The Steve Shall Provide

by Paul Fidalgo

This is really how this went down.

As I’ve mentioned, I’ve been wanting to make the full transition to MobileMe from Google for all my mail and calendaring needs. I know, I know, all the yammering in the tech blogosphere of late–other than being about how Mark Zuckerberg thinks you’re a sucker (he does)–has been about whether Apple is creating an evil, ironically 1984-ish hellhole of a closed system, but those complaints don’t impress me. Seems to me people unhappy with Apple’s sensibilities can, well, not buy things made by Apple. Anyway, my one hangup was that I felt MobileMe’s web-based mail client was unacceptably clunky and slow, and missing many features. A better MobileMe mail experience was the last box to check before of my Great Migration.

A couple of weeks ago, I decided that I could wait no longer, and that I would put my grievances to the man himself. With his e-mail address now publicly known, I sent an e-mail to Steve Jobs and asked him to fix MobileMe mail.

Suffice it to say, he never responded. But shortly thereafter, Apple announced a new beta of a revamped MobileMe mail! Now, I’m not so foolish as to think my e-mail spurred the beta’s creation–it must have been in the works for quite some time already. But it was neat. I signed up right away.

As time passed, I heard of more and more people getting invitations to the beta, but none for me. Itching to begin the Great Migration, I decided I’d give my old pal Steve another buzz. I asked him if he might dispatch a lackey to put me closer to the front of the line to take part in the beta. No harm in trying, right?

The next day, I got an invitation.

Okay, so look. It’s quite probable that Steve Jobs never saw any of my e-mails, and even if he had, he would likely have junked it with a batch delete of messages from other lowly mortals like myself.

But I, rationalist, skeptical, militant atheist that I am, choose to believe…to think…different. I asked Steve Jobs to do a small, small favor for a maniacally devoted fan, and The Steve did provide.

Peace be upon him. Many thanks for your great blessings, oh Bringer of Aluminum and Glass.

My faith is renewed!

P.S. The MobileMe beta? It’s alright. Got some great new features, definitely less clunky. Still needs some work. But it’s a beta, right? Steve be praised!