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You could make any PC or laptop into a 'low distraction' device by disconnecting it from the Internet and having a minimum install of only the required producti

You could make any PC or laptop into a 'low distraction' device by disconnecting it from the Internet and having a minimum install of only the required productivity software. It won't free you from the distraction of your other devices though, as you've probably got a fully-online phone within reach.

yur3i__ 4y ago
Yeah I feel like this kind of thing is a bit of redundant, if you were going to be distracted by looking at HN on your laptop, you probably will do the same on your phone
Grumbledour 4y ago
I got similar feelings as the OP though. It's not just about notifications popping up or having a browser at hand. I feel the epaper display puts me in a different frame of mind. A "Not sitting at the computer" state, in which I think differently. So I always wondered if writing on an epaper display would not feel entirely different than looking at an empty page in a word processor. I certainly feel the difference when reading a book an my ereader vs. my phone/tablet.
- Kerrick 4y ago
  I have an IBM Correcting Selectric III for this exact purpose. I do find it helps. It’s not very portable, though. I just picked up a Sears Citation for that, but the 1960s typewriter definition of portable is much closer to “you can take it on a trip and type in your hotel room” than it is to “you can take it on a hike and type under a tree.”
  - drewzero1 4y ago
    I also have a Correcting Selectric III and to say that it's not very portable is as much an understatement as saying a boat anchor is not very slim or lightweight! For actually portable typewriters I've really enjoyed my Royal Mercury and Smith-Corona Skyriter, both of which are usable on a lap on a bench (or under a tree).
- mackrevinack 4y ago
  any time i read hackernews stuff on my eink i always spend a lot less time reading overall, mainly because its a lot more inconvenient to use. but that's a good thing some times!
jolmg 4y ago
If YouTube, other videos, or fast-moving games is the source of their distraction, then an e-ink monitor would provide a hardware obstacle rather than a pure software one which can more easily be overcome.
mtlmtlmtlmtl 4y ago
I usually just turn my phone off if I need to focus. If someone /really/ needs to reach me they could always call my workplace. And I avoid phone communication at all cost anyway. I realise this is not an option for everyone of course. There's also apps that allow you to time lock your phone with exceptions for important things. Protip: set it up so you can get around it by rebooting the phone, in case you forgot to whitelist something, etc. Smartphones are painfully slow to boot anyway, so it still helps discourage the constant distraction if you can muster the will power to not do the reboot. More effort means you consider it rather than reflexively do it.
dredmorbius 4y ago
There's some truth to your comment, and the one threat you'll never run away from is yourself, but it misses a lot. I've been using an Onyx BOOX Max Lumi as my daily driver for about a year. It's an e-ink Android tablet, principally intended as an e-book reader (which I use it for), though it also serves quite well for podcasts, web browsing, and general terminal work (Termux / SSH). If I really want to minimise distractions, I'll disable networking. I can read local content (articles, or my Pocket stash), which is already ample distraction. Or play back downloaded podcasts. It is far more usable outdoors or under bright lighting than any laptop or tablet, which is itself highly useful. Battery life is quite good when reading ebooks. This involves disabling Bluetooth, WiFi, and if possible, the Backlight, and avoiding screen repaints. When used for podcasts or browsing, CPU drain is fairly substantial, though I can get well over a day's use per charge typically. There's no social media or any other apps on the device. My one authenticating app is Pocket. The UI is not entirely as distraction-free as I'd like, but it is far more so than any other device I've owned in decades. Lacking colour and high-speed animations is of and by itself a major win on distraction-free status. So, interestingly enough, is the ability to take freehand notes on the device. I'd not anticipated doing that much, it's turned out to be a significant use.

yur3i__ 4y ago

Yeah I feel like this kind of thing is a bit of redundant, if you were going to be distracted by looking at HN on your laptop, you probably will do the same on your phone

Grumbledour 4y ago

I got similar feelings as the OP though. It's not just about notifications popping up or having a browser at hand. I feel the epaper display puts me in a different frame of mind. A "Not sitting at the computer" state, in which I think differently. So I always wondered if writing on an epaper display would not feel entirely different than looking at an empty page in a word processor. I certainly feel the difference when reading a book an my ereader vs. my phone/tablet.

Kerrick 4y ago
I have an IBM Correcting Selectric III for this exact purpose. I do find it helps. It’s not very portable, though. I just picked up a Sears Citation for that, but the 1960s typewriter definition of portable is much closer to “you can take it on a trip and type in your hotel room” than it is to “you can take it on a hike and type under a tree.”
- drewzero1 4y ago
  I also have a Correcting Selectric III and to say that it's not very portable is as much an understatement as saying a boat anchor is not very slim or lightweight! For actually portable typewriters I've really enjoyed my Royal Mercury and Smith-Corona Skyriter, both of which are usable on a lap on a bench (or under a tree).
mackrevinack 4y ago
any time i read hackernews stuff on my eink i always spend a lot less time reading overall, mainly because its a lot more inconvenient to use. but that's a good thing some times!

jolmg 4y ago

If YouTube, other videos, or fast-moving games is the source of their distraction, then an e-ink monitor would provide a hardware obstacle rather than a pure software one which can more easily be overcome.

mtlmtlmtlmtl 4y ago

I usually just turn my phone off if I need to focus. If someone /really/ needs to reach me they could always call my workplace. And I avoid phone communication at all cost anyway. I realise this is not an option for everyone of course. There's also apps that allow you to time lock your phone with exceptions for important things. Protip: set it up so you can get around it by rebooting the phone, in case you forgot to whitelist something, etc. Smartphones are painfully slow to boot anyway, so it still helps discourage the constant distraction if you can muster the will power to not do the reboot. More effort means you consider it rather than reflexively do it.

dredmorbius 4y ago

There's some truth to your comment, and the one threat you'll never run away from is yourself, but it misses a lot. I've been using an Onyx BOOX Max Lumi as my daily driver for about a year. It's an e-ink Android tablet, principally intended as an e-book reader (which I use it for), though it also serves quite well for podcasts, web browsing, and general terminal work (Termux / SSH). If I really want to minimise distractions, I'll disable networking. I can read local content (articles, or my Pocket stash), which is already ample distraction. Or play back downloaded podcasts. It is far more usable outdoors or under bright lighting than any laptop or tablet, which is itself highly useful. Battery life is quite good when reading ebooks. This involves disabling Bluetooth, WiFi, and if possible, the Backlight, and avoiding screen repaints. When used for podcasts or browsing, CPU drain is fairly substantial, though I can get well over a day's use per charge typically. There's no social media or any other apps on the device. My one authenticating app is Pocket. The UI is not entirely as distraction-free as I'd like, but it is far more so than any other device I've owned in decades. Lacking colour and high-speed animations is of and by itself a major win on distraction-free status. So, interestingly enough, is the ability to take freehand notes on the device. I'd not anticipated doing that much, it's turned out to be a significant use.