About
So you’ve stumbled across this page either as a result of a very unlucky Google search or because you found some reference to me intriguing and you’d like to know who I am. Or maybe you’re a friend of mine and just curious to know if my description of myself matches the reality that you think you know. Here’s a quick summary:
I’m currently an engineering manager at Apple, where I work on a nifty new project. I previously spent a few years working on the Mac OS X on Intel project and, after that, on the 64-bit Intel code in Mac OS X. I live in Mountain View, CA.
Before I joined Apple in January 2003, I spent a year and a half working on the Rotor project at Microsoft. Prior to that, I was a co-term (bachelor’s and master’s) student in computer science at Stanford. While at Stanford, I was what I called a "semi-permanent intern" on Apple’s Java team for two and a half years, where I was responsible for a few features in MRJ 2.2 and a lot of the bugs in the original release of Java on Mac OS X. Due to what I’m sure is a cascading series of accidents in HR departments over the years, I think I’m the only person to have code in Sun’s JVM, Microsoft’s .NET framework, Mac OS 9, and Mac OS X. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing, but it’s interesting.
I enjoy both reading and writing, and I comment on both on this site every so often. I do have a little bit of professional writing experience — just after leaving Apple’s Java team, I wrote a chapter for "Early Adopter: Mac OS X Java", published by Wrox in November 2001. It isn’t a great book, but it was the only Mac OS X Java book available at the time. Now that O’Reilly’s Mac OS X for Java Geeks is available, I’d recommend that one instead. I may do some more professional writing someday; it depends on my schedule and Apple’s approval. I’m always happy to be a technical reviewer; send me mail if you’d like me to do that for you.
I read a lot. Most of what I read would be categorized as science fiction or fantasy, but I can’t stand the stock stories in either genre. My favorite book is Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game, but more for what it says about realizing the potential of children than its science fiction. I’m a huge fan of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, both of whom have the incredible ability to make me laugh and think seriously from one page to the next. I also read the news continuously — CNN, Time, and the Philadelphia Inquirer these days, plus a smattering of Macintosh news as well.
You’re still reading this…I’m quite impressed.
Over the past few years I’ve become increasingly interested in music. Not in playing — I don’t have any talent there — but in listening to all kinds of things that I missed when I simply kept the radio tuned to generic pop while growing up. The tracks I have in iTunes include Dar Williams, Tori Amos, Beethoven, R.E.M., Natalie Merchant, Fantasia, Belle & Sebastian, and the Beatles, among others. I’m always looking for new music suggestions.
I’m a huge baseball fan. I can’t play worth anything — I hit the ball twice in four years of Little League — but there’s something magical about watching baseball that just doesn’t exist with other sports. It’s tough to explain, but if you’re a baseball fan you’ll know what I’m talking about. I don’t get to go to nearly as many games as I’d like, but if you’re in the area and want to go to a game, I’ll find the time. I’m a long-suffering Phillies fan, through the good years and the bad (mostly bad, unfortunately).
As you might have guessed if you’ve read this far, I’m originally from Philadelphia (actually the Philly suburbs — Upper Dublin in Montgomery County, to be exact). Much of my family still lives in the Philadelphia area. Other than them and a couple of friends here and there, I’m not really in touch with Philly any more. California’s just too nice.
That’s most of my story, at least for now. If you want to send me mail, feel free: eric@outofcheese.org. It’s always great to hear from interesting people online. That’s particularly true if you know me but we haven’t seen each other in a while — send me a note and say hi!