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Giving up computers

E

egy195

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jan 28, 2014
113
1
have you ever felt like giving up your computer/laptop ?
i'm not talking about leaving the internet altogether, just the computer itself
of course if your job involves computers then that's not an option for you and this question is not for you either :cool:
we're living in an era in which phones are becoming the main computing device for so many people, are you one of those or do you refuse to abandon your computer ?
i'm really thinking about selling my laptop after finishing school and use just a phone to get online, that's me, what about you ? can you live without a computer ?
 
maflynn

maflynn

macrumors Haswell
May 3, 2009
73,484
43,409
Not me, the computer is an integral piece of technology in the Flynn household.
 
bradl

bradl

macrumors 603
Jun 16, 2008
5,927
17,406
egy195 said:
have you ever felt like giving up your computer/laptop ?
i'm not talking about leaving the internet altogether, just the computer itself
of course if your job involves computers then that's not an option for you and this question is not for you either :cool:
we're living in an era in which phones are becoming the main computing device for so many people, are you one of those or do you refuse to abandon your computer ?
i'm really thinking about selling my laptop after finishing school and use just a phone to get online, that's me, what about you ? can you live without a computer ?
Click to expand...

Yes, but no. But I'm in a different situation.

I wouldn't give up my computer, but I am indeed tired of them. What I mean by that is that I have been working in IT for 21 years now, and have had a computer since I was 8. So for the 13 years that I had one before working with them, it was fun. It was a hobby, primarily for my entertainment, as well as writing a few papers here and there.

then I decided to go professional with it, and make it my career. At that point, while it was still fun, some of its luster started to wear off. It took a fair amount of time for it to, but it did. That was roughly 5 years ago. Interestingly enough, when my wife decided to ditch her Dell Inspiron (which died 3 months after the warranty expired) and went to a MBP.

From then, I started to think about it, because I was getting tired of not only doing my job (Unix/Linux sysadmin), but I was also becoming my extended family's free tech support. Now, my first computer was an Apple IIe, so I've always been part of the Apple family. That progressed to using Macs, and maintaining them (Mac SE up to Quadra and Centris). Then I went Linux (and inherently, PCs).

With using Linux all the time, both at work and home, my hobby was drowned out more by my job. So around 2011, after getting the iPhone 3G, I decided I had enough. PCs weren't worth the hassle to me anymore; To be honest, neither was Linux. I've started my own business, which has nothing really to do with computers at all, and while I'm still working fulltime until I get my business big enough to replace my job, when I do, I'm taking a big break from computers. I've done the social media thing; that was back in the 90s when everyone called it nerdy and not having a life. Now, it's mainstream, and people are spending more and more time on their phones with Facebook, twitter, Instagram, etc., and not really knowing how to interact with people. It says a lot when you walk by a group of people at a mall or something, and they are sitting next to eachother and texting eachother, instead of turning their heads and actually talking.

I guess what I am saying is that we've been heads down in front of a computer for the past few years that we have forgotten how to interact with people. That, and if I use computers, I want it to be fun again, and not a job that I have to keep up with, and keep my skillsets sharp until I retire.

For that reason, I look forward to when I can give my computers the boot and have a nice long rest.

BL.
 
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E

egy195

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jan 28, 2014
113
1
bradl said:
Yes, but no. But I'm in a different situation.

I wouldn't give up my computer, but I am indeed tired of them. What I mean by that is that I have been working in IT for 21 years now, and have had a computer since I was 8. So for the 13 years that I had one before working with them, it was fun. It was a hobby, primarily for my entertainment, as well as writing a few papers here and there.

then I decided to go professional with it, and make it my career. At that point, while it was still fun, some of its luster started to wear off. It took a fair amount of time for it to, but it did. That was roughly 5 years ago. Interestingly enough, when my wife decided to ditch her Dell Inspiron (which died 3 months after the warranty expired) and went to a MBP.

From then, I started to think about it, because I was getting tired of not only doing my job (Unix/Linux sysadmin), but I was also becoming my extended family's free tech support. Now, my first computer was an Apple IIe, so I've always been part of the Apple family. That progressed to using Macs, and maintaining them (Mac SE up to Quadra and Centris). Then I went Linux (and inherently, PCs).

With using Linux all the time, both at work and home, my hobby was drowned out more by my job. So around 2011, after getting the iPhone 3G, I decided I had enough. PCs weren't worth the hassle to me anymore; To be honest, neither was Linux. I've started my own business, which has nothing really to do with computers at all, and while I'm still working fulltime until I get my business big enough to replace my job, when I do, I'm taking a big break from computers. I've done the social media thing; that was back in the 90s when everyone called it nerdy and not having a life. Now, it's mainstream, and people are spending more and more time on their phones with Facebook, twitter, Instagram, etc., and not really knowing how to interact with people. It says a lot when you walk by a group of people at a mall or something, and they are sitting next to eachother and texting eachother, instead of turning their heads and actually talking.

