Laptops Need To Be a Little More Like Phones
Do you think about using your phone? If you’re like me, it’s become an effortless extension of your mind. Need to jot down a quick thought? Whip out your phone. Share an aside with a friend? Out comes the phone. Burn forty-five seconds in line at the store? Phone.
While much has been written about the negative consequences of phone addiction, it’s impressive how quickly smartphones have become as much a part of us as our own minds. As the work we do (whether it be your 9-to-5 or your side hustle) continues to evolve further and further into all-digital efforts, the mind/machine symbiosis becomes increasingly more valuable.
And yet the humble laptop remains mostly unchanged. The hardware’s gotten a little smaller and a little faster, and macOS has finally added dark mode (after 15 years of waiting). But the way that we’ve fundamentally interacted with these devices is exactly the same.
Apple seems to think that tablets are the way of the future — though iOS’ software limitations stand in the way of making that true today, there’s something to be said for the strengths that the iPad brings to today’s work. If the laptop aims to remain relevant for the decade, it has ground to make up.
A Surprising Platform for Focus
For a device that’s often chastised for ruining our ability to focus, the smartphone has one interesting distinction: it’s a surprisingly effective platform for focus. Its single-application-at-a-time usage model is excellent for blocking out distractions, particularly if you work up the self control to turn notifications off. Though macOS does support full-screen applications, the broader model of the OS makes it difficult to avoid the distractions of the dock, task bar, and other focus-zapping software elements.
Most importantly, interaction with mobile applications is frictionless. Apps open and exit quickly, remember state, and are structured for quick interactions. Though this is partially a product of the work (or lack thereof) we do on phones, it’s not to say that you can’t get a lot done, either.
The onus is on manufacturers and application developers to close this gap. The operating system (and hardware) need a fundamental rethinking of the interaction model for focused work, while application developers need to consider the opportunity for their tools to provide value in both short and longer increments of work.
Always Ready
How long does it take for you to pull out your laptop and get situated at a coffee shop? While it’s not slow, it’s still a non-trivial amount of effort that adds up over days, weeks, and months. A major component in increasing productivity is maximizing your utilization of down time: the short increments between meetings, during car rides, and in the gaps between other tasks.
The Surface Go and iPad Pro are interesting examples. Though each have their shortcomings (power and battery life on the Go; iOS on the iPad), they’re quick to get going when you need to, and quick to hop off when you’re done.
Though computers are significantly faster than they used to be, there’s still a big gap — primarily in software and connectivity — that needs to be closed.
Always Connected
Dieter Bohn, like me, is painfully ahead of his time: “I never want to buy another computer again without LTE.” Unfortunately, the number of available options are slim, and the number of quality devices even more so.
If you ever work away from a desk — whether it be during work trips or regular jaunts to a coffee shop — an LTE-connected device will change your life. Coupled with Always Ready functionality, these devices are ready to go when you have a moment of free time.
Manufacturers are taking aim at these goals, but they’re still falling short. The iPad is crippled by iOS’ limitations, the Surface Go has terrible battery life (and is egregiously expensive with LTE), and Qualcomm’s always connected devices are underpowered by the standards of five years ago. The LTE-enabled Surface Pro is the most engaging possibility, but the latest-generation Surface Pro 6 strangely lacks an LTE-capable option. I’ve heard good things about the Lenovo Yoga C630, but its Verizon-only affinity is perplexing.
Until then, I’ll be dreaming of the ulta-convenient ultra-portable that doesn’t exist, continue to exist in the “whelming” world of the Macbook Air.