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going 30 days computer free at home...anyone want to join me?

M

Misskitty

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jun 18, 2010
448
2
Thought this might be fun. Im doing a test for 30 days. Gonna see if i can live without my computer setup. I dont use or even turn it on during the work week because i prefer to surf on my ipad. So the only time i turn it on is sat and sun.

Its a 13" mac pro with dual 24" monitors and $130 2.1 speakers.
Its just so much money sitting around unused so i want to see how i like it going ipad only at home.
 
Misskitty said:
Thought this might be fun. Im doing a test for 30 days. Gonna see if i can live without my computer setup.
Click to expand...
Some can get away with that. Some can't. It completely depends on what you use a computer for, and whether those same tasks can be accomplished on the iPad. There are some things that only an iPad can do, and others that only a computer can do.
 
Misskitty said:
Thought this might be fun. Im doing a test for 30 days. Gonna see if i can live without my computer setup. I dont use or even turn it on during the work week because i prefer to surf on my ipad. So the only time i turn it on is sat and sun.

Its a 13" mac pro with dual 24" monitors and $130 2.1 speakers.
Its just so much money sitting around unused so i want to see how i like it going ipad only at home.
Click to expand...

Lol. You're not really going "computer-free" if you're using your iPad. By doing that I'm sure many, if not most us can easily get along without our main computer setup as long as we have an iPad as a backup/crutch.

Why don't you test yourself and go "tech-free" and see if you can handle it because truthfully over 15 years ago the web was a luxury/novelty for home users and it was very uncommon to use anything other than a calculator in regards to tech. Heck, I graduated college (electronics degree, go figure) on just good old pen and paper. Didn't have the tech luxuries today's students have.
 
I did this last fall when my computer died. For 6 weeks I had only my Windows 8 tablet (Dell Latitude 10) and a Logitech bluetooth keyboard. I'm pleased to say the set up worked beautifully-and I am self-employed and work at home, so I really gave that set up a workout. It definitely can be done. Don't see why it wouldn't work just as well with my iPad!
 
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If everything you do on your computer, you can also do on your iPad, then you might be able to get away with it.

If there are some things that you do on your computer, that you cannot do on your iPad, then you might not be able to get away with it.

Shocking.
 
Misskitty said:
Thought this might be fun. Im doing a test for 30 days. Gonna see if i can live without my computer setup. I dont use or even turn it on during the work week because i prefer to surf on my ipad. So the only time i turn it on is sat and sun.
Click to expand...
Good luck! There's absolutely no way I could do this. I need my computers for work, navigation, looking up how long to broil asparagus ( it was really good ).
 
I would love to give it a shot but I use my computer way to much for school and work. If this thread is still around at the end of June I would love to give it a try.

good luck though
 
No thanks. I know what tasks my desktop/laptop are good for, and which tasks my iPad is good for. Maybe I could get each to do the other's job, but the effort required to make it happen isn't worth it.
 
going 30 days computer free at home...anyone want to join me?

I'll enjoy following along since I'd love to hear how you and others go and what work arounds you find for things, but I won't join in since I know I need my MacBook Pro for a few tasks.
 
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Lol. You're not really going "computer-free" if you're using your iPad.
Click to expand...

Yes, I too thought this was going to be an interesting thread. Oh well...

Why don't you test yourself and go "tech-free" and see if you can handle it because truthfully over 15 years ago the web was a luxury/novelty for home users and it was very uncommon to use anything other than a calculator in regards to tech.
Click to expand...

Here's an excellent little free app which can help.

http://selfcontrolapp.com/

You can use it two ways.

1) Create a blacklist of sites you don't want to be able to visit for a specified amount of time.

2) Create a whitelist of sites you do want to be able to access, and all other sites will be blocked, for a specified amount of time.

Good for controlling net use, the main thing most folks use their computer for.

For instance, if you're, um, spending too much time on MacRumors and not getting enough work done as a result, and if your name should happen to be something like Felasco, you can add MacRumors to your blacklist for a day so that you'll stop screwing around adding free content to other people's websites, instead of working on your own.

Don't ask me how I know all this, it's highly classified!
 
HenryDJP said:
Lol. You're not really going "computer-free" if you're using your iPad. By doing that I'm sure many, if not most us can easily get along without our main computer setup as long as we have an iPad as a backup/crutch.

Why don't you test yourself and go "tech-free" and see if you can handle it because truthfully over 15 years ago the web was a luxury/novelty for home users and it was very uncommon to use anything other than a calculator in regards to tech. Heck, I graduated college (electronics degree, go figure) on just good old pen and paper. Didn't have the tech luxuries today's students have.
Click to expand...

I agree! :) Most of the programs I use on a daily basis are available on my iPad. The big sacrifice would be gaming, not to imply there is no gaming on an iPad, just inadequate gaming for my desires.
 
Mr. McMac said:
Not a chance. On the other hand, I could live without TV for 30 days no problem.
Click to expand...

This is pretty much my exact position, too. In fact, at present, I am currently living without a TV (but could not see myself going without a computer).

I use computers for work, for research, for writing, for communication with friends, family, and colleagues.

Initially, when I read this thread title, I assumed that it was young to be about a completely computer (as in all such devices) free existence; I'm not sure what category using an iPad would fall into. However, for myself, an iPad is no substitute for a computer; I have one but find that I rarely use it, and found the 11" MBA so much better, as it is almost as portable as an iPad and can do duty for both wrk and pleasure.
 
I have no desire to be computer free, I'd rather go TV free then computer free.
 
Hardly going computer free if you're planning on using an iPad. :rolleyes:

I doubt I'd be able to write my crappy books using just pen and paper, I need a keyboard and a copy of Office to accomplish anything. So I won't be joining you.
 
Could we go electronic device free for 30 days?

Could we leave our mac, ipad, iphone and all our other gadgets on the desk for 30 days without firing them up? Could you actually do it?

My answer is, I could do it if I got away from the devices, say, go camping for a month. I'd miss the net for a day or two, and then I'd forget about it. I feel pretty confident about this as I do a lot of hiking.

But stay in the house, with my laptop right there, and not turn it on? I seriously doubt I could do this for more than a day or two, unless there was some dramatic penalty involved. You know, like if I push the start button my house will blow up.

Here's another can of worms to open.

The devices we're using now are primitive compared to what is coming. What will our situation be when computing evolves in to something like the StarTrek Holodeck?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holodeck

If you can't live without your favorite gadgets now, when typing text is the main activity, will you stand a chance of ever getting out of the Holodeck?
 
Ok.

1. You're not "computer free" if you're using an iPad.

2. What are you trying to prove? We use computers because they make our lives a million times easier. If we suddenly no longer had them, we would adapt to not having them once again. But what's the point of doing it voluntarily if you don't have to? I have no desire to attempt this. It's 2014 and computers are part of our lives. That's like saying to someone in the 1960's "try going without a telephone for 30 days". Of course they easily would have been able to, but what would have been the point?
 
Life must be rough for you if you can only use an iPad. :cool:

Sell your computer if you don't use it. You really want to see how life is without a computer? Go without a computer/smart phone/tablet for 30 days.
 
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