For the Love of Tech

It was a long rigorous day of rendering INEC service, one we swore never to have enrolled if we had known the gruelling nature. My roomie and I both had same dose of Boska to ease ourselves; my deep muscle pains and his pounding headache. Our pains soon disappeared and we settled in for the night calmly on our beds until he made a call in which he was told BBM is now on Windows OS. That was the beginning of what was going to be a heated night.

He was tired of his low-cost, android TECHNO smartphone whose battery he has to charge externally again after an hour of use. “I’m switching to NOKIA” he said. My response was “To Windows? Really?”. I said they don’t have the versatility, user experience and feel that iOS or Android offers in Apps, hardware and design. But my frustrated friend was going for NOKIA’s strongest point- battery life. He said it would suit him, as he doesn’t do more than browse the web and chat with a smartphone from his days of Blackberry till now. So be it. I would be wise not to argue his choice and he would be smart to satisfy his need in a phone.

We continued our talk relaxed until he hit that emotional button in me, to which there was a prompt release of energy and adrenaline in response. He talked down my highly revered Apple. He doesn’t like their ‘non-african’ tight-control policy and the pocket-draining cost. But his hatred for any iOS-related products, as with quite many Naija folks, has made him conclude in his mind that what iOS can do, Android can exactly. He defended Android and not any of its tested platforms but he went all out against ‘American’ Apple.

He doesn’t what to hear that AppStore is the largest store in the market with amazing diversity from professional to domestic tools, all geared towards simple user experience. He would not agree that Apple has the best hardware design, aesthetics and arguably, display and user interface around. That no other tablet in the market till this second has the battery longevity gifted to iPad was nonsense to him. The cost? I agree. Their policy? Yes. But the quality and touch of their products? Distinctly palpable. He didnt hide that deep disgust for Apple so much that he compared that sleek and gorgeous tab with TECHNO pad. TECHNO?!! Yaaaaay! What an insult! Incorridgible nonsense! A peculiar mess.

At this point, the hairs on my body rose like the fur on a lion, my heart pumped blood harder and faster like a dam just opened. I couldn’t take this blasphemy. Who doesn’t know the difference between Milo and Richoco? I quickly reeled off four new points I didn’t mention before. It was tense and intense. Loud voices interjecting and superimposing on each other. Interruptions and adrenaline bust wouldn’t help articulation both ways until he said ‘E don do, I no wan hear again’. That was it. I still had sense enough to stop arguing at that point despite the urge to have the last word which I vehemently resisted. He said the last words which transiently spiked rumblings within me from its plateau state but not enough to utter anything further.

Where that energy came from that night I wouldnt know. But, could it be the two wraps of Pounded yam I just demolished? (he ate one). Or the Boska’s caffeine (a stimulant)? Maybe we just ‘felt free’ again after an exhausting day- comparable only to those of housemanship – and we spun out of control. We’ve disagreed on issues before, but never like that evening. It was different. Minutes later, thoughts of what I should have said still hovered. We had argued so much that I felt virtue left me. Jesus must have felt that way after that hemorrhaging woman touched Him. My roomie too was soon sound (literarily) asleep, intermittently changing the pitch and amplitude.

During my sleep-break that night, thoughts came back, far more stylish and potent this time. Such was my admiration for Apple that sleep also spared me more minutes to think. I won’t wake my roomie up to continue the debate; that will obviously mean absurdity to put it mildly. I would not sleep either. And another long day awaited me. Then, I wondered what benefit would billion-dollar Apple add to my soul and pocket by this vehement defense. Tim Cook is probably sleeping now. Eric Schmidt doesn’t even know we exist let alone our names. TECHNO will still rake in millions of dollars tomorrow. So what? I picked up my ailing Blackberry (I have an iPad), punched on the memo icon to write this till my eyes tired and lights out again.

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With my own hands.