Samsung? Lenovo? Sony? Dell? Nah. This was the favourite computer of Kim Jong-Il, the dead North Korean dictator, keen observer and purveyor of all things fattening: an Apple MacBook Pro 15.
Sophie Schmidt — daughter of Eric, Google’s president — had the unique opportunity to visit the Bigass Leader’s mausoleum, the heavily guarded building that used to be his office and now includes his body alongside his favourite things:
Also lying in state: the late Leaders’ cars, train compartments and even a yacht, all preserved in their former glory. Even Kim Jong Il’s platform shoes were on display. I was delighted to learn that he and I shared a taste in laptops: 15″ Macbook Pro.
Reading her account, I wonder how many people in North Korea know what a MacBook is. My guess is a dozen. If that. Somewhere in a dimension made of glass, aluminium and wood, Steve Jobs’ ghost is smiling and thinking “changing the world, one tyrant’s desktop at a time.” [Sophie In North Korea]