iDesire

I am not usually sentimental or get emotional about people I don’t know…but something seems different when it comes to Steve Jobs. I of course have no personal contact or connection to him, yet his products make him close to us.

I remember seeing the first Apple computer in 1985 at a shop in Harvard Square. Not being very computer savvy then, I knew nothing of features or options that one should look for in computers. I knew nothing of processors or OS’s. All that I responded to then was the design of the computer – it was undoubtedly love at first sight and what registered was that it was twice as expensive. The life long love affair had started. The impact of the computer was large enough for even preschoolers to know of it. In 1986 when I was making my dissertation film as student of Broadcasting in Boston, I was doing a science a film. In one of the segments we were shooting a sequence with kids where I showed them a picture of apple – I was surprised as one 5 year old connected it with computers!!!

In 1999, we bought or rather my husband bought a mac – strictly for his editing work, pre installed with FCP.  We felt we had crossed a milestone, we owned a mac!!! Soon after we bought a mac for the department again for video editing. It remained off limits for daily word processing and other needs. It was a ‘special’ computer.

Steve Jobs meant nothing – it was not a name I knew or registered. That happened only in the mid 2000’s when media and internet had made access to news and information easy. We saw the launch of the ipod and then ipad. While all other laptops, mobile phones are crowing about color and art work on thie covers, Apple has stuck to its sleek and sauve silver black and white colors for most of their products . the only exception being the iPods.  The brilliance of design – minimalist, sleek and smart in all apple products.

I started to lust after them, spending much time online admiring and gazing at my ‘objects of desire’. In 2000 when I visited US and Canada, I would stroll into apple shops and just lovingly look and feel the products – they remained ‘objects of desire’ – their prices being the main deterrent to purchase. The wallet determined purchases rather than the heart, but I would always tell myself that ‘next time I buy a computer it will be a Mac’. Now that we have apple istores in Pune, I am unable to pass one without going in and looking at the products, be it Macbooks, desktops, ipods and now ipads.  They still mesmerize me like no other product does.

Then all of a sudden I became proud owner of Macbook, courtesy my sister Priti. She had a macbook which she had got when her laptop conked off. But she could never get used to the mac and wanted to go back to her comfort zone of using IBM. So she offered her Macbook to me – it remains my most precious hand me down. She called me one day and asked ‘if I wanted a Macbook?’ Now what kind of question was that? Who doesn’t WANT a Macbook, I asked her’. Not only don’t I want but I desire one, more than any other laptop. I did not even tell her then that I had just acquired a 17” Dell Studio, in fear that she would think I was being greedy and withdraw her offer and give it away to someone else!!!

Last year with huge fanfare we saw the launch of iPad, many snide remarks and jokes were all over the social networking sites with regard to the name. But what’s in a name?  The iPad changed the world once again. An instant hit with children and adults and for me – one more Apple product to lust after. When I went to US in July this year, I was determined to buy a iPad 2, thought the $500.00 tag seemed a bit excess. Even as my sister Anju, was driving back home from the airport, I asked if she had a iPad and confessed to her I was thinking of buying one and if she would recommend it at $500.00 as a worthwhile buy.  Once we got home, I was shown the iPad by my 11 year nephew in whose custody the iPad is (mainly because others have their own Mac books) and with it came my introduction to not only the iPad but angry birds as well. As we strolled into malls I looked at iPad and put it down – I would buy it in Boston if desire overtook sense, I told myself.  Then on the evening before I was to leave – Kishore hands me a ‘apple’ shopping bag – in it a spanking new iPad with a red leather cover!!! I have never been so emotional before.  Imagine a 50 year old getting emotional over iPad – but I felt like a five year old. I could not stop smiling for next few days.  

For past few months my ‘apple’ of desire hasd been the iPhone 4 and keep going to ebay and other online sites to check prices (I have  perfectly good expensive nokia mobile). My family is unable to understand my obsession with iPhone (my daughter Vaidehi keeps assuring me that I will get a iPhone for my birthday).... but how can one explain these things.. I want what I want – there is no logic to it, there is no reason, ther is no need – it is pure and simple desire.

Now of course I am drooling over iPhone 5!!

Thank you Steve Jobs for keeping the child in me curious and engaged.