Maybe three years ago now I bought an HP Chromebook to use as my main writing tool, to replace my dear old 2008 MacBook Pro (MBP).
The Chromebook is portable, simple to use and the battery lasts ages.
It’s an ideal blogging machine for someone who still enjoys a full keyboard and doesn’t have the patience to use an iPad for anything other than browsing online, viewing pictures, and as a portable cinema courtesy of Netflix and Disney Plus.
But whilst the Chromebook is functional, I wouldn’t ever say it’s a pleasure to use.
The keys are very plasticky, the screen very average (my much older iPad is far better for viewing images and films), and opening it takes two hands and some to-ing and fro-ing to get the screen at the right angle. And whilst it’s quick to boot up and shut down, it’s way slower online than my Android phone.
It’s just not a machine I look forward to spending time with.
Kind of the antithesis of my MBP.
Although it’s had a new SSD hard drive, new battery (which has long since been incapable of anything longer than 20 minutes), and is 15 years old, it’s still so much more enjoyable to use than the Chromebook.
In the last year or so the MBP’s arrow keys have started sticking, the down arrow especially. I removed it and cleaned it, even left it off, but it still plays up half the time.
I can use the MBP with a little external Bluetooth keyboard, which disables the on board keys, as it’s still the main machine I download my photographs to.
Despite its ailments, I still love the MacBook.
The aluminium case feels so classy, and I love how the heel of my hand glides across the smooth spot worn into the metal, from hours and years of fervent use.
The screen may be 15 years old but it’s still lovely, and far superior to the Chromebook’s.
Opening it with one finger with that perfectly weighted lid, is still such a joy and the only other laptop I’ve experienced this with is my previous Apple machine, a PowerBook.
I know this seems such a trivial thing, but honestly every time I tussle with opening any other laptop I wonder why Apple were able to perfect the strength of the magnets and the resistance of the hinges decades ago, but others don’t seem able to.
Maybe no-one else but me cares about such details.
The point of this ode to the indifference I feel towards the Chromebook, and my love letter to the MacBook, is that for me, the tools we use for a particular purpose greatly dictate how much I enjoy that experience. Far more than the age or the raw capabilities or features of the tool.
Of course this idea of using beautiful tools applies to cameras too.
I no longer shoot film, but just winding on and firing the shutter of my Spotmatic F or Contax 139Q is still a sublime pleasure – whether the camera is loaded with film or not.
And my favourite digital cameras in my remaining arsenal all have something special in how they feel to use, and hold in my hand, which is why I keep returning to them.
If they didn’t, I would simply use my highly capable phone camera all the time.
New Macs are way beyond my budget now, and 90% of the capabilities would be unnecessary for my simple requirements.
I’ve browsed new Chromebooks, but I think to get something that feels as well built and as joyous to use as a MacBook, I’d need to be spending approaching £1000, for something that just really doesn’t get much use these days, and again would be hugely over-capable for my needs.
So it’s unlikely the HP Chromebook I’m writing this on will be replaced any time soon.
I could get a decent used Windows laptop and convert it to a Chromebook like I did with an old HP laptop for a couple of years before I bought a dedicated Chromebook. But I can’t really be bothered to source one, and it would still be adding another device I didn’t really need.
I’ll keep the latter accumulation activity for old CCD cameras only!
How about you? What are your favourite “beautiful tools” to use – photographic or otherwise – and what do you enjoy most about them?
As always, please let us know in the comments below (and don’t forget to tick the “Notify me of new comments via email” box to follow the conversation).
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35hunter 
Love the post Dan. I have been thinking about “the beautiful” recently and your writing just rung a bell. I am really getting interested in the idea of something being beautiful because of our relationship to it, and how we feel about it with all of our senses and experience. So much of what humans strive for is “efficient” or “fast” or “powerful” or containing all the “bells and whistles” or something of that sort. The objects, or solutions, which are beautiful, however, satisfy the need and accomplish the goal in just the “right” way. As you say it is a feeling more than something that can be pointed to, but that feeling is powerful. I am going to keep thinking about this!
Thanks Andy. I do think as a culture we’ve been absolutely bludgeoned with the message “bigger, better, faster, more!” for the last two or three decades (or more). I just picked up a little digital camera from 2010 and it had the obligatory sticker on the front that all cameras of that era had, with a series of numbers – 10.1MP! 3x Zoom! And so on. Wonder how many people at the time bought it because it was 10.1MP and their existing camera was only 7 or 8MP, regardless of any other parameters.
Also as you allude to, there is that tipping point with functions and features where a certain amount becomes too much, and gets in the way of a direct and enjoyable experience. Any camera that I pick up and can’t figure out how to use in a couple of minutes I generally think is over engineered, for my needs and tastes.
A contradictory example are the Ricoh cameras for example the GR Digital III, which does have a great depth of features, but can be set up just how you want it initially, then it becomes as simple or complex as you want it. Naturally I have mine set up towards the far simpler end of the scale!
Hi Dan… Really like the post and it rings so dear as recently I sold all my gear… yep all of it and moved over to the M43 system … brought a Olympus OM1 and the pro trinity of lenses they do.. 7 to 14, 12 to 40 and 40 to 150 all at F2.8… Life is a dream now Dan, the handling of the system is sublime and you just know that you have quality goods in your hands.. the Olympus glass is also so good far better than anything I have been used to .. I now enjoy taking photos and feel really at home with the system that many knock as they say that “full frame” is the only way…. to which my reply is… the joy of handling a lens capable of 300mm f2.8 and it fitting virtually in the palm of my hand takes some beating… but its not the fact that its new its the fact that it is quality gear and I am now set up for the next 20 odd years… so avoiding the GAS and also the urge to buy the latest and greatest… All were brought 2nd hand and loads of money saved in the process… the line… buy quality buy once is so so true… I’ve spent loads on gear over the years… but am now of the opinion that its best to buy quality over specs…
Hi Lynd, thanks for your reply, great to hear from you. I’m not up to speed with modern cameras so had to look up your kit, wow that’s some set up. Very pleased to hear how much you’re enjoying it.
On paper the micro four thirds sounds like a dream to me, near (or equal) DSLR quality in a more compact package.
In reality I”ve only ever tried one M43 camera, the lovely Panasonic Lumix GF1.
It is a beautiful camera, very classy and well made. The trouble I think I’ve always had with it, is it’s almost too good. The image quality is wonderful, but I don’t know, it doesn’t really have any flaws or character. I’ve never really bonded with it, despite how obviously good a camera it is.
Looking through my GF1 posts here it seems I wrote almost exactly the above about three years ago!
I’m not sure I’ve even picked up the GF1 since.
Guess I just like my cheap and cheerful stuff more, and the challenge of getting pleasing images from gear that costs less than a decent meal!
Dan, can you please ema