GENIUS FORUMS

Has anyone seen or owned one of those things? I'm considering buying one so I can write whenever and wherever the inspiration hits me.

Oh yeah, that's another thing that I'm going to make use off (thanks for the idea) - I'm going to carry a mini note book with me where ever I go. I get ideas all the time and it does get hard to keep track of them all. The more ideas, the more a good notebook (or whatever - a voice recorder!!!!) is worth!

I've also heard that keeping a journal is of greater value than it may seem. Thomas Edison (or maybe that was someone else) kept a journal that was full of his personal thoughts. The key here is to write whatever and everything that comes to mind, don't pay much attention to whether it's coherent or not, the point is to just let it flow out and onto the paper (or whatever). To an outsider Edison's journals seemed like incoherent gibberish.

Great ideas!

Dan Rowden wrote:Has anyone seen or owned one of those things? I'm considering buying one so I can write whenever and wherever the inspiration hits me.

I've used them for short periods in shops. I've seen them powered and ready to test at Dick Smith, Myer, JB Hi-Fi and Office Works. Last time I checked there were two versions, the newer model has a bigger and higher resolution screen amongst other things. If I were getting one I'd like the screen to be at least 1024 horizontal pixels, less than this and some webpages may not display nicely. Like most laptops they have a relatively limited battery life. There are other options in a similar price range and size, try searching "netbook." The keyboards are small so make sure you can type on them ok, I recently tried the Acer Aspire One and my hands seemed too big for the keyboard.

Also keep in mind the boot up time, which might be annoyingly long if you are suddenly inspired to write something down. I carry just a pen and pad myself(actually, two pens, because they sometimes die on me.)

Dan, if money is an important factor here, consider carrying a pen and pad, as Jason said.

Jason wrote:

Dan Rowden wrote:Has anyone seen or owned one of those things? I'm considering buying one so I can write whenever and wherever the inspiration hits me.

The keyboards are small so make sure you can type on them ok, I recently tried the Acer Aspire One and my hands seemed too big for the keyboard.

Yeah, that's really the main issue I have with them. I suppose I'll have to drop into a computer store and test-drive one.

Shahrazad wrote:Dan, if money is an important factor here, consider carrying a pen and pad, as Jason said.

After 15 years of typewriters and computers, I can't write for shit anymore. It's actually a real chore.

Using myself an Acer Aspire One Linux netbook, Dan, although I didn't pick it out myself. The keyboard is not attractive to type on a lot so far, I might get used to that though. This is caused partly by the build, partly the smaller size [as Jason already noted, it might also depend on the size of your hands]. The Aspire is just a tiny bit smaller than the Asus but I think it matters a lot for the typing comfort, although it fits in bags easier. Overall it's a well build machine, especially the display readability and quietness.

Dan Rowden wrote:

Shahrazad wrote:Dan, if money is an important factor here, consider carrying a pen and pad, as Jason said.

After 15 years of typewriters and computers, I can't write for shit anymore. It's actually a real chore.

Handwriting can be re-learned. I had the same problem once. Of course, editing is much easier on a screen.

Diebert van Rhijn wrote:Using myself an Acer Aspire One Linux netbook, Dan, although I didn't pick it out myself. The keyboard is not attractive to type on a lot so far, I might get used to that though. This is caused partly by the build, partly the smaller size [as Jason already noted, it might also depend on the size of your hands]. The Aspire is just a tiny bit smaller than the Asus but I think it matters a lot for the typing comfort, although it fits in bags easier. Overall it's a well build machine, especially the display readability and quietness.

Considered netbooks too, but the EEE PC is smaller and has a flash harddrive (and supposedly fast boot) which means no moving parts which means you can drop it and not stuff it.

I don't touch type so the small keyboard may not present such a problem. I think a test-drive will be necessary.

Carl,

I guess I could relearn to handwrite, but then I never had the discipline to learn to touch type, so that's probably a pipe dream.

Dan Rowden wrote:
Considered netbooks too, but the EEE PC is smaller and has a flash harddrive (and supposedly fast boot) which means no moving parts which means you can drop it and not stuff it.

Uhmm, they're all netbooks and the Acer is smaller. Both come in versions that have only SSD storage although I do have the harddisk version.

Dan, why not get a voice recorder? (It's so much more convenient) That's what I plan on getting, thanks for the idea!

Acer Aspire One seems to be a more direct competitor for the Asus product. May as well check that out too.

Wikipedia: Comparison of netbooks (in Australia the HP, Dell, Asus, MSI and Acer machines should be easy to find, others may not be readily available)

Another thing to watch out for is glossy vs matte screens. I hate glossy screens on portable devices, they reflect the surrounding environment making it harder to see the screen, but some people apparently prefer glossy. Pick the machine up while looking at text on the screen, and angle it around so the screen reflects different parts of the surrounding environment(brightly lit surroundings are the worst), see if you can still comfortably read the text.

Thanks for that link. Glossy sounds like shit to me, especially for writing purposes.

DivineIntercourse wrote:Dan, why not get a voice recorder? (It's so much more convenient) That's what I plan on getting, thanks for the idea!

I've got a voice recorder on my mobile(cell) phone and it's very poor for my needs, it pales in comparison to a pen and pad. I find it easier to collect my thoughts and put them into a well structured form using writing. For example, if I pause to think for five seconds, about what I want and how I want to express myself next, that's a five second gap of silence in an audio recording which is annoying(yes it is possible to pause the recording but I find that problematic too), but with writing the next piece of thought is jotted down right where I left off. The non-realtime nature of writing allows me more thought and control. I can also much more easily review what I have written than what I have recorded, my eyes can skip through the text so much more intuitively and quickly - skipping through an audio recording is almost a blind process.

