At a recent social function someone asked me what, as an industrial designer, is the single most important object in my life. The answer came quickly: my laptop. Like many of you I use it for work/income, socializing with friends, e-flirting on those sad nights I can't make it to the bar, pursuing purely creative endeavors with no payoff, archiving life (i.e. photos and self-shot videos), and passive entertainment, i.e. watching tons of downloaded TV shows.
That latter item is the one people seem divided on, particularly those who own large flatscreen TVs. Do you watch television on your computer? Is there a difference and even, as some suggest, a cultural difference between watching programming at a desk as opposed to from a couch? Toshihiro Sakamoto, president of Panasonic AVC Networks, seems to think so, according to an interview from CES done by Bits blogger Matt Richtel. Says Sakamoto:
"A PC-centric world is a 30-centimeter culture," he said. "Television-centric entertainment lets you experience the world at three meters. It's about leaning back and enjoying life.
"It's more human," he added. "I hope it's more human."
Call me crazy, but this designer doesn't think it makes a difference. Do you? Also, what's your exhaustive list of what you use your computer for?
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At home I usually hook my laptop up to my flatscreen - what does that make me? Bi-something?
For the record -
Laptop -
Mobile photo storage, Facebook and Gmail in cafes, crowding around with friends at parties watching YouTube.
Home Desktop -
Freelance productivity, photo post-processing, music composition and recording, socializing, music/movies/tv shows.
Work desktop -
Work, Digg and blogs.
Motorola V3xx -
Reading the news, last-minute eBay bids while on the move.
And more human what say now? I think he just means "more bigger," but grabbed the wrong word.
That's not to say television isn't appropriate for lean-forward experiences. Most gaming takes place on consoles connected to televisions. That's also not to imply it's impossible to lean back and enjoy life from 2ft. It's just that 2ft platforms come with their own set of expectations and learnt behaviors: We're accustomed to using computers to participate in very interactive activities, so it seems awkward for some to sit in front of a laptop and not be mousing and typing as usual. But for an emerging group of consumers, digital media and interactive entertainment has totally redefined what is and isn't enjoyable - the passivity of television seems boring when compared to the interactivity and scale of the internet. And so if they were to choose a distance from which to be "enjoying life", they'd choose 2ft.
TVs are the most preferred medium everything about the experience is much more comforting
Laptop-
Side projects, sketching, music, travel.
Desktop-
Finances, internet, photos/video, TV, music, socializing.
Work Desktop-
Work.
Iphone-
Everything except work/sketching/tv.