

What ever happened to Mike Overbo? I listened to every podcast from him and Dieter from 1-till the end *sad* I miss my Treo.

Did you just out the guy who left to take an IT job? I would imagine he's living a happy normal life now. And as you probably know Dieter went to The Verge and is now a Managing or Executive Editor (or something) there.

 

[comiken205]

Did you just out the guy who left to take an IT job? I would imagine he's living a happy normal life now. And as you probably know Dieter went to The Verge and is now a Managing or Executive Editor (or something) there.

I know where Dieter went. But I never heard of Mike Overbo again. IT job? Good for him!

 

[pkcable]

He said the person who had been running the site had left for an IT job and then asked me if I wanted to do some writing instead of complaining about the lack of writing. I said sure.

I know where Dieter went. But I never heard of Mike Overbo again. IT job? Good for him!

Well I just put 2 and 2 together. Rene did not name the guy. I kind of remember Mike also, although I was much, MUCH more of a BlackBerry guy back then. Ironically though my very first real computer was an Apple IIc.

 

[Rene Ritchie]

Yup, Mike Overbo! On all the early Treo Central podcasts as well!

 

[BreakingKayfabe]

I remember this place well when it was known as The iPhone Blog in 2008 which inspired me to try out an iPhone 3G. It amazes me looking back how popular Blackberry was at the time. Crackberry was super hot, too. Reed McClay and JeffH were so super helpful. Plus the work of guys like pkcable, Branta, amazinglygraceless, and so forth. I feel bad if I'm not remembering anyone else. Funny how everything is now in reverse.