So, I got a Nexus One the other day. In just the couple of days I’ve had it, I have noticed subtle and not so subtle changes in my computing habits.
First of all, it is my communications device, which was formally my laptop. It gets SMS, e-mail and XMPP. Additionally, it can check identi.ca (or any StatusNet), as well as WordPress sites for activity (such as comments). When I woke up this morning I went for my mobile, not the lappy. It makes sense, of course. It does what it does well enough, and it is a lot easier to lug into bed than the laptop.
Secondly, I read more. I read that folks found they read more once they got a kindle, since they found all this time to do so while standing in line, on mass transit, etc. It is true with me, except I always read a lot to start with. However, I am reading more deeply. I am not just scanning feeds or mailing list posts, I am taking the time to absorb and digest. My guess is that when I normally do those things I am actually in the middle of something else. I could be completing some task, or play a game with a friend online. The active and passive states of my computer initiative plays a large part in how much time I spend reading individual items. The N1 does it well, with good resolution and sane controls.
That is all I’ve got so far. This is pretty cool, I wish the cost weren’t so prohibitive as to make this class of phone rare. As more people begin using devices as powerful as this one, while hopefully avoiding the time suck from the plethora of “social” apps, I imagine we could do some fun and informative community projects.
I am ever the optimist…