When the M3 MacBook Air came out last month, I did a good old double facepalm that would make Captain Picard proud. The wedge shape (somehow) no longer existed. My M2 MacBook Air 15 was a little too big, too heavy, and no matter what some people say, 8GB of RAM wasn’t enough. Analyzing the different configurations and prices of the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro gave me a headache. The thought of lugging around a heavier laptop caused my back to ache.
So I said, “Fuck it. I’m going back to desktop life.” I traded in my M2 Air and got a Mac Mini.
It made sense. I have an M1 MacBook Air for work – a wonderfully light wedge that’s more than enough for occasional trips to the office. At home, I use my phone for everything except writing and tasks that are better suited to large screens (e.g. spreadsheets, research, etc.). I already had an external keyboard, mouse and monitor. I actually used my laptop as a desktop Despite it.
But the last time I had a desktop was in 2001. 23 years is a long time, and in that time I’ve forgotten a lot about desktop life – like how peripherals aren’t a nice option; They are a must. And with Macs, setup can be difficult if you don’t use Apple’s Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse.
I missed the trackpad when I realized that my Keychron K2 wireless keyboard and Logitech MX Vertical mouse would need to be connected to get started. After this initial problem, it wasn’t difficult to pair the Keychron. The mouse was a different story. Bluetooth pairing did not work while the mouse was connected. However, I couldn’t click it in the Bluetooth menu to pair the mouse unless It was plugged in. I sat there for a good three minutes looking like a surprised Pikachu as I racked my brain trying to think of all the options that didn’t involve digging up a second mouse. Then I spent three hours looking for my spouse’s dead magic mouse. It took another hour until the charge was sufficient. This is a known problem, and yet many people, like me, are caught off guard. So if you’re thinking about making the switch, make sure you have a wired mouse and keyboard on hand.
In my 23 desktop-free years, I’ve also forgotten that desktops don’t have great built-in speakers. My M2 Air had great speakers. The Mac mini speaker is tinny garbage. I tried wearing headphones all day but found it too uncomfortable. After a week of rejecting it, I bought a pair of tiny desk speakers for $19. Even though I already owned a webcam, I wasn’t prepared for how often I had to unplug and replug it to get it to work. And then I had to transfer photos from an SD card. The Mac Mini does not have an SD card slot. I stared out the window, sighed, and bought Satechi’s 2-in-1 Mac Mini Hub and Stand.
But once the mystery of ports and peripherals was mostly resolved, I realized how conscious life is on the desktop. Laptops are great, but their portability made it difficult for me to separate work and home. It’s easier for me to get going in the morning when I know I can’t roll over from bed, grab my laptop, and start working. (Turns out getting out of bed does wonders for my mood.) I have to get dressed, brush my teeth, and head to my office. And since I only sit at my desk to journal or work, it’s like I flip a switch in my brain that says, “Time to write.” Everywhere in my home now has a place to that I can just… live.
It’s a little different than childhood. Back then, the desktop was a family computer. There was no real privacy. My parents had priority – which meant I had to hide all of my very important middle school AIM conversations and illegal LimeWire downloads whenever they needed to send an email. That was the appeal of a laptop back then. I could take my business somewhere else, away from their prying eyes. But now that I not I have to share that life at work helps create a daily structure that allows me more freedom – not less.
At least most of the time. There is another problem with the Mac Mini that I haven’t quite solved. Unfortunately, the Mac Mini is square. Cats are known to like to sit in places. Over the last month, one cat in particular has taken to perching on it while staring imperiously down at me – blocking my view, stealing my lunch, and aggressively demanding pets. It’s very sweet but not sustainable as I would like to keep my job. It’s unclear whether getting a second external monitor will help or plunge me into another port-related conundrum. I will accept all suggestions.