
Mac Power Users 833: Chris Bailey and His Battle-Scarred M1
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Jan 25, 2026 Chris Bailey, author and productivity researcher who experiments with attention and tech habits. He describes a battered M1 Pro and why he loves simple tools like TextEdit, SimpleNote and printed research. He explains using an iPad mini as a phone to add friction and shares rituals for ideation, email sprints, and task repurposing.
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Use Email Sprints
- Do email in timed sprints several times per day instead of constant checking.
- Use those sprints to force shorter, faster responses and reduce mental bandwidth drain.
Printing Research And Annotating By Hand
- Chris prints and annotates hundreds of research articles on paper rather than relying on digital tools.
- He finds analog reading and pen marks help him integrate research into manuscripts better.
iPad Mini As Phone Experiment
- Chris spent a month using an iPad mini as his phone to create friction and reduce distraction.
- He kept his iPhone nearby for connectivity but left it in his bag so gaps in his day opened up for thought.








