So here’s the thing. I’m a web professional the same as many of you might be. And if you aren’t, you probably use the Internet for a variety of things throughout your day. Often, this will be the case whether you even really realize it, or not. In any case, I’ve come to realize something important about the technology that I use. It’s causing me to be inefficient.
My Tech Setup and Workflow
As of last week, my technology setup: My main computer is a hand built PC, originally built for gaming, running Windows 7. It’s a bit dated. It’s also shared with my fiancé. My Mid-2012 13" MacBook Air filled the dubious role of portable media viewing device, away from home working device, and “carrying around other parts of the house while sort of working” device.
I have a Galaxy Note 4 as a smart phone (recently changed from an iPhone 5S). My work machine is a Lenovo ThinkPad Carbon X1, running Windows 8.1. I have a media server running Ubuntu Server 14.04.
As far as software goes, I use MS Office 2007, Google Docs, and Evernote intermittently as writing tools. I share some documents from both Drive and Evernote with friends, freelance clients, family, etc. I use Dropbox to sync a lot of my files. I use a different code editor on Windows than on Mac, and yet another (an IDE) at work. I use Gmail for personal and freelancing purposes, along with Outlook and Exchange for work. I could keep on going for a while, but maybe you’re getting the drift. I use a lot of things, some duplicating each other’s purposes, none of which play very nicely together at times.
Are There Tech Switching Costs, Too?
I’ve long been a proponent of keeping in mind switching costs that come with changing tasks mid workflow. For instance, if I am writing this article, and someone walks into the room and asks me a few questions, and then I return to it, it may take some minutes for me to retain my “train of thought” and continue. I might never remember the things that were just about to be typed. the project might literally be altered completely by that derailment, and if nothing else, my productivity is shot for a while.
I propose that the same thing can occur with our technology. What if the switching costs of developing code all day on my Windows machine and IDE and then switching to a whole different environment — operating system, editors, workflow — what if the cost is greater than makes sense? What if some efficiency is lost when one does not buy “all in” to an ecosystem? I’ve always stayed away from that. Apple products, I love, but I’m not financially capable of replacing all of my miscellaneous products with Apple ones at the moment. I am, however, capable of replacing the MacBook Air with a Windows computer (which I did — I’m writing this post on my new Asus Zenbook UX305).
Going “All-in” on One Ecosytem
I’ve already made the switch to all Windows for my daily work, writing, development, and entertainment. I think I’m going to Windows 10 all over, too. I am capable of switching to Office 365 and OneDrive instead of Gmail, Google Docs, MS Office 2007, and Dropbox. I am capable of switching to OneNote from Evernote. All of a sudden, with a little bit of upfront effort, I’ll be almost all-in on Microsoft products. I’ll drink their proverbial Kool-Aid, and we’ll see. Do I like supporting the “corporate giant”? Not especially. But are they any worse in that regard than Apple or Google? No, not particularly. Do I like the Windows 10 “spying” tools and settings, many of which are defaulted on? Not necessarily, although it’s naive to believe that because there are now settings, these practices are new — they are not.
I’m not, by the way, particularly a proponent of any of the larger software companies out there. I’m simply suggesting that buying completely into one ecosystem may prove to be a better option.
Stick with me over the next few weeks. I plan to review the Zenbook, review Windows 10, and probably Cortana, and detail out how my workflow changes as I go to an all Microsoft environment.
