Steve Jobs has finally done it. Apple has overtaken Microsoft in value for the first time since, well, ever. Apple fans the world over are beginning to rejoice. Many are reminiscing about the day they made the fateful switch from PC to Mac, forever remembering the moment when they would no longer look at the familiar waiting symbol of the hourglass, now looking at the more positive version of the Apple color pinwheel spinning optimistically. I remember my conversion moment, i needed more space on my desktop and upon seeing the new Mac Mini, i was completely sold. I had worked on iMacs in school, effortlessly making powerpoints and clicking away with glee as the startup was seemless so my decision to own a Mac was a educated. The Mini became the catalyst for many more Apple items, the iPods (nano and touch), the polycarbonate(fancy word for plastic) MacBook and the ever overcompensating new iMac with its 27 inch glory. I still giggle a little as i immerse myself in the beautiful liquid crystals of the screen and experience my quests in WOW with ever powerful graphics. With my 27 inch screen of destiny, i can spot Horde from 6 digital miles away. They never see this Rogue coming. I can say with certainty that I am a Mac fan. But not because of the hype. I never followed Steve Jobs and his company story. I have read articles that liken Jobs and Gates being locked in a technology battle of doom. The winner takes all. Reading these articles makes it easy to see Jobs like Frodo trying to destroy the evil ring of Microsoft. Often being tethered by Sam AT&TÂ with a fierce love-hate relationship and that annoying Google Gollum, plotting to destroy the “Jobesses” and get the precious Microsoft back to use for its own power. But even with cool Tolkien references, the overtake of Microsoft in terms of profit was much less eventful and pretty much a foregone conclusion. Why? Because Apple products are easier to use. Want proof of this? Try explaining DOS to 3rd graders and see how fast they grasp the concept. Better yet, try explaining DOS to most of the populace and see where that gets you. Drop a iPhone in that same populace’s grimy hands and watch as they figure out the inner workings of their phone in a day without instructions. But all that being said, I’m still confident that PC’s will come up with something revolutionary, mainly because they have to. I’m still loyal to certain PC products, Microsoft Word being one, and even now i’m reading gchat messages on my Blackberry Bold (yes, i never got onto the iPhone train). Now the ball is in Apple’s shiny, aluminum bodied court. Will they be able to keep the innovations coming? Will their products keep customers loyal with the emerging popularity of Android? Will Apple drop their ridiculous prices now with their new found wealth? Will Steve Jobs ever wear a pair of jeans that doesn’t ride up to his navel? All valid questions. But only history or Tolkien will ever know.
