Act 2: Letter to Self

I’m doing this as an Act 2 challenge and as a follow up to my previous teaser

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My Why: The Photocopier Kid Returns

Some geeks recall fondly their times spent in bookshops. I spent my teenage years in copy shops. No, not coffee shops. But shops with photocopiers. I hung out there because I was a total Apple ][ geek. You see, most books and magazines about Apple computers would take months if not years to arrive in then backwater Singapore. And when it did arrive, it was marked up 3x at a time when everything else in Singapore cost far less.

In a harshly fluorescent-lit room stacked with machines zipping their own fluorescent lights, I remember copying the photocopy of the photocopy of one book: Beneath Apple DOS. That book opened a whole new technical universe I did not know existed. It gave me a sense of mastery I had never felt as a young teen, perhaps like being admitted to a secret guild of times yonder.

I was inspired, captivated and enthralled by the Apple story. A club for nerds just like me called the Homebrew Computer Club, dreaming a crazy vision of a computer in every home. Two guys working in a garage. And then seemingly instant success. The stunning creation story of the Macintosh and world's most famous 1984 ad to introduce it. The seduction of Pepsi executive John Sculley to be CEO with the famous line "do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life?" - only to have Sculley kick out co-founder Steve Jobs in a boardroom coup. Jobs goes on to buy a computer graphics company called Pixar as a side project but in a pique pours his wealth to plot his revenge with a new company called NeXT. The other co-founder, Steve Wozniak, takes a different path - spending his money on rock concerts (the US Festivals), going back to UC Berkeley, and nearly dying in a plane crash.

And all this is just the barest skeleton of the first decade of Apple. As I got to know the textures of the stories over the years, the more enraptured and obsessed I became. The story of Apple is the story of our lives and times. It deserves to be retold, especially in the age of AI. It feels right that the children of Apple, both products and its people, embark on a quest to build an Apple library.

My What: An Apple Library for the AI Age

I want to create an Apple Library/Museum/Encyclopedia (you can see I am still fuzzy in the details) that explores and experiments with the latest AI toys and techniques. This could be a mammoth undertaking that would totally overwhelm me. So instead, I want to start with small, perhaps disparate experiments that connect to this large theme.

Here's what I'm committing to explore in the next five weeks:

1. Dissecting Apple in China - This amazing book convincingly argues that Apple is the single most important company responsible for industrializing modern China. I want to dissect each chapter, extract every story, character, product and company mentioned, and put it all on a timeline. If I do this for many books and sites (I love folklore.org), what emerges?

2. Connecting the Dots Newsletter - Track current news and discussions about Apple. Create a daily or weekly summary that ties current news to old Apple stories. I've started with this teaser piece. I need to write a few more “manually”, and then see if I can systematize the process

3. AI-Generated Retellings - Can the old Apple stories be retold with new AI-generated media? What new ways of storytelling can we create? I am so inspired by @Lori’s song. Wouldn’t a ballad of the two Steves be just grand?

My How: Overcoming the Obstacles

Cris Valerio

suggested I write down my fears so they are legible:

• There is so much about Apple out there, what value can I add?

• This is such a big project, where can I start?

• There are practical, potential copyright issues

• Who is my target audience? Is this just for myself?

Here's how I'm thinking about these challenges:

When something is overwhelming, start small. I have a few tiny, maybe disparate concrete ideas I can implement right now. I should start on those.

As I learned from Tasshin today, there are no right answers, only experiments and discoveries. Always be on the prowl for surprises. Be on the lookout for the unexpected. That has always been my saving light.

For copyright issues, I'm heartened by recent court rulings re: AI training being considered transformative works. Still, this is an area I should be aware of but perhaps not make it a blocker. It's unlikely someone is going to sue a personal project, so if I ever have to worry about it, that's probably a good sign. What is clear is that I should purchase every book I use in the Apple library, and aim to make every piece of work “transformational” and cite the source material

I am doing this mainly for myself, to dive into the joys of being an Apple fan and to relive lush, rich stories of Apple. That motivation is enough in itself. If others find the journey interesting, then so much the better.

But a library is meant to be shared, so of course in another sense I do wish for the library to be used and cherished by all. So, this is the delicate tightrope I am still feeling out. Perhaps, my fellow Act Two-ers can help here.

The Fantastical Measurable Moment

Sandra Yvonne

suggested one fun way to gauge the success of this project: I get invited to an actual Apple keynote event (just like I fantasized in my last piece). That would be the full circle moment - from the photocopier kid in Singapore to standing in the Steve Jobs Theater.

The next five weeks aren't about building the complete library. They're about discovering what this library wants to become. Time to stop photocopying and start creating.

chao

September 5, 2025

Thanks also to

Brigitte Kratz

,

Rick Lewis

and John for the helpful feedback.