Ask Paul: March the 13th ⭐

Happy Friday! This Friday the 13th, we're haunted by the MacBook Neo and for no good reason. It's like we never learn the lessons of the past.
? Simplistic
anoldamigauser

on March 13, 2026 at 07:42 AM

You have discussed the idea that an OS can start with something simple and be made more functional…iOS for example, or start with something more complicated and functional, and remove features…Windows or MacOS.

Yes. It's fascinating that this conversation is ongoing and that simpler devices, which used to be "companions" running things like Windows CE or Palm OS have evolved into very powerful devices that can replace computers.

With all the navel gazing engendered by the MacBook Neo, I was wondering whether you think the real answer for normal people will be an iPad with the advances in iPadOS making it more “computer” like, and/or an Android/Aluminum laptop or tablet? Possibly even a phone that can work with a screen and keyboard?

Yes, of course. These are all viable outcomes, as is having dedicated phones, tablets, and computers. Which, for all my own navel-gazing, is what I do right now and have for many years. (This is the whole Right Tool for the Job thing.) But. Things do change. And as these devices and OSes evolve, new usage patterns can emerge. A lot of our behaviors and habits are more tradition and inertia than anything else. I try to get past it, but we're all human and change is hard. Some people, maybe most people, don't even think about this stuff. They just keep doing what they do.

Each of us will approach the tools we use, hardware and software, in our ways. The choices are expanding.

Many old-timers like us will likely stick to a laptop and a phone. Or a desktop at home/work, a laptop on the go, and a phone. Some will add a tablet for reading. This is what I'm doing.

My kids? They're on their phones all the time, but they use a laptop/PC at work or school as needed. This is probably pretty common for most people these days, where you turn to a bigger screen only when you need to and not otherwise. My kids do not care about watches or tablets.

The hybrid use case thing is endlessly fascinating to me. This is a dream, similar to the alchemic promise of turning lead into gold, where one can replace two devices with one and do so without compromise. The compromise bit will vary by person, but you can sort of get there, maybe, with a folding phone or PC, depending on your needs. A phone or whatever that plugs into a dock that turns it into a computer is interesting for obvious reasons. A future in which we don't worry so much about individual devices is likewise interesting: I imagine just showing up wherever, say, a plane, and technology in the seat back in front of you scans your eyes and authenticates you and you just have access to all your content and data.

But for now, we're still navigating the change. Just looking at what I think of as a traditional laptop use case, there are literal laptops...