Life with One Device

the minimalist tech experiment

Recently, I went one year doing such an experiment: owning only one item of technology.

An iPad mini.

After a previous no-phone experiment, I concluded two things.

One: I didn’t particularly staring at my phone.

I always felt really creeped out essentially being on-call to anyone who wants to talk to you at the exact second they want to talk to you.

And, Two: that I could do everything on a pad that I could do on a phone, without a contract or a bill.

Because I'm against bills.

How can you survive with only one device?

Use wifi.

And get a global data sim card so you can access cellular data when you don't have wifi access.

You can call and text via Talkatone, FaceTime, Facebook, Skype and lots more apps will give you a phone number you can use for texting, calling, voicemail, and even two factor authentication.

Then, it was just me and my iPad.

It came everywhere with me. I dropped it, carried it in pouring rain, wind, snow, hail, took it to mountains, rivers, and oceans, all dangerous places.

But it was fearless, and it mostly survived them all.

And, I figured out that it really can completely sustain a person.

Or, more specifically - very minimalist me.

Here's how.