I don't think framing it in terms of 'what could have been' was really necessary. To me it seems like there was absolutely no chance of him ever being the 'othe

I don't think framing it in terms of 'what could have been' was really necessary. To me it seems like there was absolutely no chance of him ever being the 'other' guy to begin with. It was just another temporary escapist fantasy like the cyber stuff. What happened doesn't resemble a meaningful fork between two possible lives. Fate (and Apple) really made the decision for him, it's implausible he would have ever rejected that job given the circumstances.