Until recently, I was convinced that I was a thoroughly patient person. As a wildlife photographer, for example, I’m a champion at staring at a bare, moss-covered branch or an empty stretch of water for hours on end. I can even accept it if it all leads nowhere. It wasn’t until my recent dealings with an insurance company while resolving a certain incident—and my attempt to edit photos on a cheap, disposable laptop that I’d brought along on my travels—that I began to suspect my patience might have its limits. Both situations resulted in an incredibly tedious and frustrating process with very little to show for the effort.