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Life Without a Laptop, Week 1
Matt Wood | Dec 14 2007
When the iPhone came out this summer, I was locked into a contract with another cell phone carrier, one that I couldn’t escape on pain of a $200 surcharge. So I waited it out, and dreamed my little iPhone dreams all alone with my Plain Jane cell phone and suddenly archaic-looking iPod Video. To be honest, I didn’t really need an iPhone. I work from home, rarely more than a few yards from a computer (we had two laptops and a Mini in our house at the time). I don’t travel for work, and when we go on vacation, I never bring work with me anyway. When I do leave the house for extended periods of time during the day, running errands, taking appointments, etc, it doesn’t matter because I’d trained myself to plan ahead for that situation. Besides, I never get any messages that can’t wait a couple hours until I get back to a computer anyway. I was amazingly good at rationalizing away my need for an iPhone, but I still wanted one ever so badly. So last week I created a way out. I applied the same reasoning about my working environment that I’d used to wish away my iPhone lust and applied it to my laptop. I didn’t need it exactly; I did all my real work on the desktop in my home office, and that MacBook Pro was strictly a sitting on the couch and dicking around on the internet while I watch TV machine, quite a waste really. So I decided I could live without it, hocked it on eBay, and used the proceeds to buy an iPhone and pay that cell contract ransom. It was the worst kind of materialism, I know. When I walked out of the Apple Store that day, I felt a little bit dirty, like a junkie who just pawned his mother’s wedding ring to score. But I’m proud of myself for practicing a little budget restraint—I actually made money on the whole transaction—and for once I didn’t simply add to the gadget pile, I swapped out the old for the new. As for the adjustment to life without a laptop, it’s going slowly but surely. The iPhone obviously fills that sitting on the couch, watching TV void, though sometimes I still feel a lingering ghost pain burning on my thighs when I want Google a bit actor on CSI. My work hasn’t suffered one bit though, because now I know that my already limited time in front of a proper computer is even more precious. Addition by subtraction, I say. I’m sure I’ll give in to laptop envy again at some point, say, if Apple starts making that coveted sub-notebook, or when my son goes off to school and I have more freedom to move around. But for now this has been a useful experiment, and a heckuva way to justify an early Christmas present. 15 Comments
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Eh?Submitted by LiamH on December 14, 2007 - 1:34pm.
“…and that MacBook Pro was strictly a sitting on the couch and dicking around on the internet while I watch TV machine, quite a waste really…” I am sat on mine doing the same thing, best thing I do with it. I think dicking around is underrated. Dicking around + Yojimbo = a library full of rubbish I am very proud of. »
I honestly don’t think ISubmitted by bigfatdummy on December 14, 2007 - 3:04pm.
I honestly don’t think I could deal with not having a notebook. Desktop, sure, but I need my macbook pro. »
I'm with you...Submitted by nomados on December 14, 2007 - 3:55pm.
My iphone is so much more portable, like when my son wants me to lie down with him until he falls asleep, bam read my rss feeds for the day etc. something I dare not do with my MBP. I haven’t gone as far as ditching my MBP, though I did setup a login for my wife. »
Don't understand this laptop lustSubmitted by yesno on December 14, 2007 - 6:12pm.
I only need my laptop twice a year: law school exams. It turns out that I never take notes, and the only time I really ever use my laptop is for goofing off when I should be paying attention— honestly, my iPhone is more than sufficient for goofing off and for checking email. Meanwhile, if you use a laptop at home instead of a proper desktop, you ought to have your head examined. Given the choice, I would never use a laptop for real work— not when I can have two enormous screens and a real keyboard and mouse. Plus, they don’t make laptops with 2 tb of storage, yet. A couple of improvements to the iPhone and I’m mothballing the dang Macbook. »
Can't do without my laptopSubmitted by ennonymous on December 15, 2007 - 2:51am.
I actually only use a laptop at home. And while I do think a head examination would be in order, this is not the reason. The thing is, I do most of my work, well, at work (that’s where I got the notebook). While I do have a desktop machine there, I use it only to do heavy computational lifting; all the “creative work” (everything that involves moving a mouse) is done on my MacBook Pro. Which, I admit, is hooked up to one of those enormous screens and a proper keyboard. The reason I do this ist that I absolutely hate having more than one computer to search for a certain document or file. The whole laptop<->desktop synchronization mess is too much of a hassle. So I stick with one computer, and when I need to take some work home, I just take the laptop. Which I also use for private eMails, taxes, and the like. On the couch. In spite of all the drawbacks (slow and small disk, inferior screen and keyboard), the convenience of having just on device to work with more than makes up for it. And, coming back on topic, my iPod touch (read: iPhone) can’t replace my laptop, because it’s the only computer I have. So I’d rather ditch the iPod touch/iPhone than the laptop. If I couldn’t have both… :) »
synchSubmitted by yesno on December 15, 2007 - 8:18am.
Ah. As far a synchronization between machines, .Mac and IMAP make it painless, although no one ever believes me. »
Can't live without my iPhoneSubmitted by Kat on December 15, 2007 - 2:05pm.
My iPhone has enabled me to be much more productive and has allowed me to be away from the office and still get stuff done, or check on the status of something. It’s come in handy while sitting in traffic, not only in using the phone but dropping someone an SMS instant message letting them know I’m late, or can they cover something for me. I am able to check on reservations, make reservations (as we’re driving to a restaurant), check movies and entertain myself when I’m stuck somewhere I don’t want to be. I love having my addresses and phone numbers in sync and the same with my schedule. While it’s not as robust as my video iPod, it is great when I’m traveling and need to travel light. I dunno … it’s entertaining, fun and practical for me. I didn’t think it would be, but now that I have one, I wouldn’t be caught without it. »
MacBooksSubmitted by BillSmargiassi on December 15, 2007 - 7:44pm.
You are aware Apple sells something called the “MacBook” at about half the price, right? It dicks around quite nicely, in fact probably better with the slightly smaller screen and lower weight. I wasn’t aware that dicking around while watching TV required discrete graphics, an extra few hundred megahertz or a backlit keyboard. »
Here's an idea you may likeSubmitted by epskionline on December 15, 2007 - 8:46pm.
http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2007/07/08/telekinesis-enables-remote-mac-access-through-your-iphone/ »
Don't Understand the Laptop LoveSubmitted by DermDoc on December 16, 2007 - 2:26pm.
I agree with yesno. My laptop is gathering dust. Desktop to iPhone to desktop. »
About wood.tangBio Matt Wood is a writer, former IT drone, sometime realtor, and full-time stay-at-home dad. He and his family live in Chicago. |
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