from the Yahoo board
sfgate.com
A conversation with Examiner Technology Writer Matt Beer
Halsey Minor, the founder of the sprawling CNET online / television venture devoted to all things computer, is one very connected CEO. Asked if he could recall a time when he was not hooked into some kind of network, the 34-year-old Internet mogul had to think hard.
"I have to admit it's not very often," he said. "Can you count like going to bed at night?" Finally, he recalled an unwired moment. "OK, I got it. Two weeks ago, walking with my kids on Baker Beach. Whew. That was close."
What was your first computer?
"I'm embarrassed to admit it. An IBM PC Junior. It was pretty useless, actually. I paid like 90 bucks for it."
You have a drawer of discarded gadgets. What's in there?
"A Newton, the biggest disappointment for all time. And I hate to say this, but this Pocket Mail thing (a portable e-mail organizer). There's this Dragon Naturally Speaking dictaphone thing. It's supposed to translate your voice into text. It doesn't. I got a bunch of different Palm Pilots. They're good, but I don't use them anymore."
How much and what kind of e-mail do you get each day?
"Oh, about 120. Increasingly, most of it is spam. Second from spam is internal corporate stuff. Next is people wanting to send me their business plan. After that, it's politicians inviting me to their fund-raisers."
Technology you can't live without?
"The Blackberry (portable e-mail and pager). It does everything. I spend all day running around, and I just love it. I can answer e-mail from a cab in New York. It lets me access the Web, so I can check stock quotes and scores on the road.
"I was in Napa with my wife and wanted to get the number for Train Town. I challenged her to see who could get it first. She was going to use 411, I was going to use Blackberry. And I beat her."
Last piece of software used?
"Internet Explorer."
Last Web site visited?
"Blue Mountain Arts (www.bluemountain.com). I wanted to figure out why Excite paid a billion dollars for it. I couldn't."
Halsey Minor's Kit
Office:
Apple Multiple Scan Monitor
Microsoft Ergonomic Keyboard
Gateway Solo (laptop)
Blackberry
Home:
Gateway Profile flat panel display
Wireless Network DSL
Car:
GPS system
Mobile phones:
Motorola Startac
Nokia
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