It wasn’t too long ago that tablets were all the rage. Back in the 2000s, tech writers and casual observers were predicting that the tablet would be the death of the laptop computer. I never believed it. I knew I could never be as productive with a tablet as I am with my laptop. Some 15 years later, my skepticism has proved valid. Tablets are no longer the hot thing.
Even though all the tablet excitement has since waned, that hasn’t stopped people from using mobile devices instead of computers. That’s fine. I am a big believer in personal freedom. If your phone works for you, great. I’ll stick with my laptop for computer work. I will use my phone to make calls.
It could be that my lack of fanatical interest in smartphones is a sign of my age. I’m okay with that. Still, I have tried in earnest to be productive with a phone. I just can’t swing it. Either the smartphone is inherently less efficient, or my brain is incapable of grasping how to use it efficiently. Either way, I know how my laptop works. I am comfortable with it.
Handy When I’m Not Home
I admit that using my phone to access the internet when not home is handy. I might receive a message from a client, a message that needs to be dealt with immediately. The client cannot wait a few hours. Fine. I can pull out my phone and go online to look for the answer. I can send a return message and that’s that.
The phone is also handy for looking up restaurants. It is a terrific way for navigating around an unfamiliar locale when on vacation. But for everyday work and productivity, the phone just doesn’t cut it for me. I don’t think I could honestly make a living if I had to do what I do on my phone.
A Good Internet Connection
The internet is a big part of what I do for a living. I work from home, and it is imperative that I have fast internet. Without it, my work would take that much longer. Knowing that I sympathize with people who live in rural areas. Without access to wired broadband, they are left with DSL or wireless solutions.
Fortunately, companies like Houston-based Blazing Hog are now offering 4G LTE internet to rural customers. But I know from my own phone experience that 4G LTE still isn’t as fast as my wired home connection.
Navigation Is More Difficult
The other thing I’ve noticed with my phone is that navigating the internet is more different. What appears as 14 to 15 inches of data on my computer screen is limited to just a couple of inches on my phone. That means a lot more scrolling. It also means tapping through more menus to find what I need to find. It just isn’t efficient.
Actually, none of the work I do is more efficient on a phone. If a client sends a document I need to view, it takes several more taps to see it on my phone as compared to the computer. I also have to pinch and zoom to read the document. And of course, we are back to more scrolling.
I get it that some people barely use their computers if they even own one. They prefer their phones. I am fine with that. To each their own. But I am still a computer guy. I’ll take my 15-inch laptop over a 2-inch phone any day of the week. You’re welcome to keep using your phone.
