3 years ago

The Highly Profitable Destruction of a Revolutionary Legacy

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First, I'm going to start this article by telling you two seemingly contradictory statements, and then I will explain why they matter and aren't conflicting.
1) I love Apple. I love the company. I love what it stands for. I love its imagery. I love its origin story. I love its legacy story. Steve Jobs, albeit an irrefutable a$$ hole, was a visionary whose team went on to build some ungodly devices. Modern Magic.
2) I don't own a single apple product, device, or stock. I have never owned an Apple product.
Back in 2002, when the iPod was raging, and my friends all bought one, I wanted one. I coveted that device. It was unlike anything ever made by any other company. It represented more than just music, more than just a device, and more than state-of-the-art engineering (at the time). To that younger me, it was the American Dream in the palm of my hand. An American company engineered the iPod, which was unmatched in every aspect.
Design.
Quality.
Capability.
Freedom.
The device was durable, sleek, and conceptualized as something from a Sci-Fi movie. I had to have it. I had to own a piece of this impeccable future tech, brought to us today and made affordable to almost everyone at the 2002 price of $299. A steep hill to climb for a student working less than part-time and making barely a quarter above minimum wage (which was far lower then, if you recall).
I worked, I saved, and the day came when I finally had the money. I borrowed a co-worker's credit card, and I made that purchase. Finally, the future was to be mine.
The future of Technology.
The Icon of the Silicon.
The package I asked to be delivered, the summary of my blood and sweat, wrapped within that sleek case - never came.
I wanted a refund. I wanted an investigation. How can a piece of mail 'disappear'?
The owner of that credit card refused to file a refund. They didn't understand the process and were