Laptops are a standard fixture in the life of a working professional. Some laptops are sleek and light and others are too heavy to carry around. I for one have been carrying around a heavy laptop along with its bulky charger for years for my office work. For a long time I believed that this setup along with a bunch of accessories was the only way to stay productive during long workdays. But after one too many commutes with a heavy bag on my shoulders, I decided to try conduct a little experiment. I ditched my laptop for a week and committed to using an ultra-portable tablet during this time period.
My biggest fear? That I’d be running back to my bulky laptop within a day or day and that this change - no matter how temporary - would impact my overall productivity severely. From a working professional's perspective, juggling between multiple tabs, handling endless emails, researching and editing documents on a tablet instead of a laptop seems preposterous.
After spending week conducting this experiment, the results surprised me. Not only did I manage to leave the charger at home for most of the week, but I also discovered several productivity benefits that made everyday work easier. From improved portability and longer battery life to a cleaner, more flexible workspace, a lighter bag, the experience challenged many assumptions I had about modern work devices.
