Meade’s ecology of desks:

In my efforts to implement GETTING THINGS DONE (hereafter GTD) I’ve developed an ecology of desks:

• An office desk known for being clutter clear
• The Man Purse Pico Desk known for keeping essentials at hand
• My home-office “good enough” desk (subject of a forthcoming post)
• BookBook Micro Desk, the desk I carry with me at all times and which is the subject of this post.

What is a BookBook?

The BookBook is a family of cases (iPhone, iPad, Macbook Air 11.6″, Macbook Air 13″, Macbook Pro 13″ and Macbook Pro 15″) by Twelve South, that look like leather bound books.  The intent of the BookBook is to make people say “That’s the coolest thing I’ve ever seen!” when they first see you open your Book Book with your computer inside. This happens frequently.

As I was interviewing for college teaching jobs in 2010, I thought this would be a great computer case to carry around on a campus.  “I read therefore I am” is my personal motto, so I bought the Macbook Pro model for my 13″ first generation Macbook Air.  When I switched to an 11.6″ Macbook Air 4,1 last summer, the computer sloshed around in the cases, no longer a perfect fit.

Better than perfect!

Last summer I was struggling to deal with desk portability.  I have a Kensington roller case that I love, except that I keep putting things in it, and it gets heavier over time.   *Aside* the collapsable handle on this case stopped working, and I emailed Kensignton and they replaced the case no questions asked!  Kudus to Kensington!

So I really do have good vibes about using the roller case, but I had to stop using it, because I am so incorrigible and keep compounding travel infrastructure.  So, after my back went out last summer, I decided to go hard core over to the other, light-weight extreme.

With the help of DropBox, Evernote, a 256 GB SSD on the Macbook Air, I was able to reconfigure my 13″ BookBook to function as a desk. Here is what I’ve been using and loving ever since:

BookBook Micro Desk Outside-View

 

BookBook Micro Desk Inside View

 

BookBook Micro Desk Complete Setup

 

By combining storage in the cloud (Evernote and DropBox) with the lightest weight system possible, I’ve found a new kind of desk that is really growing on me.

Via the free Kindle for Mac software on Amazon, I have 143 books on this laptop.  I now no longer use my iPad first generation to read.  The Kindle software on the Macbook Air is faster and easier to use.  The weight difference between the iPad (1.5 pounds) and the Macbook Air (2.1 pounds) is rounding error to me.

Ground Zero of Meade’s Trusted System

Evernote and DropBox have just about brought me to the point of not needing a laptop.  When files are replicated to your office, home office, and laptop computers, you use your laptop a lot less.  At least I use mine a lot less.  But I’m using the laptop different, and better.  It has become my main book reading device.  Well, I’m torn when I say that, because I think I read about 50/50 between the Macbook Air and Kindle, and Audible on my Android phone.

I have to baby the Macbook Air though, the high point on its case is the plastic Apple logo on the cover.  I dinged this, and you can see a 2nd ding between the two lines on the bumper sticker on the above picture.  Above the e and below the T is a ding.  So, I keep the folders between the 3″x5″ cards and pens and face the cover to the back in the BookBook, to prevent any more dings.

Thanks for reading!

 

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