I’m a minimalist—at least, my aesthetic tastes tend that direction. Somehow, people (or at least marketers) seem to think that wireless technology effectively achieves minimalism.
It doesn’t.
first: what does “wireless” mean?
Let’s get on the right foot. When I say “wireless,” I’m referring to any electronic device that runs off of a battery while in use rather than being connected to power.
This includes:
- keyboards
- mice
- phones
- laptops
- headphones and earbuds
- toys
- clocks and watches
- surveillance cameras
I also include anything transmitting data wirelessly, whether or not it’s battery-powered, but that’s not the focus of this piece.
the lies
lie #1: wireless is more portable
The great thing about wireless technology is that you can just throw it in your bag and go to the library, the beach, your friend’s house, a trip to the other side of the world. Or so they say.
In reality, though, a wireless device is only as portable for as long as its battery lasts. Want your earbuds along for a week-long vacation? You’ll need your charger. It’s the same with phones, laptops, smartwatches, and so forth. Every device has a threshold of time past which you’re going to need to bring a cable or spare battery.
Granted, wired devices need cables too. But they do have a benefit in this regard.
Wired devices get their power from the main device they’re plugged into. A wired keyboard or mouse gets power from the computer. Wired headphones get their power from your phone or laptop. This means they don’t have to deal with the extra weight of having their own batteries, making them lighter to carry and, therefore, more portable.
If the main device is wireless, it’ll usually drain faster as a result, but at least you only have to worry about keeping one device charged. That feels more minimalistic to me.
lie #2: longer battery life
Well, wouldn’t longer battery life fix the issue? It’ll help with the portability (though weight is still an issue), but there’s another root issue: the number of devices you have.
People who embrace the wireless lifestyle often go all in. You have your wireless headphones, e-reader, keyboard, mouse, lamp, smartwatch, and more. The problem is, the more wireless devices you have, the more often you’re going to have to recharge something, even if each individual device needs charging infrequently.
Throw in the mess of things that need replaced batteries, like smoke detectors, toys, flashlights, remote controls, alarm clocks, or electric pencil sharpeners and you have a big mess on your hands. There’s always something needing to be recharged or to have its batteries changed. Charging stations devolve into a rats’ nest of cords. Drawers of batteries have a pile in the corner you avoid because you’re not sure if they’re used or not.
There are some things which it’s truly a blessing to have wireless versions of, like phones. It’s absolutely vital, though, to minimize the number of wireless things in your life to avoid the chaos I just described.
lie #3: when it works, it’s better
Okay, so maybe having wireless devices will have problem times. But when wireless works, it works better.
Well… that may be correct, but I don’t think it’s a good thing. You see, I believe in minimalism not just in aesthetic, but in function. Yes, eighty percent of the time you’re having a better experience, but you’re frequently having to switch between wireless and charging.
For example, when using my laptop in my dorm room, I’ll spend the time split between being at my desk with it charging or in a comfier seat with it on battery power. The problem is that I have to switch back and forth. It’s much simpler to just stay at my desk, ensuring I can stay focused on my task without having to worry in the back of my mind about how much charge my battery has left.
It’s the same with a “wireless” keyboard—they’ll often charge by being plugged in for a while during use. The problem is that you have to have a cable constantly available and that you’ll be occasionally swapping it in or out of the system. It’s much simpler to always have the cable, also simplifying the underlying technology, even if that means you’ll have a bit less freedom.
tips for hardware minimalism
tip #1: consolidate everything wireless
When you have to go wireless, try and combine functions so that you need fewer wireless devices. Don’t carry both headphones and earbuds; use your phone’s flashlight and camera; use wired devices when possible. The fewer batteries need charging, the better you’ll succeed.
One way I’ve consolidated that probably isn’t for everyone is that I don’t use a mouse anymore; I have keymappings on my keyboard that fill the role a mouse normally would and move the pointer around the screen. In my opinion, it’s a much better experience than a mouse and it does away with an extra device I’d have had to worry about.
Again, that’s not feasible for everyone, but that’s the kind of consolidation you should be looking for.
tip #2: match power cord type
If your cords are all the same type, it makes charging wireless devices and powering wired ones a much better experience. I personally favor USB C to C or A to C cords, which is a good bet the way current electronics are headed. The same cable can power my laptop, my keyboard, or my headphones.
tip #3: docking stations
When I work at my desk, I have a great setup. My laptop is on a stand to raise the display to the level of my eyes, and I have a custom mechanical keyboard. The best part is, all I have to do to start working is set my laptop down on the stand and plug in a single cable.
The USB C hub I use and keep out of sight underneath the stand can handle power in, keyboard, mouse, external storage drives, external monitor, and audio all with that one cable running to the laptop. That’s worth more to my minimalism-focused aesthetic tastes than having everything wireless. It’s easy to transition, too; when I need to go off to a class, I unplug the single cord, put my computer in my bag, and go.
my setup—wired vs. wireless
Here’s my hardware setup, so you can see what’s wireless and what’s wired:
Wireless:
- Laptop - 5-7 hours of battery life - USB C
- Headphones - 60 hours of battery life (can be used wired, as well) - USB C
- My watch - rated for 10 years of battery life
- Mouse (when I use it, which I usually don’t) - 2 AAA batteries, hasn’t run out in the 1.5yrs I’ve had it
- Kindle - 1-5 weeks of battery life depending on usage - USB Micro-B
- Phone - 10-20 hours of battery life - Lightning Cable :P
- Portable microphone - only 6 hours of battery life, 2 AAA batteries, but I usually use it wired or for very short periods, so 2 batteries can last me up to 6 months or more
Wired:
- Keyboard
- Headphones, some of the time
- Lamps at my desk and bed
- Home server (an old laptop with the battery removed)
- Speakers
- Turntable
- Electric Kettle (for my tea)
- Alarm Clock
Now, a number of those wired items aren’t normally wireless, but I think my point overall stands. If you tally up the wireless items, a very simple charging schedule emerges. Laptop I generally use at my desk when in my room, so it’s fully charged by bedtime and I leave it unplugged at night. Phone gets charged at night. Kindle and Headphones only rarely need charging, so a weekly charging of both while I read a physical book or something like that suffices perfectly.
And, worth noting is that I don’t have a number of devices that many people my age do—no wireless earbuds, no tablet, no wireless speaker, and so on. I’ve arranged my workflow to remove the need for those devices, lowering the number of things that need charging.
Everything else just stays plugged in, doesn’t have batteries, and works perfectly every time I want to use it.
conclusion
I don’t know exactly what I’m trying to convince you of with this post. It’s largely a rant about misconceptions of minimalism and the problems with the wireless philosophy.
Wireless devices do have utility, but I believe that wired should be the default and wireless devices only obtained with a lot of thought put into the decision.
