A Letter to Apple Computers

Dear Apple,

I am writing to bring to your attention an attribute of your iPod Shuffle which I believe you should call more attention to. Really, this should be a strong selling point.

I have long been a fan of Apple products. For fear of showing my age, I will tell you I remember my dad bringing home a newfangled device called the Apple II. Many a happy hour was spent fighting with my brothers over who got to play Break Out or Pong next. Then Dad cracked open the case and converted the computer into an Apple IIe. I'm not sure what the "e" meant (excellerated? excellenter?) but life was good.

photo by said daughter

Then Apple found design. And I went to art school where I learned to appreciate design, and my affection for you grew deeper. So when my nine year old daughter showed me a contest to win an iPod Shuffle, I was eager to have her enter. Who wouldn't want a small, sleek, dare I say, sexy MP3 player? All my daughter had to do to enter was come up with an original recipe involving dairy products. For a nine year old with a vivid imagination, original is not a problem. Her solution was a cheese, peanut butter and green grape sandwich. Grape as in the whole fruit, not the jelly. I guess the organizers of this competition either didn't have a lot of entries, or they were able to see the culinary genius I could not because my daughter won and soon had in her possession a shiny new silver iPod Shuffle. Engraved with "Kitch 'n Kids" no less. I'm pretty sure the contest organizers failed to catch the irony.

My point in telling you this story is that I was a little apprehensive about letting a nine year old take ownership of such a fine piece of design and engineering. None the less, it was not my recipe, but hers that was the gastronomic success. So she has used the iPod. I mean, USED IT. And let me tell you, three years later, despite all the neglect a nine year old has potential for, that iPod is still working. But this is the part you need to sell: the iPod Shuffle is waterproof. Seriously. My daughter's iPod has been through the wash no less than five times; regular cycle, with soap, and it still works. I'm beginning to think it might actually be contributing to the brightness of my whites. I'm not entirely sure if you designed it this way. I would wager that you didn't. But for the sake of my daughter's happiness, I sure am glad you have manufactured such a quality, durable product.

Sincerely,

The Domestic Goddess

p.s. You should also know that this letter was written on my MacBook, which, in a house of six kids, should get its own medal for valor in combat.