Travels with Paddles

a sea kayaking journal

Axel Schoevers (Photo: A. de Krook) Name:
Axel Schoevers
Location:
Rijswijk, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands

Thursday, October 06, 2011

Apples and Oranges

With the news of the passing away of Steve Jobs I stand still with what Apple has meant to me personally. While I am not exactly an Apple fan, on the contrary, Apple sure made a major impact at one time in my life.

In 1984, using-up the better part of ten thousand Dutch guilders (then a big sum of money), set aside by an Uncle's will specifically for study purposes, I bought an Apple //e, my first computer. The (too) 'proprietary' style of Apple hardware and software soon had me add a Zilog Z80 card and in came CP/M, the predecessor of MD-DOS and DR Pascal MT+. Cruising me through college and into an IT-career; my previous life.

Up to this day I have not owned any other Apple products. With my IT-background I am very aware of the many innovations that have become synonymous with Apple. The global impact, commercial successes and marketing strategies of Apple under the visionary Steve Jobs. Making Apple more than just a product. I am 'craving' for an iPhone, if not for...

Long time ago my //e moved to my nephews for it's games, but years later I found my carefully put-away original 5¼" Apple software disks again, in memory of...

Steve sure put some orange in life.

Said the apple to the orange:
"Oh I wanted you to come
Close to me and kiss me to the core
Then you might know me like no other orange
Has ever done before"
(Small Fruit Song - Al Stewart)

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