Two Adults, One Family Laptop — The Verdict So Far
Executive summary: After years of each having our own personal laptop (and in my case, also a company-issued work laptop), I decided to move us onto one family computer for my husband and me to share. It’s not perfect, but if it works 80% of the time, I consider it worth it to get rid of unsightly devices and cords!
Sometimes I wonder if I’ve gone overboard in my minimalist practices. No, don’t answer that, I don’t actually want to know. One minimalist principle I try to abide by is “one and done.” There are many exceptions (including my children, ha!), but to the extent I can, I try to reduce duplicates. My laptop now falls into this category. These days, it seems that everyone has their own cell phone and their own laptop. I acquired both only before leaving for college, prior to which, I shared a home landline (yes, this was clearly the stone ages of the 2000s) and a family desktop computer (from which I filled out my college applications and exchanged Facebook messages with my future husband-to-be before arriving on campus). There were computer labs in college for those without their own laptops, but it was an inconvenience in our digital age to not have an individual portable device to take to class, study groups, club meetings, etc. I grew used to the idea that the ratio of laptops to people should be 1:1.
After college, I started working full-time (those were my corporate banking days) and had a company laptop to do all my work on. Outside of work, I hardly even used my personal laptop — its two main functions were organizing photos (uploaded from a memory card in a digital camera — remember those?) and surfing the web. Before leaving for my MBA, I acquired my first MacBook, and I did get a ton of use out of it over the next two years as a grad student. Since my MBA, though, my computer has been relegated back to a fancy photo sorter and web surfer, as I once again had a work computer (from my beyond-full-time job as a management consultant). Since my MacBook was still going strong, I just kept it. But last year, I started to wonder why my husband and I couldn’t share one laptop as a “family computer.” Especially given how many functions can be done on a smartphone nowadays (like these posts — I write them on my phone before transferring them to the computer for uploading), I only use the computer maybe an hour a week on average. We also have a tablet that can act as a second laptop in a pinch (although it’s often occupied playing shows for my son to watch).
Our iPad has a keyboard case that enables us to use it much like a laptop, although the case largely functions as an overpriced stand so our 5-year old can watch shows on YouTube after school.
The verdict? The arrangement works 80% of the time. My husband splits his time between the laptop and the tablet (he largely works from home on our personal devices rather than a company laptop), so when he’s using the tablet or otherwise occupied, I grab the laptop for 15 minutes here, 30 minutes there. Sometimes, though, my husband is a computer hog, leaving me with almost zero time with the device. The reason is that the nature of his work is cyclical: during some parts of the year, he’s writing a lot of papers (and obviously, work trumps photo sorting and blogging, so he gets priority). Those are the times when sharing a device is not ideal. But for 80% of the year, it’s fine. He spends enough time away from the laptop that I can commandeer it for an hour a week.
I don’t expect this arrangement to hold once the kids are older and will need to do homework on a computer. But we’ll cross that bridge when we get there. For now, I really like having a super clean charging setup on our desk. The MacBook and iPad share one USBC charger, and our iPhones and AirPods share one Lightning charger (they are a few years old, as we keep our electronic devices till they start glitching, instead of constantly upgrading to the newest model). I hated the criss-crossing wires tangled up behind the desk when we had disparate chargers for everything — my husband jokes that I quit my corporate job because I wanted to get rid of my company computer and blocky charger. I admit that was 2% of the reason. XD
Our very clean desk and charging setup, just the way I like it.
Was moving us onto one family laptop going overboard on minimalism? So far, I would say no — the arrangement is mostly working out. I fear we’ll be seeing an explosion of devices in our home once our kids are older and “need” a cell phone and personal laptop to do schoolwork on. As they are 5 and 1yo right now, I still have plenty of time to enjoy the clear surfaces of my desk. I will take what I can get while I can get it.