Short Story: The Apple Man

Here’s a short story with heavy use of rhyming that I wrote while working for Apple.

The Apple Man

There was once a man named Stan and for his whole life he was a PC man.  He believed in Bill Gates and his business model for the common man. Stan considered himself Microsoft’s biggest fan.  Ever since Windows 95 Stan was quite smitten.  With Microsoft’s product line which couldn’t quite be beaten.  Stan was content with this company so much.  When it came to Apple he dared not to touch.  His Microsoft operating systems had never failed. His products had never broken down or had to be back mailed.

That was until the year 2001 when he had begun to have his doubts.  iTunes introduced a product that was primed to put Microsoft on the outs. The iPod was a formidable piece of technology and was ready to put the cd player in its grave.  The iPod boosted Apple in unforeseen ways and for the company provided just the right save.  They were able to regroup and rebrand.  Changing from a company of the elite to one that supported the common man.

But Stan still said I’m a Microsoft man.  They can do everything and more of what Apple can.  Apple may be getting better with more loot in their chest.  But they’re a long long way from being the best.
But Stan watched and watched as the years went by.  Apple released new products, awesome software, and stock in the company began to soar high.  Apple had successfully changed as a company and was now quite mainstream.  Stan still loved Microsoft but was becoming more and more hard pressed to stay on the team.

The fall begin early one Christmas.  When Stan opened his gift and was left speechless.  With the wrapper off, the box was exposed.  When Stan saw his new iPad he had completely froze.  The anger he had expected had never come.  And Stan had no desire to return the device to the store it was from.  It had started quite innocently with iTunes on his PC.  The functionality and ease of use of Apple’s tech brought Stan great glee.

Then Steve Jobs died…

(Belart)


Written while working at my former job as Apple tech support many months back.  I was inspired to write this while talking to several customers who had drank the Apple Kool-Aid and who now thought that the company could do no wrong.  I had even spoken with some people who said that they had never wanted anything to do with Apple and then some relative bought them an iPad or something and turned their attitudes around completely.  Good stories in all that actually made working for the company much more bearable. 

Overall my jadedness and laziness won out at the end of this story.  I never drank the Apple Kool-Aid and I don’t think that the company is anywhere near holier than thou like most think that they are.  I think they have a lot of catching up to do honestly with a lot of their software and user interface options.  Ultimately I lost interest and couldn’t find the motivation to finish this story proper but I think the abrupt ending has a sort of charm to it.