I guess what I am saying is that we've been heads down in front of a computer for the past few years that we have forgotten how to interact with people. That, and if I use computers, I want it to be fun again, and not a job that I have to keep up with, and keep my skillsets sharp until I retire.

For that reason, I look forward to when I can give my computers the boot and have a nice long rest.

BL.
Click to expand...

first, good luck with your business sir:).
second, i'm kinda like you in some way, i've been using computers for nearly 12 years and i was fine with using them until i HAD to use them for school, now i'm just looking forward to finish school and ditch my laptop and go buy a galaxy note and just take a break from computers, that day can't come fast enough :eek:
 
ucfgrad93

ucfgrad93

macrumors Core
Aug 17, 2007
19,537
10,823
Colorado
egy195 said:
have you ever felt like giving up your computer/laptop ?
i'm not talking about leaving the internet altogether, just the computer itself
of course if your job involves computers then that's not an option for you and this question is not for you either :cool:
we're living in an era in which phones are becoming the main computing device for so many people, are you one of those or do you refuse to abandon your computer ?
i'm really thinking about selling my laptop after finishing school and use just a phone to get online, that's me, what about you ? can you live without a computer ?
Click to expand...

Sorry, but no way would I want to sell my computer and access the internet only through a 4.7 inch screen.
 
E

egy195

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jan 28, 2014
113
1
ucfgrad93 said:
Sorry, but no way would I want to sell my computer and access the internet only through a 4.7 inch screen.
Click to expand...

by that time of buying it will be 6 inch :D
but that depends on what do you need the internet for, in my case youtube twitter and general web browsing
 
Last edited:
Scepticalscribe

Scepticalscribe

macrumors Ivy Bridge
Jul 29, 2008
63,988
46,455
In a coffee shop.
Fascinating thread, - thanks for starting it OP - and some very interesting and thoughtful posts by way of reply.

Re the topic itself, I don't have a smartphone (but do have two Nokias of varying degrees of antiquity, one for work and one for personal use), and, while I have an iPad, I rarely use it. Thus, to answer the question, no, I do not see myself giving up computers.

Unlike some on this thread, I came relatively late to the world of computers, and that of the internet. However, as a result of my mother's job, even as a child, I have always had access to typewriters, and always wrote (and read) a lot.

To my mind, the world of computing and the development of the internet are utterly transformational, in a way that the printing press, (and the invention of paper), or the Industrial Revolution have been; this is the technological revolution of our era, and the effects of it have been so astounding and transformational that I have no intention of ever foregoing it, or the extraordinary benefits of knowledge and information that I can access as a result. However, - and this is key - while I am in awe of the changes that have occurred in my lifetime as a result of the development of the internet and the world of computing, I do not allow it to rule my life, define my life, or control my relationships. To this day, I still prefer face to face chats, with phones and other paraphernalia stowed away in a briefcase, inaccessible for the duration of the conversation.
 
bradl

bradl

macrumors 603
Jun 16, 2008
5,927
17,406
To be honest, I would only use my PC for one main thing: Flightsim. I have a fair amount invested in FS2004, FSX, and P3D, and that would be the only thing I would keep a PC for.

That actually was my last PC build that I am ever doing. 2 months before building that, I built a Hackintosh just to see if I could do it, to compliment the MBA that I have. I was thinking of going legit with either getting a Mac Mini or iMac, but I would still be tied to a desk.

Instead, after reading 9to5Mac's review of the Synology Diskstation, If it can work as a mapped drive to hold my iTunes collection plus backups plus work as my own personal cloud, all my wife and I will ever need is our Macs, iPhones and iPads (for the kids), and we'll be completely mobile.

BL.
 
E

egy195

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jan 28, 2014
113
1
Scepticalscribe said:
Fascinating thread, - thanks for starting it OP - and some very interesting and thoughtful posts by way of reply.

Re the topic itself, I don't have a smartphone (but do have two Nokias of varying degrees of antiquity, one for work and one for personal use), and, while I have an iPad, I rarely use it. Thus, to answer the question, no, I do not see myself giving up computers.

Unlike some on this thread, I came relatively late to the world of computers, and that of the internet. However, as a result of my mother's job, even as a child, I have always had access to typewriters, and always wrote (and read) a lot.

To my mind, the world of computing and the development of the internet are utterly transformational, in a way that the printing press, (and the invention of paper), or the Industrial Revolution have been; this is the technological revolution of our era, and the effects of it have been so astounding and transformational that I have no intention of ever foregoing it, or the extraordinary benefits of knowledge and information that I can access as a result. However, - and this is key - while I am in awe of the changes that have occurred in my lifetime as a result of the development of the internet and the world of computing, I do not allow it to rule my life, define my life, or control my relationships. To this day, I still prefer face to face chats, with phones and other paraphernalia stowed away in a briefcase, inaccessible for the duration of the conversation.
Click to expand...

thank you for your deep thoughts, i went through a phase during which i lost all my friends because i got immersed in the internet world and fake online "friendship" and actually gave up my then computer to charity because i had enough, only bought my current laptop for school and after that it's gone.
i'm not saying i'll not buy any computer again but not for the next few years at least.
face to face or over the phone relationships are very important and Now i know that:)

----------
bradl said:
To be honest, I would only use my PC for one main thing: Flightsim. I have a fair amount invested in FS2004, FSX, and P3D, and that would be the only thing I would keep a PC for.

