This week on The Death of Rosetta

Apple: We’ll sell you a laptop with System 10.6.8 installed.
Me: Great! Here’s my money.
Apple [after a week]: Here’s your laptop.
Me: This laptop has System 10.7.
Apple: Right! Don’t you love it?
Me: No.
Apple: Well, you should. Do you want to buy System 10.6.8?
Me: No, I already paid for that.
Apple: Too bad, so sad.
Me: [Several bad words.]
Apple: We’ll mail you System 10.6.8.

[Three weeks pass.]

Apple: Here’s System 10.6.3.
Me: This is the wrong version; it can’t boot my laptop.
Apple: Right! Don’t you love it?
Me: No.
Apple: Well, you should.

[Scene shifts to Apple Store.]

Me: Please install System 10.6.8 on this laptop.
Apple [entire Genius Bar suddenly gathers around and bursts into chorus mode]: We can’t! We won’t! The computer will catch on fire! The build number won’t allow it! Apple put in secret hardware that will break the old system! Our corporate policies won’t allow it! We don’t have any install discs! Downgrades are the work of the devil!
Me: Please install System 10.6.8 on this laptop.
Apple: Let me consult our secret database. [Several minutes of pretend typing.] Well, since this computer actually shipped with 10.6 in a previous life, we can try.
Me: Do or do not. There is no try.
Apple: Here’s your laptop back with System 10.6 installed!
Me: Was that really so hard?
Apple: Have you tried System 10.7? You’ll love it!

Join us next week on The Death of Rosetta, as Michael attempts to explain to the IRS why it’s ok with Apple that none of his old financial records are readable.