The Kids from Yesterday

This is a conversation between an iPhone and one of the old Nokia phones I had when I was a kid in school

Nokia- Hey there!

iPhone- Wassup man?

N- Wassup? That’s a new one

iP- It’s pretty common where I am from

N- Ah yes, the digital age. You know back in the day phones used to be tethered to a cable and had a cradle? You couldn’t carry a phone in your pocket. It was just too large, not to mention heavy.

iP- Really? All I see these days are people glued to small phones like me and others like me running iOS or Android operating systems

N- They gave you operating systems? In my day and age the only operating systems we knew about were ones on computers. Tell me, have you heard of Windows XP?

iP- Yeah, but that is obsolete now. Windows 10 has come in and it’s a lot more powerful

N- I had heard of this software called...now what was it? Uber? Ola?

iP- What you’re referring to are apps. See over here everything has been compressed into packets of software we call apps or applications if you will. They didn’t have apps where you’re from but here it’s the latest craze. Look at Pokémon Go for instance.

N- I also hear you can access the internet via a phone now.

iP- Every app needs some internet to work, so yes we come with modems or WiFi networking

N- What the hell is WiFi?

iP- WiFi allows me to connect to a router which allows me to access the internet. All through electromagnetic signals, just like radio in your day and age

N- Fascinating. It’s fascinating what they’ve managed to do is so little time. Back in the day I was the zenith of human inventions. I was a phone that functioned wirelessly, something small enough to fit into a pocket. Now I see that in the future, what big computers did, small phones do better.

iP- We prefer to call ourselves devices

N- So this is what I’ve created. I am like the apple of Eden it seems. I was the zenith, now you are the zenith and soon afterwards something else will be the zenith. This wouldn’t have been possible without me.

iP- Yes, it wouldn’t have. I suppose if phones had families, you’d be our great grandfather. I must confess, the way you put your remarks leads me to realise that just as the old Gods are dead, so must I one day die.

N- Well we might as well enjoy it while it lasts, because we won’t truly be gone. Mankind keeps looking back sometimes. Our memories will remain. Anyway, come on. The next round is on me!

iP- Lead on, Macduff!

The Bilge Master