I realized that, while I’ve already explained why I’ve chosen Apple products for my Post-PC life, I haven’t really explained why I’d want to live this sort of technological lifestyle in the first place. The reason is actually very simple. In fact, “simple” is the best word to describe my reasons.
Most people who know me personally already understand based on that last line, but for those who don’t, I have a life philosophy based on one word: simplicity. I am what many people refer to as a Minimalist, and have been for many years. As a Minimalist, I prefer to own as few possessions as possible, and to keep my life as uncomplicated as I can. This is likely in part because I like to move so often (I’ve moved at least 13 times that I can count in the last 18 years) and quickly learned that the less I owned, the easier and cheaper it is to do so. It’s also partly just because I find myself happier, with more peace of mind, when I don’t own a bunch of stuff I don’t need (as the saying goes, the things you own end up owning you).
So to simplify, I’ve condensed nearly everything important in my life (aside from people of course) into as little amount of space a possible, and my iPad, along with my iPhone, definitely helps me accomplish this. My entire library now fits in my pocket thanks to the Kindle, Kobo, and iBooks apps. My collection of music goes everywhere I do thanks to iTunes Match. Nearly all of the movies and TV shows I want to watch can be viewed on my iPad using a combination of iTunes, Netflix, and the apps provided by the shows’ broadcasters (and if I can’t find them using those methods then I just don’t watch them). And if Everpix does turn out to be the final piece of the puzzle I’m hoping it is, I’ve got all my photos accessible anywhere I go now as well.
By going solely Post-PC, along with the few articles of clothing I own, I can now fit everything important to me into one backpack, which makes moving (and even just living) so much simpler and less stressful.
I realize that Minimalism isn’t for everyone, but it’s made my life better, and Post-PC technology is just one more aspect of the simple life that I love living.