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When you’re using a laptop away from a desk, there’s so much ceremony involved - opening it up, clearing a space for it and always, always making sure that you’re not too far from the wall socket into which you will soon have to insert that hefty charger.
The iPad is such a wonderfully low-ceremony device. It requires only just a little more care than a book.Fraser Speirs reviews a backpack and concludes, “It turns out that the ideal computer bag is not a computer bag at all, but making the computer so that it doesn’t need special love and care.”
This is the route I’ve taken with the iPad. Pristine so far, but when the first scratch comes, hopefully it looks good. I’m tired of serving my devices. It’s a weakness with electronics, that they are powerful in a way that mechanical engines can only dream of, but still physically fragile. Does this reflect the fragility of software not written by NASA?
Maybe my computer is durable, but we like cases because we’re not used to the idea of an expensive precision machine being tough. If so, this is a design opportunity to disabuse users of that idea, to make a computer look best when taking a beating. Make it say “I’m loved” in the wear on its skin.
Computing will never be invisible as long as we coddle it. Name your laptop Sue and make it tough.
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Currently building social networks for lonely objects. Future of product design, physical and digital interaction, ubiquitous computing, MIT Media Lab.
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