I am in a long-term relationship with Apple. I tried to get my dad to buy stock the day they went public, too bad we didn't. But we did buy an Apple ][e and I had a great time with it growing up. There were a few encounters before the Apple ][, I recall the Commodore Pet 2001 with particular fondness thanks to the far-sighted Columbus Public Library who made two available to the public in 1976. The Delaware, Ohio, Radio Shack also welcomed Bill Warner and I in to play around with their TRS-80. But nothing equalled the Apple ][. Until the Mac.
My first Mac just showed up on my doorstep in college. It was 1984 and I'd spend weeks gazing at Macs in the New Haven computer stores. I guess I'd been enough of an evangelist for Apple someone (thanks, MB!) on the Mac team decided I should get one to see what would happen. The Mac worked its way through college with me. I introduced it to fellow Yale letterpress printers. Kirk Scott and I introduced it to the local Kinkos and helped them set up an early desktop publishing operation. I participated in the YMUG and the early BBS scene. But nothing will equal that magical moment of finding my own Mac on the doorstep of my apartment. For the rest of my life I've wondered what surprise each passing delivery truck might bear.