5typos.net
Louie Mantia on Distraction-Free Devices
Louie Mantia, on lmnt.me:
New hardware startups are attempting to convince us to buy new products that purportedly reduce distractions in our digital lives. These new products aim to keep us either present or focused by simply doing less than what our current devices do. […] This style of marketing suggests the problem is solved through product design rather than personal responsibility. You can be focused without buying a new device.
I should read this post once a year. I fall for this sort of marketing more often that I like to accept. My reMarkable notebook, my ink device. All of this could easily be replaced with an iPad. However, the removal distraction is more of a character flaw than, a product failure. That’s absolutely true.
Still, the counter-argument is that sometimes you need the right tool for the right job. And for me, these sort of digital analog replacement do seem to work. At least for reading and note-taking.