That actually was my last PC build that I am ever doing. 2 months before building that, I built a Hackintosh just to see if I could do it, to compliment the MBA that I have. I was thinking of going legit with either getting a Mac Mini or iMac, but I would still be tied to a desk.

Instead, after reading 9to5Mac's review of the Synology Diskstation, If it can work as a mapped drive to hold my iTunes collection plus backups plus work as my own personal cloud, all my wife and I will ever need is our Macs, iPhones and iPads (for the kids), and we'll be completely mobile.

BL.
Click to expand...

mobile is the future and i think the future for most people is now;)
 
east85

east85

macrumors 65816
Jun 24, 2010
1,343
495
egy195 said:
we're living in an era in which phones are becoming the main computing device for so many people, are you one of those or do you refuse to abandon your computer ?
Click to expand...

A bit of both at the moment, however I intend to change this. On one hand I still use my computer for some programs but on the other hand the vast majority of my time online is spent on a mobile device, not a phone, but a cellular iPad Mini that I've converted to a fully functional phone. I'll be clear though that my intention is to parse down my needs to a single unified device or point of access.

I think it's a bit easier to convert time spent on my Mac to a mobile device if the screen is not too cramped as a personal preference. One example would be that I enjoy reading online content quite a bit. Reading to the extent that I do on a smaller screen would be something I wouldn't enjoy. I know this because I've tried it. For productivity I prefer the larger 7.9" screen for writing and occasionally artistic ventures. Be that as it may, there aren't many times I feel a 13"+ screen would be appropriate for what I do.

The complex applications offered for iPad more often than not make a better substitute for their desktop counterparts than a phone might, especially when you start looking at managing cloud services or something equally complex.

can you live without a computer ?
Click to expand...

I think it will take some time adjusting but it is my end goal to move to iPad because it's more efficient and convenient at tasks than my computer with less limitations. In my mind there are very few things that I do which require a large screen. On top of that the cellular option opens up the opportunity to bring the most important asset of having a smart device of any kind to the table, the internet- all the time. At this point it would be impractical to argue battery life is better on mobile, because it really isn't. However, it is much faster to charge a device such as an iPad Mini over a full size MacBook due to battery size. A simple 5w charging cable is much lighter than a power brick.

Weight is a great factor when you start thinking about what you would rather have with you while out of the house. In many ways the iOS devices have rendered laptop computers as impractical due to their lighter weight for a lot of consumers. The third party contributors in this arena have also been considerably stronger, polishing a variety of applications that are often times of a higher caliber than their desktop counterparts (assuming they exist at all) with a less expensive point of purchase. The same can be said of third party accessories and the variety of cases available. I currently use a Lifeproof case on my iPad Mini and it's quite nice knowing I do not have to worry about damaging it by rain or other factors that are part of life.

I believe I may say yes to this question, although my approach to abandoning laptop computers is different than what yours might be. Everyone is different and I think it's appropriate to tailor my choices to my needs. In the end though this just isn't about a disdain for laptops or desktops for me, it's about finding ways to simplify my life and make the demands of the internet less obtrusive while maintaining the benefits optimally to clear up valuable time for other more important ventures. It's not about what it can do, it's about how you can use it to your benefit.

And after all, isn't that one of the greatest things about technological advancement?
 
Last edited:
T

turtle777

macrumors 6502a
Apr 30, 2004
686
29
No.

iPhone and iPad are not a replacement for computers.

I just "do" too much with my Mac, not only consume Youtube videos and write emails.

-t
 
Shrink

Shrink

macrumors G3
Feb 26, 2011
8,929
1,727
New England, USA
Nope...I would not give up my laptop.

Phones are fine, but I find it easier to do just about everything on my MBP...even if it can be done on my iPhone. The phone, for me, is useful when I'm away from my laptop...but when I'm home, it's the laptop for everything.
 
Micky Do

Micky Do

macrumors 68020
Aug 31, 2012
2,204
3,146
a South Pacific island
Nope

A desktop computer is enough. It's good to leave cyberspace on my desk. Carrying a phone is occasionally done under duress, and 'twill never be a fiddly little smart-arse thing.
 
Last edited:
A

Aspasia

macrumors 65816
Jun 9, 2011
1,345
101
Halfway between the Equator and North Pole
Never. I have three desktops in my house. Also use an iPad (cellular) and iPod Touch 5. Love my Apple devices, but they don't have the processing power or speed that my main desktop has. I also prefer an actual, solid keyboard.

Don't own a smart phone, but I do carry a prepaid cell phone which has more bells and whistles than I'll ever use.
 
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