When laptops stop feeling like machines | usagoldmines.com

Have you noticed how modern laptops seem more approachable than ever? Gone are the sharp, angular edges and industrial plastic of the past. Today’s machines feel sleek, tactile, and… almost inviting! As a very tactile person myself, this shift in design really changes my emotional connection with the tech I use on a day-to-day basis. I bet it’s the same for you, too.

The olden days

Back in the day (specifically the 80s and 90s), laptops were boxy plastic things with sharp edges and itty bitty screens. Function was at the forefront here and design was more of an afterthought. I’m a millennial and the family computer I grew up playing Myst and Baldur’s Gate on was an IBM, and it was nothing fancy–just a boxy, beige-colored thing. Still, my love persisted because it was my gateway to other worlds. I just never connected with the bland design. 

Wikipedia

These modern laptops are sleek and elegant. They’re also way smaller than their ancestors. You needed a good amount of arm strength to tote around those older laptops! But now you’ve got the elegant curves of a MacBook Air and the rubberized lids on some Lenovo ThinkPads. This shift is a welcome departure from the unfeeling machines of the past. Laptops are nicer and, well, friendlier somehow! 

It’s not just about how laptops look. How they feel in your hands can really change the experience. I’ve felt it firsthand.

Connecting with your laptop isn’t as weird as it initially sounds

Like I said earlier, I’m a tactile person, it’s just the way I do life. And, as someone who reviews Chromebooks and thinks about laptops a great deal, first impressions can really make or break the experience. That’s extremely important.

It was a clunky Dell I picked up for college, nothing to write home about, but unboxing it felt special to me. I don’t remember the exact model or specs anymore, but I do remember picking it up and feeling its weight. It felt comforting in a way as well as substantial and important. Honestly, it kind of felt pretty sleek back then! I’m sure it was considered lightweight for the time (2006 feels like a lifetime ago), but it left a lasting impression on me. 

This portable thing, this portal that’ll lead me to people I met role-playing on Second Life and am still friends with today, was something of a comfort to me. I used to cover its lid with decals and kind of see it as part of who I was. Back then, laptops were heavy and boxy, but I still felt a weird little connection to mine.

Honestly, my laptop has to feel right for me to get anything done. If the keys are stiff or the palm rest creaks, it’s hard for me to focus. It’s a tiny thing, I know, but it totally changes how long I can actually sit and write. Nothing obliterates the buzz of inspiration more than a bad design.

So, what’s pushing this design forward?

Our relationship with the tech we use every day didn’t just happen overnight. Design has slowly adapted to fit our changing lifestyles.

A few things are pushing this design to the forefront. First, materials have advanced since the 80s and 90s. Now you’ve got polymer coatings and lighter metal alloy frames, the latter of which allows manufacturers to round out (or “soften”) those pointy edges. As for the internal components, they’ve gotten a lot smaller and more powerful. Thermal solutions have improved, too. But people aren’t just using laptops for work now, they’re using them for creation and connection. They’ve become an almost intimate part of our everyday lives.

Thomas Armbrüster

Many folks (including me) work from home, so having a mobile laptop that can be taken anywhere just makes sense. We want devices that fit into our lives comfortably, not just functionally and that includes cafes and couches. Would you rather curl up in bed with a pointy slab of plastic or something with round edges? Exactly. Feel and aesthetics are just as important as a snappy processor or marathon battery life. In fact, some modern designs are downright weird… and we love it!

There’s actually a term for this kind of thing and it’s called human-centered design. It’s all about making technology feel intuitive and approachable as well as functional. There’s some psychology going on behind all that softness, too. As humans, we’re wired to respond to touch–it’s how we explored the world as children. The smoother or softer something feels, the more likely we are to see it as friendly and familiar.

Laptops aren’t the only devices getting softer, either. Phones used to be rigid things with all sorts of angles, but now they almost curve into your hand like river stones. Thanks to the rounded design of my husband’s smartwatch, it just gently presses against his wrist instead of digging into it–small, comfortable, and unobtrusive. As technology keeps changing, I can’t help but wonder… How much softer can it get?

What does the future look like?

I can’t see into the future (not yet at least!), but if I had to guess where this trend is going, I’d say the line between technology and lifestyle will continue to blur. Maybe someday our laptops will respond to our temperature and change color as a result–sort of like a mood ring. Maybe the haptic feedback will generate a unique pattern, letting us know when a loved one has sent a message. That would be cool, sure, but that’s my imagination getting away from me.

Softness is here to stay

Maybe that’s why I’m so fond of my laptop. It slides right into my routines, I don’t have to bend around it. And the softness? It’s not just in the rounded edges, it’s in the way it makes me want to pick it up and interact with it. Laptops no longer feel cold and intimidating. I hope tech just keeps on getting softer because it transforms something functional into something I actually enjoy holding and using.