Crazy Apple News Site > A Fairy Tale

Once upon a time there was a beautiful computer company who lived in the magic valley far to the west. And this computer company made graceful, elegant, useful machines that everyone loved.  True, it was hard to develop software for the beautiful computer because the beautiful company only wanted beautiful software. And true, the beautiful computer was a little expensive, but people were happy to buy it because it was so great.

One day an evil software company from far to the north came and tricked the Master of Business and Industry into putting their software on all the computers the Master sold.  The evil company’s software was ugly, hard to use, and downright primitive compared to the beautiful company’s offerings, but people still bought it for two reasons: it was cheap, it was easy for all the little developers to write software for the evil company’s operating system, and you could install it on any hardware you wanted.¹

At first the beautiful company laughed at the evil company’s products, but somehow the evil company took over the world, and all but a faithful handful moved to the Dungeon Of Stupidity. Those few waited for the return of their King, the head of the beautiful company, and a day when they would once again be able to use beautiful computers in the light of day, instead of hiding in MUGs.

At last the King returned and the beautiful company started the long, slow climb back out of obscurity. They made it easier for the little programmers to write software for the beautiful computer by giving them the tools they needed. They brought the price of the beautiful computer down, so that more people could know of its beauty.  And the beautiful computer once again flourished.

And the King thought, and brought forth Music that the people could carry, and all was good. And he thought again, and the beautiful company built computers in the Air, and all was good.  And at last he thought his greatest thought, and brought forth a new device, one that combined the Music, and the Air, and let people talk to other people across great distances.  And the people rejoiced, for the new device was amazing and powerful.  At length the beautiful company let others create programs to run on the device, and the rejoicing increased.  True, it was hard to develop software for the beautiful device because the beautiful company only wanted beautiful software.  And true, the beautiful device was a little expensive, but people were happy to buy it because it was so great.

And now a company that claims not to be evil has brought forth software that seeks to replace the beautiful device.  The software isn’t ugly, but it isn’t as beautiful as the software that runs the beautiful device.  It isn’t hard to use, but it’s harder to use than the software for the beautiful device.  It is more primitive than the software for the beautiful device, but there are those in the kingdom who fear that people will use the software of the company that claims not to be evil for two reasons: It’s cheaper than the beautiful device², it’s easy for all the little developers to write software for it³, and you can install it on many different devices.⁴

For now, the beautiful company laughs at the company who claims not to be evil’s device. But the faithful sit and wait, wondering what the King will do to ensure that what happened to the beautiful computer doesn’t happen to the beautiful device.  They hope that the beautiful company will allow the little programmers to write software for the beautiful device in freedom, as they have the beautiful computer.  They hope that the beautiful company will make the beautiful device less expensive, so that more people may know of its beauty. And they hope that the beautiful device will flourish.

1. Three reasons. No one expects the Spanish Inquisition! [↩]
2. 
   The software is free [↩]
3. Because the company that claims not to be evil says that any software will be allowed [↩]
4. This fairy tale still hasn’t learned to count [↩]

Tags:iPhone, story