My laptop has been off battery power for the past couple of weeks. I hardly used it, which made me realize how much I missed it. It felt good to have it back on my lap.
Sure, I had an iMac and an iPad with me to use. And, of course, I had my phone too. But a laptop has the best form factor for casual writing. There is some comfort in carrying this device to a corner of your home that you find the most convenient at that moment. I don't need to be near power. I don't need a sitting chair. Or a desk. I don't even need a data connection. My laptop is perfect without any of these.
I had confessed my love for this device earlier too.
I love my laptop a lot more than my smartphone and my tablet. Iām more comfortable with the trackpad and the keyboard than a touchscreen. I can focus more with a lot more windows in front of me than say one full-screen app.
The benefits become even more prominent while writing. The device has the best size and best weight. Not too large or too heavy. Especially the thin ultrabooks ā like the one I own. It sits comfortably on my lap, allowing me to stretch now and then. It doesn't wobble (or worse, topple over) as I type. If and when I want, I also place it on a stand on my desk, connect it to a big monitor, keyboard and mouse and get typing.
Neither a desktop nor a tablet can claim to do all of that.
Sure, each device has the usage it excels at. I always prefer my iPad to read. Or my iMac to get some work done. But when I write, give me my no-nonsense laptop any day.
Update: I love the form factor of a traditional laptop. Not the currently popular 2-in-1s or laptops with touchscreens. What they lose in convenience completely overshadows the advantages they claim to provide. Give me a fixed screen with a good keyboard and a workable trackpad, and that's all I want.