Laptop Free
In the ever-changing world of portable computing, are laptops going to soon become a thing of the past? It wasn’t long ago that having a laptop was an indispensable part of my day, even after work. Now, not so much…
A few months ago, we decided to buy a new iMac. We wanted a decent home machine to use for photo editing, and a place to put some learning games for my son. (He just turned two and is addicted to computers, so we figured we would start to take advantage of it).
Subsequent to getting this new machine, I began to debate whether or not I needed a laptop any longer. Well, I decided that I didn’t need my Macbook Pro. I sold it, and picked up a Powerbook 12″ so I would still have a machine to surf the web, check email, etc. This machine had a lot lighter footprint, so it is a great portable machine.
A few weeks later, I began to notice that I wasn’t even using that. I took it around with me, but I didn’t actually use it. Instead, I found myself using my iPhone to check email, surf the web, and read my RSS feeds. It also had my music. I realized that even the ultra-portable Powerbook was more than I needed. I sold it shortly after I got it as well.
For the past few weeks, I have been laptop free. When I am on the go, I have my iPhone. When I am sitting at home, watching TV, I still have my iPhone. It fills that “staying connected” space. When I need to do something important, I have the iMac. For the first time in years, I am without a laptop, and other than the occasional sense of tech withdrawl, I am good to go.
This morning, I saw an article by someone else who has come to the same place. Matt Wood from 43 Folders has made the same move to a laptop free way of life. I do not know if I will stay this way, but for now, it is working out pretty well.
