I enjoy going to an electronics store, such as, Best Buy or Micro Center and checking out all sorts of new electronic devices. I can spend hours doing that. But during this particular Best Buy trip, I wasn’t happy at all. We were trying to find a new laptop for my sister. I was trying to pick the laptop that was most suitable to her needs, based on the technical specs, while she was just trying to pick one based on how it looks.
After two hours, I was very frustrated as she didn’t like any laptop I picked, she claimed they were all ugly. And I didn’t like any laptop she picked as they were either not worth the price or had terrible specs.
This was about three years ago. Today, it seems like things have changed. Last month, I bought a laptop for myself mainly based on how it looked and how much it weighed.
In the older days, I used to rate computers based on how they do what they are supposed to do, computing. Better hardware usually meant faster computing speed and greater memory.
Now, I realize that I made a false assumption back then, I don’t think computing is what computers are supposed to do. I think they are supposed to make us get things done. If you can accomplish more with a lighter laptop because you don’t feel tired when it is on your lap, then, that laptop is probably better at what it is supposed to do for you.
A couple months ago, I realized that my bulky laptop was preventing me from doing enough work, not because it was slow but because it was bulky and heavy. If I wanted to use it on my lap, my couch, or a comfy chair, its weight and size would disturb me so much that I would start looking for a desk and a chair. I usually don’t even want to see a desk and a chair after eight hours of office time, so, most of the time, I would stop working and not accomplish much.
Once I realized this, I started shopping for laptops that are lightweight and comfortable to use. I was able to find a couple with decent specs and reasonable price. I knew I could get much better tech specs for the same price if I picked a bulkier laptop, but I wanted to find the laptop that is the most comfortable and least cumbersome.
I bought the one I liked the most and here I am writing this post on my couch with my laptop on my lap, which has been there for the past couple hours. After about a month, here is my experience with a laptop that is not built just for performance.
I can definitely tell that I am able to spend much more time using this laptop on my lap on a couch or a comfy chair and accomplish a ton. It is much lighter and thinner than my previous laptop, so that doesn’t disturb me at all. It is a huge difference.
I also realized that it is not just the extra comfort that makes me spend more time using this laptop. This new laptop just makes working more enjoyable because of its agility. It is actually really fun to be able to work on a hammock. I definitely wouldn’t be having much fun using my old bulky laptop on my hammock while trying not to fall at the same time.
One last thing I realized after buying this new laptop is about money. I paid around $1,200 for this laptop. If I bought a laptop with the mindset I had three years ago, I would probably go for a $3,000 laptop that had the best specs. After that, I would hope I don’t need to buy a new one for five more years because I paid so much for it.
The problem with this approach is that you get stuck with the same laptop for a long time. Laptop keeps working fine as it has good specs, but it gets old and boring. At the end, you just start to avoid using it. When I had my new laptop, I realized I actually get excited to use that new, shiny thing. This, by itself, makes me accomplish more.
Today, I would rather buy a laptop for $1,200 every two years than buy a $3,000 laptop every five years. It is better to get a moderate, but new electronic device more frequently than buying the best device for a very expensive price. Otherwise, you will get stuck with one thing for years and watch it get old and boring.
Overall, I am happy with my choice so far, but who knows, maybe after another three years, I will have a much different mindset about buying a laptop. Maybe we won’t even have laptops anymore. I am pretty sure there will still be a lot of electronic devices to buy, though and we will see what I think when I buy something new.