I Can’t Afford the New iMac Desktop, So I Did the Next Best Thing
Write my first draft on my old iPhone 6 using a Bluetooth keyboard. Problem solved!
Ever since I read from M.G. Siegler his review of the M1 chip on the Apple Mac mini M1, I knew it would be my next computer.
And since then, Apple has released its new iMac 24, which makes it even a tougher decision, which M1 Apple computer will be my next work computer.
The truth is I can’t afford a new computer or a new laptop.
I am still struggling to get my footing after my MOM died. And while I rediscovered my love for writing, it has yet become my primary source of income.
There was a time when I thought my 5-year-old laptop would die on me, and it gave me anxiety that lasted for weeks until I made a brave decision to try and fix it, and I did. I rediscovered my superpowers.
But at the back of my mind, I still dream of owning an Apple computer. I never did, actually. I always found it too expensive. The only Apple product I bought is an iPod, and it was the first iteration.
A cousin handed me down his old iPhone 6, and it works, but it is too old for Apple that it won’t allow me to upgrade to the latest IOS 14.
But I can live with that; the phone still works.
iPhone 6 — Reboot
My mind often wonders, what happens if I do X? What will be the Y?
Since I can’t afford any M1-powered Apple machine right now, and the only thing Apple can think of that I afford to buy is their $29 AirTags, I want to see what I can do with the Apple product that I already have, my iPhone 6.
I bought a $5 Bluetooth keyboard for my iPhone 6 to test if I can write using my old iPhone 6. You may ask why I would want to write on my phone? Because we can do that with our phones.
Even choosing the best Bluetooth keyboard was a very challenging decision to make. While it was easy to choose an expensive one, it is hard when you are strapped for cash. So for my “experiment,” I decided to go with a $5 Bluetooth keyboard.
The idea in my head is that, with a Bluetooth keyboard attached to my iPhone 6, I can type on my phone better instead of using the phone’s keypad, which is good for texting but not for typing.
And that is all I need with my writing gigs, to be able to type my words and weave my words into stories and publish my stories online, like when I wrote about, What Is Happiness to You?
Attaching a Bluetooth keyboard device isn’t new. People do it all the time, with their iPad to make them become more of a laptop.
The next part of the experiment is, the screen of the iPhone 6 is too small. I would need to cast it into a bigger screen.
A few weeks ago, I bought myself an Android TV Box for my old TV, which isn’t a Smart TV but has a built-in HDMI port.
The HDMI port allows me to connect an Android TV box to my TV.
Voila, it transforms a 10-year-old TV into a Smart TV.
Now, I can watch Netflix and do all the geeky stuff with an Android device and even screen mirror my old iPhone 6.
Screen Mirroring, What on earth is that?
Exactly what you think it is, screen mirroring — it mirrors what is on your computer screen, in my case, my iPhone 6 screen.
My Android TV box comes with an app called Airscreen, and its free version is good enough to cast or mirror what is on my iPhone 6 to my Android TV Box powered TV.
AirScreen is the most advanced wireless streaming receiver for AirPlay, Google Cast, Miracast, and DLNA. It can allow your device to receive screen mirroring, photos, music, videos and other media from phones, tablets, laptops and more via Wi-Fi or Ethernet, letting you experience the joy of sharing almost anything with your family and friends on a bigger screen.
All I have to do is go to my iPhone 6, activate Screen Mirroring. You can do this by touching the phone screen on the right side and swipe it to display the Screen Mirroring tab.
And as soon as it pairs with the Airscreen app, you will see what is on the screen of your iPhone on your TV.
Writing my First Draft on my iPhone 6
I never imagine that it will work.
And, one thing, because I can only work one screen at a time, I eliminated all the distractions I have while on my laptop with all the tabs that I left open while writing.
I can’t even do social media while writing. I cannot do that on my new setup. I can only screen mirror one tab at a time.
I am more productive than ever!
By the way, to be productive means not having to say, I want a second monitor, a 4K 24" monitor, and here’s why.
Although the Bluetooth keyboard I bought is small, it's a 7-inch keyboard. There is a 9-inch version if you think it is too small for your hands.
My 7-inch Bluetooth works like a charm.
Watch this short clip of my new remote work setup.
The new iMac “24 Desktop has to wait.
My father, who is a photographer, has this to say to me when I started photography.
Your best equipment is the one you have, which means the one you can afford. It will not stop you from taking photos, and having the most expensive equipment will not make your pictures any better.
It is the same with writing.
To be candid, I was struggling to write last month, from having a slow laptop to fancying a computer I can’t afford.
I wasted time, precious time I could have used to write, but the Universe always reminds us why we do things and why we need to keep on doing the things that give us purpose.
I was one of the writers who received the $500 check! Thank you, Casey Botticello for the mention here.
All this, while writing on a 5-year-old laptop and while struggling to make ends meet.
None of it matters, if I have a new laptop or not, my stories didn’t come from any fancy gadget.
My words are gifts, my words are from the Universe or my God, and since MOM died, my words flow from my heart.
In the movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,
Charlie, at first, believed he had to win a golden ticket to have a better life. But he had always had the golden ticket, even before he set foot on Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. His heart was pure; that was his golden ticket.
As a writer, I know that my words have always been with me, even if I write with pen and paper.
All I have to do is write.
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