What is Daylight Computer 1?
A thoughtful, less-distracting vision of computing.
My journey to find a less distracting device for focused thought and productivity has been close to a decade in the making. I’ve been a great proponent of the reMarkable tablet, and an avid user of both reMarkabe 1 and reMarkable 2. Recently though - I started finding it a bit too limiting. I wanted a device I could easily read news and long form articles on, in addition to Kindle books and my own text notes from the phone and the computer.
My search recently led me to the Boox Go 10.3 - a wonderfully thin and capable E-Ink tablet which runs Android and therefore supports my favorite news apps, notes apps, and of course - the Kindle app.
I supplemented it with the wonderful Staedtler Mars Lumograph Digital Jumbo Pen, which feels more comfortable and steady in the hand than any stylus I’ve ever used. And I was off to the races.
From a little research I did, though, it looked like Boox is known to be sending your data to servers in motherland China, so I tried to avoid having anything confidential on it, and disabled the most obvious offender apps including a pre-installed app that was constantly observing the screen. Still - the overall feeling is of a wonderful device that I don’t fully trust with my private data.
I found a tutorial on how to root the device and wipe it from tracking software, and I may still have to do it for my piece of mind.
It was only after I set up my new Boox that I found another contender: Daylight Computer. They are a SF-based startup and you’ve got to love their opening headline: The computer, de-invented. Meet DC-1. A new kind of computer, designed for deep focus and wellbeing.
I think had I found this first, I would have paid a little bit more to have a device with a US-based company, a better operating system, and that beautiful orange glow for nighttime reading.
Still - the key benefits are the same:
You can take beautiful notes with the pen, and manage any number of notebooks.
You can read and annotate ePubs & PDFs as if they are printed on paper.
You can read Kindle books through the original Kindle app.
You can read your favorite news sources, RSS readers, etc.
You can easily sync data across devices, since Android has most of the apps you might use.
You can connect to your favorite Bluetooth devices: Keyboard, headphones, and more.
A large E-Ink tablet is a perfect device when you want to focus on reading, thinking, or writing. And it’s been life-changing already.
Despite a high refresh rate that can even support smooth video playback - E-Ink screens are quieter, less distracting, and less enticing. They can remain open for hours on the same screen without losing power. They are better for the eyes and better for the soul.
I am loving the fact that this is now a growing category. Hope we all start porting more of our digital lives to these enlivening devices.
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