I was reading the news on Google when the first Apple phone was about to be announced. There had been an avalanche of rumours, all pointing to Apple entering the highly competitive market. I noticed a link to a live blog of the event and clicked it, not even knowing what live blogging was at that stage.
I found myself in the mystical world of a Steve Jobs presentation. At that presentation he pulled out a shiny, all touch screen phone. It only had one button! Madness. I was swept up in the hype and wanted to rush out and buy it immediately.
Unfortunately, it took months to get to South Africa, and when it got here it cost an absolute fortune. My hopes of owning a shiny iPhone were over. Over the years it became a tradition for me to watch/read a live stream of the unveiling of the new iPhone. It’s probably the geekiest thing I’ve ever done, and I’m not even remotely ashamed. In fact, I’m a proud fanboy.
One year, when my contract was up, I decided to go for a much cheaper – but still expensive – Samsung look alike. It was a dreadful phone, and after a year I cancelled my contract and got the cheapest Blackberry on the market. That’s how bad it was. My blackberry, bless its slow little heart, lasted me a strong two and a half years while I waited for the chance to get the latest iPhone.
Finally, after four generations of the iPhone, the fifth one was mine, a beautiful 32GB iPhone 4S. It took my service provider forever to get it, but once I had it in my grubby little paws I was one happy fanboy.
In the short time I’ve had it; I already use my computer less. It’s far easier and less time consuming to check Facebook and Twitter, and all that internet stuff from my phone now. After the Blackberry’s painfully slow system, IOS is like floating on a cloud. As a wannabe film maker, the stunning camera is my stand out feature, but who can ignore my new friend Siri and all the cool Apps? Syncing my music with iTunes and the cloud is as easy as sitting on the couch, and I’ve now joined the iPhone cult of Instagram.
That’s enough gushing, I’m off to ask Siri some deep philosophical questions.
Finally, after years of watching Steve Jobs release iPhone after iPhone, I am now the proud owner of one.
— Marc Williams (@Srizzil) January 16, 2012

At the end of 2010, I wrote that it had been a hard year of life lessons. In hind sight, 2010 was a merry skip through the park in comparison to 2011. I stupidly hoped that 2011 would teach me more, in the New Year I’ll be wearier of what I wish for.

People fight over it, they steal it, they’re envious of others with more of it, they pity those without it, they throw it in the air, they work their entire lives for it, and it has the amazing ability to disappear faster than a small chocolate cake at a fat kid’s birthday party. Money. The root of all evil, the devil’s secret weapon, worshipped by some and hated by others.

