Another Sad Love Story

I recently ended a very substantial four-year relationship. It's embarrassing to say this, but it was love at first sight. I was completely and totally infatuated in the beginning, and as time went on I could not picture my life without this relationship. We went everywhere together - school, work, you name it. I introduced him to my family and friends and even took him with me on vacations and holidays. In a lot of ways, I think I was more into him than he was into me, but I didn't mind. He got me through a significant portion of college, and two trying years of graduate school. He was attractive, reliable, smart. But, after four years, things started to slow down. I found my eyes beginning to wander. I started to shop around. In short, I wanted more.

In March, my world changed forever. That's right, I broke up with my iBook and started a passionate love affair with a new iMac. Oh sure me and iBook would still go out for coffee now and again, but I always came home craving some lovin' from iMac.

iMac had so much to offer me. His memory and storage were unbeatable. Even with my entire media collection (photos, music, movies, designs, etc.) he didn't skip a beat. His screen was so glorious I began to have intimate movie nights alone with him.

In June iMac helped me write my graduation speech. Six or seven drafts later and the evening before the big day, I was confident it was ready to go. I pushed the power button in order to turn on my beloved iMac to print a copy and practice. Nothing happened. I tried again, but this time an icon of a folder with a question mark flashed before my eyes. My hard drive along with my love for him had vanished.

It was days before I could take him to the Genius Bar at the Apple Store 90 minutes from my home. Four days passed before a genius called me and reassured me things would get back to normal. So, iMac and I got back together, but things just weren't the same. He refused to operate Microsoft Office programs and hated zip files.

In August, he broke up with me again. By this time we had moved to a new city with its own Apple Store. I made an appointment. The genius told me that our first breakup had tainted all of my files and that unless I removed all of my data and started fresh with iMac this would probably keep happening. This seemed completely insane to me. How could I throw away the life we'd built together? All of the photographs, the home videos, the memories...I took iMac home and vowed to make things work this time.

Last night after sounding off about ninjas and pirates, iMac broke my heart again. I haven't had the energy or will to take him back to the Apple Store. He was my most expensive and most handsome boyfriend ever and it just seems unfair.

I am back in the arms of iBook, my old reliable standby. He is treating me well, but I am still shaken up by the way iMac abused me. Maybe we won't ever be together again, but can he at least give me back my stuff? I want my records, my photographs...and also the load of cash I dropped on that SOB!