Does Steve Jobs Own a Garlic Press?

Today’s post is definitely going to fall into the “musing” category. Perhaps it might even be “amusing?”

Me, my coffee and my Macbook Pro

This morning I woke up and began cruising around my favorite sites on my lovely Macbook Pro, cup of coffee in hand. Periodically I check my Klout score, mostly because it makes me feel more important than I actually am.

Today my score was still 40, but something new was there.  My “Influence of” column was still empty [hey, it’s not like I’m not trying!]. However, my “Influential about” column had something in it. Something I didn’t expect.

Klout.com says that I am influential about Apple 

Cool! But wait...I’ve only been blogging for two weeks. I’ve written 22 blog posts, 15 here and 7 at my Arts & Entertainment blog The Tan Post. Not one of those posts mentioned Apple in any way. That being the case, I figured I’d better get crackin’ and crank out something about Apple. I don’t want to disappoint folks who arrive here expecting to find all kinds of Apple goodness….

Why is it I love Apple so much? [and how did Klout figure this out?]

My 1987 Cuisinart Food Processor
awaiting a new bowl

As with most things I’m pondering, I resort to my other great love, food. In 1987 I was 22 and newly married. One of the first items we bought for our kitchen was a Cuisinart food processor. Food processors were all the rage then, a relatively new appliance for most home cooks. There were all different kinds to choose from, including some that were combination blenders and others with tons of buttons and fancy attachments. I read a Consumer’s Digest article that told me not to be seduced by the ones with the buttons, that the Cuisinart did everything they did and more and had a motor that was engineered to last.

I still have the food processor. The husband only lasted 7 years.

I love that Cuisinart food processor for the same reasons I love my iPhone and my Macbook Pro. They simply do what they are supposed to do, without a lot of extra crap to make them look fancy. Sometimes one button is better than 50, especially if you can do everything you need to do with that one button. After all, 50 buttons means there are 49 more things that can break than if you just had one.

So, what does a garlic press have to do with it?

My garlic press - although it could be sharper

I bet you money Steve Jobs doesn’t own a garlic press. If he does I’m sure he doesn’t use it. Anne Burrell is one of may favorite chefs. Whoa!!! I know, you’re thinking “Why are Steve Jobs and Anne Burrell in the same paragraph?” Stay with me here… On her show “Secrets of a Restaurant Chef” someone asked her if she recommended using a garlic press. She picked up one of her knives and said something like this: “Why would I want a garlic press when I have a knife that can do exactly the same thing and about 100 other things too? I don’t need to clutter up my kitchen with gadgets like that when I have a good set of knives.”

My Macbook Pro and my iPhone are the equivalent of a Cuisinart food processor and a good set of sharp chef’s knives. Long-lasting, rugged, simple, slick, multi-use, intuitive, powerful and sharp…..that’s Apple.

Perhaps I should use the same criteria for my next relationship?