After last week’s hillbilly-rigged two-machine solution, I’m finally working today with my brand-new laptop. It’s mesmerizing. But how long will this feeling last?
Turns out, laptops got pretty dang slick while I was languishing with a well-worn beater. This bright new scratch-free screen, the non-worn-out trackpad, the distinct lack of mystery splotches… I wish I could brag to all my friends about how cool it feels.
But they all got new laptops, like, months ago. A bunch of ’em even got the exact same model I’m using now. Bragging about my new machine would be like gushing about your first tipsy night to a 40-year-old barfly. The novelty’s gone.
And now I’m wondering how long it’ll be before I feel that way too. Truth be told, while I’m still loving the feeling of a new keyboard that’s not carrying around years of nacho dust, the user experience already feels pretty normal. I guess that’s because this really isn’t a toy. It’s a work tool. Put another way, I imagine a restaurant line cook isn’t quite as excited about a new knife after spending 12 hours chopping mise en place with it.
So what’s it like for you? Do you carry that new-birthday-present feeling around for weeks when you get a new device? Or does it start to feel commonplace the very first day?
Image: Shutterstock / Viorel Sima