When I get to write or read on a screen that’s reflecting the sun back at me instead of needing to be shielded from it, I get a dose of this feeling that this is what all computing could feel like. I want so much more of this in my life.

This is a piece of hardware that makes me want to go outside instead of keeping me trapped inside. Something that doesn’t blind me at night with an artificial sun in my face, keeping me from seeing the actual sun the following morning.

DC-1 is not for everyone. In the same way that going from black and white to color broadcast gave a way to communicate more bits to each person’s eyeball, going in the opposite direction takes bits away – and the internet has a lot of bits. The DC-1 is grayscale. Not everything can be done in grayscale.

It’s also seemed to prioritize the tablet-and-stylus form of interaction higher than the screen-and-keyboard form factor. While I appreciate both, a lot more of my computing today fits into the latter and I wish it were better aligned for comfortable typing in odd positions like a hammock (something that laptops excel at).

It’s a first generation product. Good ergonomics requires reps and iteration. Tablets occupy a tricky space between small computers and big computers. They can meet us in more places than a big computer and capture handwriting in a way that a phone can’t but they also can’t replace a phone nor laptop yet.

All that said, I’m really glad to own this beautiful piece of tech. I feel better about reading on a digital device at night before bed than I have in a long time. Typing outside in the sun is a psycho-active burst of happiness (and I’m excited for the Colorado winter to turn into Spring so I can do it again).

Now into the nitty gritty.

the wonderful #

• the screen works in direct sunlight with brightness set to 0%: I can sit with the sun at my back / hitting the tablet, and everything on my screen only becomes the more readable for it. It is designed to be outside rather than being begrudgingly being dragged out to be coddled in the shade. by far my favorite feature and the thing that makes this a special piece of tech.
• the warm amber backlight is beautiful at night: When I read on it before bed for a while, I actually get tired. When I read on my phone or iPad mini this doesn’t happen – I have to cut myself off. Is it because I am reading long form media? or because my brain associates daylight with sleep? Perhaps. But whatever it is, it’s working to keep me from staying up.
• battery life: seems to be lasting longer than my iPad pro for roughly equivalent usage patterns, but I don’t have fine data he