I've been losing sleep lately.
Not because of caffeine (okay, maybe a little), but because I can't shake this feeling that we're witnessing something massive in how we interact with our computers. It hit me last week when I caught myself using Arc, Claude, and Raycast simultaneously - each fighting for my keyboard shortcuts. That's when it clicked: the war for our screen real estate isn't just about pixels anymore.
Look, I've been a Mac user since 2010, and I've seen plenty of "revolutionary" apps come and go. Remember Alfred? Quicksilver? But this feels different. Dead different.
The Browser Company dropped Arc like a bomb last year, and holy hell, did it shake things up. I initially rolled my eyes at another "revolutionary" browser, but after three weeks of using it, I couldn't go back to Chrome. It wasn't just the fancy sidebar or the minimal tabs - it was how it fundamentally changed my workflow.
Then the AI tsunami hit.
ChatGPT wasn't content just being a website. Neither was Claude. Or Perplexity. They all want to be there, right in your face, one shortcut away from whatever you're doing. The other day, I realized I hadn't opened my Applications folder in weeks. Everything I needed was just a ⌘+K away.
Raycast really screwed with my brain here. Their approach to the launch bar made me question everything I knew about app launchers. It's not just about opening apps anymore - it's about commands, actions, AI assistance... hell, I wrote half of this post using their AI commands.
But here's what keeps me up at night: these aren't just apps anymore. They're becoming invisible threads in the fabric of our operating systems. And it's kind of terrifying how much I've come to rely on them.
Just yesterday:
- Drafted three emails using Claude's API
- Debugged Python code through Raycast
- Researched a competitor using Perplexity's inline search
- Managed 50+ browser tabs in Arc without breaking a sweat
The craziest part? None of this felt like "using AI." It just felt like... computing.
And that's what's fascinating/terrifying about this whole trend. The battle isn't for our attention anymore - it's for our muscle memory. Every company wants to be the thing you instinctively reach for when you need to think, create, or solve problems.
Arc wants to be your window to the web (and they're getting dangerously close to succeeding). GPT wants to be your second brain (scary how often it feels like it already is). Raycast wants to be the neural interface to your machine. And Perplexity? They're gunning for Google's crown, one keyboard shortcut at a time.
I've got mixed feelings about where this is heading. On one hand, my productivity has shot through the roof. Tasks that used to take hours now take minutes. But I'm also increasingly aware of how dependent I've become on these tools. The other day, my internet went down, and I felt legitimately handicapped. That's... not great?
The elephant in the room is what Apple and Microsoft are cooking up. Apple's been suspiciously quiet about AI, but we all know they're not sitting this one out. And Microsoft's going all-in with Copilot. The real question is: will they play nice with these third-party AI tools, or are we heading for a good old-fashioned platform war?
I don't have answers, just a front-row seat to what feels like a pivotal moment in computing history. And a slight addiction to keyboard shortcuts.
P.S. If you're still launching apps by clicking icons, we need to talk. Your fingers will thank me later.