I'm a Mac

2005 Chachi #50

Or at least I’m about to become one. After years of grappling with my PC and dealing with slow start-ups and shut-downs and missing drivers and mysterious updates pushed to my machine via the Windows' web site, I’m taking the plunge and buying an iMac. My home computer needs are very basic: Surf the internets, read and compose e-mail, stay connected with friends and family through Facebook, pay my bills, and perform some very basic graphic design. With my soon to be new computer, I’m also hoping to do something clever and creative with the thousands of family pictures and hours of family home movies I've compiled over the last 3-4 years. I understand the iMac is good for that sort of thing.

2007 Chachi #59

So here's my dilemma. I have mastered the archaic, yet sufficient MicroSoft Picture It! software, which has allowed me to recreate the designs of various Topps' baseball cards from yesteryear. Obviously, this isn't a software package that will be supported on my new Apple computer and in fact, it's probably only a matter of time before this particular piece of software is no longer supported by any new Windows operating system. The software is from way, way back in 2000. When I switch over to the iMac, all the templates I've created, and all my very basic graphic design know-how (if you want to even call it that) goes completely out the window. Pun intended.

What's a guy to do? There are a number of baseball card bloggers out there who create wonderful looking baseball cards, either from scratch or by basing their creations on past designs. What do you guys use? What would you recommend for me? I need something very basic and something that won’t take me too long to figure out its basic functions. I’m married with two small boys and a full time job. I have minimal time during the week to sit and figure out a new software package so that I can blog about my self-created baseball cards.  I have little to no interest in vectors and rendering and such, and I just want to be able to scan in a baseball card and quickly reproduce its design for my own means.

Any help, advice and/or words of wisdom are appreciated.