I also do a lot of writing in public places on the spur of the moment - on the street, on trains, in buses, in shopping centres, libraries etc. Not only would simply speaking out loud potentially piss people off in these situations, but I often write things that are of a personal nature, or about subjects, ideas and judgments that could potentially be very aggravating to people around me, again voice recording falls down here. I also regularly draw pictures and diagrams of devices and other things which can't be done with a voice recorder, and I think for this a pen and pad beats a laptop too(although a tablet might be ok.)

Jason wrote: Another thing to watch out for is glossy vs matte screens. I hate glossy screens on portable devices, they reflect the surrounding environment making it harder to see the screen, but some people apparently prefer glossy.

That's because it's not true that it reflects the environment in ways that would distort the viewing. The screen of the Acer is remarkably clear and sharp and when it's turned on, it totally annuls reflection. And I've used many good laptops before.

That said, if I had to choose now I'd probably gravitate towards the Asus but not because of the screen.

Diebert van Rhijn wrote:That's because it's not true that it reflects the environment in ways that would distort the viewing. The screen of the Acer is remarkably clear and sharp and when it's turned on, it totally annuls reflection. And I've used many good laptops before.

Where do you use the laptop? I'd only consider a glossy screen if it was always going to be in an environment where I had absolute control of lighting and position, and probably not even then. With general portable use there's no telling what the lighting or positioning is going to be. The following photos of the Acer Aspire One with the glossy screen show the problem, it looks exactly like all the glossy screens I've seen on laptops, you can literally see your face in them like a mirror:
Pic 1
Pic 2
Pic 3
Pic 4

But still, many people say they love their glossy screens......but then I reckon many people are probably swayed by shiny looking things in showrooms, and being seen using shiny looking things in cafes etc. Not that everyone buys them for those reasons though. In the end it's a personal preference thing, I think everyone needs to decide for themselves.

Jason, I'm actually using one in various conditions, in and outside, offices, buses, etc, and there's no glare like the photo's imply, unless I turn the display off. Then I can quickly comb my hair and straighten my beard :)

No really, when your face is actually at normal distance from the screen the reflections are only seen when one really concentrates on them and even then it's difficult to actually see them in the way your photo's suggest. In no way they interfere with the displayed information, no matter which background colors in use or environmental lights. Keep in mind that on your photographs even without reflections the screen content will be barely readable, indicating a useless reference. When I produce that amount of backdrop lighting on any other display here, like Apple's iBook, the screen gets harder to read, with or without a glare.

I think nobody would prefer a glossy display but it could be a price issue. I suspect such displays are cheaper.

Bottom line: if any vague mirroring reflection in the background makes one looses focus on what's crisp, clear and readable in the foreground, one should really make sure to choose the matte!

I've seen these, they aren't your standard operating system, they are like a palm OS. If I was you I'd just pick up a blackberry, they have QWERTY keyboards, voice notes and all that you'd need for note taking and they are pocket-size. In addition they are a cellular phone.

I just got the Blackberry Pearl Flip 8220 from Rogers Wireless for $0 with a 3-year contract. It has voice notes and all that as well.

Jason wrote:I also do a lot of writing in public places on the spur of the moment - on the street, on trains, in buses, in shopping centres, libraries etc. Not only would simply speaking out loud potentially piss people off in these situations, but I often write things that are of a personal nature, or about subjects, ideas and judgments that could potentially be very aggravating to people around me, again voice recording falls down here. I also regularly draw pictures and diagrams of devices and other things which can't be done with a voice recorder, and I think for this a pen and pad beats a laptop too(although a tablet might be ok.)

Do you have any plans to compile and publish your writings at some stage?

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I second Animus' motion: go with the Blackberry. You can also use it to go online.

Dan, do you know how to thumb type?

David Quinn wrote:Do you have any plans to compile and publish your writings at some stage?

I've never really considered it, up 'till now I've been more concerned with keeping them hidden to limit my pariah status, and to avoid being lynched.

Diebert van Rhijn wrote:Jason, I'm actually using one in various conditions, in and outside, offices, buses, etc, and there's no glare like the photo's imply, unless I turn the display off.

I looked at a HP Mini and an Aspire One in person less than an hour ago and there was definitely glare and reflections; the photos don't lie. Also, and unlike a normal desktop monitor, a laptop usually has the screen tilted upward and that is perfect for reflecting overhead lights, sky, sun, windows etc, but these issues don't seem to bother some people, so whatever floats your boat I suppose.

I think nobody would prefer a glossy display but it could be a price issue. I suspect such displays are cheaper.

Actually there are very computer-savvy people who say that they prefer glossy screens and who pay big bucks for them. There's also no obvious general correlation between machine price and display coating. The most high-end and the most low-end can have either matte or glossy. Currently the marketing usually touts glossy screens as being something special and desirable, while matte screens receive no special attention or buzzwords.

Jason wrote: I looked at a HP Mini and an Aspire One in person less than an hour ago and there was definitely glare and reflections; the photos don't lie.

It took me a while but I was able to generate situations in which the glare and reflections became somewhat as advertised by the photo's. I needed to tilt the screen in ways I would normally never do or keep certain distance from the screen which made it unworkable. However I can imagine situations that strong specific background or ceiling lights make it through some kind of angle and create unacceptable glares. So I do understand it might become an issue.

I did find this statement at Wikipedia that certainly correspondents with my latest tests and experiences: "Glossy displays are claimed to provide better color intensity and contrast ratios than those with a matte finish. To me this better contrast and intensity overrule possible glares in most situations. The few occasions where direct light is beamed toward my screen seem to be less common than situations where there's just overall brightness (like daylight), in which the glossy display seems to me to actual perform better than the usual matte. But I'd need to test more to substantiate that.