Friday 13 April 2012

L is for Laptop

"L"o, (sorry!) it's time for another post in my series "26 Things that Made Me a Writer".

I'm going to make this short and sweet today: a tribute to the writer's trusty companion. Simply put, I couldn't be the writer (and blogger) I am today without my laptop.

It's mainly for reasons of practicality. I don't have a study and my desk is the kitchen table, so I need to be able to easily close down and put away my workstation during family meal times. When my wife comes home from work in the evening, I can take my laptop through to the living room and sit next to her while she Facebooks away. (We used to watch a lot of TV together, but that's kind of gone by the wayside - on the other hand, we can show each other funny stuff we come across.)

And of course there's the freedom to have a change of scene if you ever feel you need one. I tend to stick to my kitchen, but it's nice to know the option's there.

Do you use a laptop? What do you love about it? Feel free to comment on anything you hate, too!

29 comments:

Cynthia said...

What I like about my laptop is that I can travel with it. Remember the good ol' days when computers were those gigantic mainframe machines? Nope, can't travel with that.

Kyra Lennon said...

Getting a laptop was the best thing I ever did! I used to be confined to one room, but now I can go wherever I like - and as you said - have a change of scenery sometimes. :D

Liwi said...

I couldn't live without my laptop, but I've developed a habit of 'laptopping' while watching tv. Not when there's other people around, but when I'm alone I just can't focus on just a movie/tv program anymore. Though that feels like a waste of energy so I usually switch off the tv when I realize I'm not even looking anymore. Cause really, I'm awful at multitasking. To think that not to long ago (ok, several decades) watching tv was THE most exciting event for people... We're so entertainment-spoiled.

Tobi Summers said...

I started asking for a laptop when I was 11. When I finally got one at 16, it became an odd combination of best friend and child (sh, I don't obsess much). I love being able to throw my life in a bag and take it with me, and I like not being confined to writing in any one room (or at a desk... I really don't like desks).

PK HREZO said...

Oh yeah my laptop is one of my most fave things in the world. Only writers understand how personal they are and I hate sharing mine. Call me selfish, but there it is.

Nick Wilford said...

Cynthia - Exactly, and I always felt a bit intimidated writing on my desktop - like I was in an office or something. Laptop does feel freer!

Kyra - Weather's picking up a bit so I'll hopefully get out to the garden to write soon!

Liwi - We always have the TV on in the background, and half-watch it while we're online. But yeah, if it's just me, I usually put the TV off (especially if I have lots of blogs to catch up on!) We have so many leisure options now. I can't even remember the last time I got into a drama and followed it properly for example. Wish I had time!

Tobi - OK, you made me feel old. Laptops didn't exist when I was 11 (or if they did, no one had heard of them). Ha! I'm really attached to mine now, though not really in a sentimental way - it's strictly a tool to me!

PK - I must admit, I get twitchy letting others use mine too... funny bunch aren't we? :)

Donna K. Weaver said...

I love my laptop but not for the twitchy mouse cursory moving pad thing. Makes me nuts sometimes. But I love having it, especially if something happens to my desktop.

Elise Fallson said...

I love my laptop too and use it strictly for writing. I've never connected it to the internet and so far, it's bug free! (; For all my internet use (which is a lot especially with the A-Z challenge) I use our desktop. The desktop is a pain, literally. I'm stuck sitting in front of it and have developed pains in my right shoulder. But c'est la vie, at least for the moment until we build a real office space.

Mina Burrows said...

I love my laptop too. It's ridiculous. I love it because of its mobility. And that's a must seeing as my desk chair always kills my back. (Note to self, get a new chair.)

Have a great weekend.

triles said...

Our family of four shares one laptop, and as the kids get older, needing it for school projects and such, it's becoming a real hassle to share. Probably need to get another one soon.

Shelley Sly said...

My desk is the kitchen table, too. I like the freedom to change scenery as well. My laptop has been all over the house, to the library, to coffee shops, etc.

Unknown said...

I have a laptop. And I love her! Yes, I've named her Pixie. What is it with me naming inanimate objects... My car is named Razlyn.

Anyway, I love having the freedom to go anywhere with my laptop. If I get sick of typing away in my office, then I can take her to the kitchen or living room couch. Or outside or to Starbucks.

Melissa Ann Goodwin said...

Today I am especially loving my laptop because we are "stuck" in Oklahoma City at an RV repair shop to see if they can fix our leveling system which is not working right. Not a huge deal, but annoying! Anyway, I finally have a chance to visit other blogs! And so here I am tapping away in their comfy little waiting room. I do all my writing on my laptop and I love it. What I hate are those little boxes that are popping up every time I load a new screen - asking if I only want to view the secure stuff!

