It all started when I was in 3rd grade. The iPhone was released. I remember staring at it in awe. I had an iPod nano at the time, but in terms of sheer awesomeness, my iPod was blown away. I remember how my parents each bought one, and the first time I held it, making sure to use the tips of my fingers to gently caress the plastic backing that I adored so much. The whole concept of a touch screen fascinated me. I had a little red flip phone at the time, but I was already starting to think of ways to buy an iPhone. Next year, the iPhone 3G was released. I remember staring at the shiny black back of it, looking back at my reflection. I asked an Apple store employee what was new in it, and he replied, "It's much, much faster." And faster it was. It also meant that iOS 2 was released, which included the App Store. A digital mall filled with shops and catalogues of many different applications. Neither of my parents thought this was compelling enough to ditch their iPhones and buy the new one, so the only chance I had to play with it was at the Apple store. A year later, right on schedule, came out the iPhone 3GS. It was faster, had video recording, and so much more. Eventually, my parents bought it for me, along with a data plan. I was the coolest 6th grader there was. I'd play games on it, surf the web, take pictures, text my friends, and much more. I adored my iPhone and took exceptional care of it. I was already starting to dread the next iPhone's release, since it would mean that my precious iPhone 3GS wouldn't be the newest thing out there anymore. During summer vacation one year, the iPhone 4 was released. Its metal band and mind-boggling display were truly revolutionary. I bought it, and my iPhone 3GS sat unused in a drawer in my room. Everyone at school wanted to touch, see, even smell my new iPhone. I didn't blame them. Who couldn't resist the temptation of a shiny gadget. I noticed that many of my friends had jumped aboard the iPhone bandwagon as well, and I thought it was great. The next year, following the release of the iPhone 4S, I bought an iPad 2. It was incredibly fast, and the Smart Cover was out-of-this-world cool. I tried to balance my usage of it and my iPhone as to not use either more than the other. I took my iPhone and iPad everywhere. They went with me to different cities, states, countries, and even different continents. They were the ideal traveling companions. Later that year, I went back and found my iPhone 3GS from my drawer. I remember how the initial excitement of owning an iPhone had long gone, faded like a colored shirt that had gone too many wash cycles. I looked down at my current devices and thought of how instead of having unique personalities like they used to, they had just become a part of everyday life. They had become business partners, books, calculators, you name it. But that tug I had felt toward them before had disappeared. I eventually bought a MacBook, among various other Apple products, but none of them gave me that rush of excitement I got when I first received an iPhone. And none ever will. Technology has found ways to squeeze its way into our lives, making this easier, that more efficient, and more. But eventually, it does get overwhelming. Common tasks are being simplified to the point of exhaustion by technology. Whereas before, a computer processor was a glorified, amazing piece of technology, nowadays, even our refrigerators and alarm clocks have little microprocessors. The golden age of technology has given way to the era we live in now, and nothing can change it. Nothing, that is, until Apple releases another revolutionary product that once again, gets our hearts rushing, our hands sweaty, our eyes big, and makes us love it.
-kn430
@kn430
