Illustration By Daniel Morgenstern

On January 24, 1984, Steve Jobs triumphantly stood on a stage and introduced the Macintosh computer. Word of the Macintosh spread rapidly and soon reached Tel Aviv. I went to the local computer store and was told that the Macintosh would be available only in the United States.
Few knew that some months earlier, I had been commissioned to undertake a study on the possibility of selling Apple products in Israel. It was obvious to me that Israelis would buy the new computer.
Since the time that I had published articles as a youngster, it had been clear to me that someday I would have my own newspaper. Sensing an opportunity, I flew to New York. At an Apple store, I was told about Maggie, the first Macintosh expert. Maggie had a small studio on 45th street, just off Madison Avenue. From behind a locked door, Maggie questioned me. I told her about my dream to publish a newspaper. Maggie let me in. She was a massive person and told me that she had been employed by Xerox but saw her future with Apple.
She told me where to buy a Mac and acquire a program for creating a layout for a newspaper. "Go to Rosenberg in the printer's district," Maggie instructed. And that is how I got to Rosenberg. He had once been a printer, but his son had devised a program for the Macintosh. Rosenberg helped his son, and together with his non-Jewish son-in-law, they had developed a program called "Ready, Set, Go!" -  a software package for Macintosh computers.  Rosenberg quoted $125 for the program. I told him that I was from Israel and the sum was excessive. We settled for $100.
Back home, setting up was easier said than done.  Eventually, a youngster learned to use "Ready, Set, Go!"  That marked the beginning of my career in publishing a newsletter. "Ready, Set, Go!" was followed by "Quark Express", which in turn was followed by "InDesign", the program commonly used by myself today.

The writer is a financial consultant, asset manager, publisher of 'Israel High Tech and Investment Report', and author of four books on hi-tech investment in Israel.