Kern Windwraith said...

Like you, I don't have a writing space at home that really works for me, so I consider my laptop an essential tool for my writing. Because I have to travel a fair bit for work, my laptop allows me take my writing projects along, which means I have no excuse for falling behind. And yet...I still fall behind. Funny, that.

I enjoyed this post--look forward to coming back and visiting through the A to Z challenge and beyond.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

I have a laptop and a home computer. Plus my iPad. I can go anywhere.

C.B. Wentworth said...

My laptop and I are joined at the hip. It has three pieces of tape holding it together, but I still love it. I can't write without it.

Susan Oloier said...

My laptop was great when it had a functional battery. I hesitate to buy another since most of my PCs crash, and this one seems temperamental and on the verge. I may just buy a keyboard for my ipad b/c it is much more portable than my laptop.

Lauren said...

I have a laptop, and I also have an iPad (1st gen) that's easier to carry around.

The only thing I dislike about the laptop is that the keyboard sometimes makes my wrists cramp... but other than that, I do love it. :)

Great topic for the letter "L"!

Madeline Mora-Summonte said...

I love my laptop but it's getting old (aren't we all?!) and it's time for an upgrade. I feel bad even typing that right now...on my laptop. Sigh.

Jemi Fraser said...

I can't imagine doing this without a laptop ... well, I could, but I'd rather not! It makes life soooooo much easier! :)

Nick Wilford said...

Donna - I know, that can be annoying. You could always plug a mouse in!

Elise - I suppose that means you don't get too distracted while writing though!

Mina - It's good that you can work pretty much anywhere with a laptop.

Tim - The kids have mini laptops in our house. Sharing would result in loads of arguments!

Shelley - The only problem is I've got a very short battery lifespan. Could do with an upgrade but I'm not sure the bank balance agrees!

Julia - I've never named a computer. Though I did used to have a BMX bike called Mike.

Melissa - Hope your RV gets fixed OK, but it's nice you're getting time to catch up. I get those messages too - yes I've got security, I don't think anyone's blog will poison my system!

Nick Wilford said...

Kern - I don't think I would get so much done if I was travelling around. I'm pretty much a creature of habit and routine so I'm basically a "home" writer!

Thanks for following - nice to meet you!

Alex - Looks like you're set up for any situation!

C.B. - Three pieces of tape holding it together? Hope it hangs in there!

Susan - I'd love an iPad, extremely useful so I hear.

Lauren - Another iPad user - I'm jealous!

Madeline - Me too! I wouldn't mind one that was faster, for sure. I'm not particularly emotionally attached!

Jemi - Agreed!

Unknown said...

I'd die without my laptop, I think. Sometimes it's so hard to write at home---much easier to carry the laptop out of doors, and breathe.

Look forward to the rest of your challenge run…can’t believe we’ve had 14 days already!
--Damyanti, Co-host A to Z Challenge April 2012

Twitter: @AprilA2Z
#atozchallenge

Jessica Salyer said...

I LOVE my laptop. Unfortunately, it's the only computer in the house right now; so, when all the kids are doing their homework I can't get on it. I need to invest in a strictly "mine" laptop. Yeah, right like I can justify that. :)

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Simon the kitchen sounds good and linking up after supper makes sense too .. tv is pretty ghastly at times. Though I do watch some good documentaries ..

My laptop sits on my desk .. until life changes and I can get a bit more professional ... for now it's fine.

Cheers - Hilary

Nick Wilford said...

Damyanti - The weather looked like it was picking up here so I thought I might get outside with it soon, but today we had sunshine and snow in the same day!

Jessica - Of course you can justify it - as an upwardly mobile, professional writer and blogger!

Hilary - It's Nick, not Simon! Though I can understand getting mixed up with all the blogs to get round to! :)

I find that decent documentaries get fewer and far between these days...

Patricia Stoltey said...

I like my desktop for real work (writing and working on blog posts). My laptop is perfect for blog-hopping, tweeting and Facebook, the things I can do in front of the television.

I'm hitting random blogs on the A to Z list tonight...at my laptop.

Sarah Tokeley said...

I'm stuck with a desktop, but I'd love a lap top so I could get out of my tiny corner :-)

Nick Wilford said...

Patricia - Sounds like a good system there - keeping the bits separate! Thanks for following.

Sarah - Stuck in a corner doesn't sound the best place to be! Hope you will get out soon. :)