I want to type on the go. What are my options?

[DeadlyNinja]

This isn't even a purchasing decision seeing as how I don't even know what I'm suppose to buy. I want to be able to write on the go, and then just transfer it back into my computer when I get home. Using a notebook (the ones that uses pens and stuff) is a pain since I have to retype everything instead of just simply transferring it back into my PC.

The obvious answer would be laptop, but I really can not justify spending like 350 dollars on something just to type with. So I was wondering if anyone has some good suggestions. I don't care for other multimedia functions and all that, I just want simple text I can save and put it back into a PC. I want to be cheap because I don't want to spend money on things I'm not going to use.

 

[Mize]

PDA?

 

[DeadlyNinja]

How much do they cost? I don't recall them being cheap. Oh and cheap ones don't have a keyboard.

 

[Mize]

http://www.calcuscribe.com/

How's that for google!


http://www.atpm.com/6.10/calcuscribe.shtml

http://www.topmicrousa.com/alsmpromaprw.html

google "portable word processor"

 

[Zaphod]

A "netbook" perhaps? Once the MSI Wind, Acer One, and other competitors start showing up in force you should be able to source a 1st gen Eee for less than $200.

 

[Blazkowicz]

the Elonex One is a lower spec netbook, a UK one at £99! with a 300MHz CPU, 128MB ram and 1GB flash. though I have no idea of the availability.
we will see many such cheap, chinese made low spec netbooks as well but then again they have to be available.
Another option might be to get a Psion from ebay, they are old monochrome PDAs with a keyboard.

/edit : doh! £99 is around $200 those days.

 

[Davros]

dicataphone, get home plug it in to your soundcard and let windows speach recognition take care of the rest...

 

[DeadlyNinja]

Well, it's still not faster than typing it in the subway and then spend less than a second transferring it back into the PC.

BTW... I'm going to touch on a slightly dangerous territory. If the mods don't like it, please delete this part.

You guys think it would be better just to use a DS instead? I heard there are ways to do it. I'm guessing it's probably the cheapest way.

 

[StefanS]

BTW... I'm going to touch on a slightly dangerous territory. If the mods don't like it, please delete this part.

You have some leeway here, as long as the discussion stays in the realm of homebrew and doesn't revolve around piracy.

 

[Mize]

How does one "type" on a DS? For most keyboard-proficient people there is almost now way to enter text in a reasonably fast way with a stylus.

 

[Skrying]

A DS isn't going to work. The only program even close to a word processor is DSOrganize and it doesn't have any real feature for that. On top of that "typing" or inputting with the stylus will just lead to much frustration.

The best solution I can think of is a Eee with the $299 model. That's really pushing your budget and even though it's the small model it might be a bit big. Potentially a good smart phone would do the trick as well but that could be costly as well.

 

[Mize]

That calcuscribe I linked to is $40.

 

[DeadlyNinja]

I don't know, I see people using the touch screen keyboard on an iPhone well enough. You don't have to use stylus, and I don't know how to type normally in the first place. I have a screen protector to prevent greasy finger prints.

That calcuscribe I linked to is $40.

Yeah, I saw it. That does look like a fine solution.

 

[Richard]

That calcuscribe I linked to is $40.

Ugly as sin though!

But it does seem like a cute gadget to have in case you need it.

 

[Davros]

get a secretary