So, the "old friend" is an Apple that the author originally considered an acceptable compromise. I have to confess that in this particular case, and maybe at t

So, the "old friend" is an Apple that the author originally considered an acceptable compromise. I have to confess that in this particular case, and maybe at this particular time, I was "hoping" that this was about a real human being, and the process of saying goodbye to him/her. I guess I was looking for a peek into the feelings of someone else, who cared deeply about another person.