My First Apple Computer: The Start of A Love Affair
Upon entering college in the summer of 1987, my only experience of computer use was a high school computer programming class. In the late 80's my high school curriculum still taught typing on typewriters and made computers seem like something from a science fiction movie. I went to college equipped with a word processor. That summer, as I sat in an unventilated classroom on the campus of Western Michigan University, my love affair began with Apple. This was a computer that didn't require algebraic equations to operate, and with a click of a button I easily navigated the various programs.
As I adjusted to life on campus as a freshman, I returned to the familiar and wrote my course papers on a word processor. I would peck away late into the night and pray that my ink cartridge lasted through several drafts. As I became more comfortable in my new surroundings, I discovered the school computer lab and my beloved Apple.
I would go to the lab with floppy disk in hand ready to endure a wait if necessary. The wait was worth precious Apple computer time. The Apples were not abundant and thus coveted even more. I distinctly remember the rounded edges and the light gray coloring of the monitor. It all seemed so futuristic. I felt like I was ready to take on the world and that anything was possible as I navigated the unfamiliar on the beautiful and enticing Apple computer.
Eventually I discovered a little known fact; there was an Apple available for use in the Student Union. That became my new location of choice. There, I could draft my papers with limited interruption on the coveted Apple. Not everyone understood my love affair. "A computer is a computer," was a common sentiment. However, as an English major responsible for writing several papers, that certainly was not my sentiment. I loved the ease of typing on Apple's keyboard, its quick and easy navigation, and the user friendly design of the monitor. The Apple was enticing to me. It invited me to sit down and be creative. My ideas flowed in abundance when I sat down with my Apple. A lover of solitude when working, I was even able to block out my surroundings as I created on the Apple while relishing our love affair.
Whenever I see a vintage Apple computer, I smile. It was the start of something big -- a revolution if you will. I wanted to be part of the revolution. Apple computers stood apart and benchmarked excellence in uncharted territory. As a college student, I felt that my own personal revolution had begun as I too strove to stand apart and achieve excellence. Apple captured my idealism and became part of my fond college memories.\It beckoned to me and encouraged me to fill its monitor with my best work.
What a disappointment when I graduated from college and had to adjust to writing and being productive on a PC. I entered a foreign world of the workforce, and now had to navigate without my beloved Apple. Out of necessity, I quickly adjusted to the PC world. Suddenly, my love affair ended and real life took hold.
As Apple reinvented itself, I have returned to my first love. I am now a proud owner of my own Mac computer. I still feel that Apple cultivates my creativity like no other computer. In a home with two other computers available to me, I unequivocally prefer my Mac. I will always be thankful to My First Apple for illuminating me and guiding me along the creative path.
