Technology is a wonderful thing (as long as the batteries hold up, of course). If there was a way to have something about as portable as a writing journal, but doesn’t force you to write it twice, why not use it?
Behold, it really does exist!
The required ingredients are a smartphone, a Bluetooth keyboard, and +Evernote. I have to take off my glasses to read, so they make a fine phone stand. As you can see, the A key on the keyboard has gone to the Great Computer Room in the Sky, but it only took a little adjusting on my part. All of the components here can be substituted—use a tablet instead of a phone, use whatever Bluetooth keyboard will pair with it, use Dropbox or Google Docs instead of Evernote. The whole point is to have something you can type into, then copy/paste from Evernote into your normal writing tool.
This rig does get some attention when I’m at lunch. People come by to see what I’m typing into, or just what it is I’m doing. They want to know how it works, and sometimes what I’m writing.
I'm using a similar setup to write this very comment, and yes, it does get a lot of attention from other people! (I just had a co-worker come over and make a comment while I was typing that last sentence.) My keyboard folds up to about the size of a cigarette pack when -- small enough to cram into a purse.
ReplyDeleteEvernote doesn't support my hardware (wah), but I've had good luck using my phone's little HTML word processor and Bluetoothing the file over to my laptop when it's time.
This is the kind of setup I used to use with my Palm PDA. Since I have Evernote and a smartphone, I'll have to check it out.
ReplyDeleteKatherine, what kind of folding keyboard do you use?
Hi Tony: I use a Nokia one I've had for about five years. Sadly, they don't seem to make it anymore. iGo used to have a folding keyboard that was about equivalent -- they might still make it or something like it.
ReplyDeleteAs a tech junkie--love it. Can't say I'll try it--but I like how your mind works.
ReplyDelete