My friend and podcast co-host Chris Lawley just posted a video about how his relationship with the iPad has changed over time. I linked to this on social media and got a few replies from folks who said something to the effect of, "we told you so," which truthfully I just find obnoxious. The implication is that Chris was wrong to use the iPad for so much for so long, and now he's done "the right thing" by integrating a Mac into more of his work.

This isn't an isolated incident, which is why I'm writing about this. As someone who shares a lot about my tech life online, I get this sometimes as well. When I change from a simple app to a more complex one, I hear why obviously the more complex app that has more features was of course the right choice all along. Then in a few years when I go from that same complex app to a simpler app, I hear why no one actually needs that complexity. This meme (or origin I can't find, unfortunately) is a good example of this.

Without turning this into a 1,000+ word post, I'll just sum it up this way:

  • Your task manager will change one day
  • Your writing system will change one day
  • Your mail app will change one day
  • Your web browser will change one day
  • Your keyboard will change one day
  • Your computer will change one day
  • Your desk will change one day
  • Your physical capabilities will change one day
  • Everything will change one day

The fact these change doesn't mean you used the wrong thing, it just means your needs changed.