Why add a typewriter to your writing-tool pool?

In the previous blog entry I reported that I had hauled the typewriter out of the hiding place and might try to use it now and then as an alternative to the PC.

In general I want to increase the ubiquity and variety of my writing tools as an aid to productivity and bulwark against sloth. The typewriter is on a stand in the bedroom, along with a few books I need to consult for the writing chore I have in mind. I figure if I don’t want to stumble into the office and fire up the PC I might still hack away at a job on the typewriter, then port it to the PC once there’s a draft. The retyping won’t be that much of a loss of efficiency, at least not for short projects.

Another addition to the pool is the NEC MobilePro 900 mini-laptop that I picked up second-hand from an Amazon vendor recently (the model is also available from eBay sellers). Circa year 2000 vintage, of a line that isn’t produced any more. There’s a certain skimping on programs and memory for the sake of the light weight (about a pound) and the instant-on capability. With the appropriate wi-fi card it can hook into the Internet at hotspots. Surfing the web is a trawl compared to what a regular PC can do, but it’s still cool to be able to check email online or scan some headlines. While the MobilePro’s keyboard is usable, the care required to type on it does slow down typing speed. But the little critter also has a USB port. I’ve used it for a flash drive and also to plug in a regular keyboard. With a splitter, it can accommodate both a keyboard and a separate mouse. (What I need is a keyboard integrated with a mouse pad.) The MobilePro’s screen isn’t that great for outdoors, but it’s visible enough indoors.

The tradeoffs are fine if the main reason for having the machine is to be able to take it anywhere and turn it on and start typing a second later. Price was an issue when the MobilePro was new (about $900, about the same as a fully featured if more cumbersome laptop). But now you should be able to pick it up from the secondhand market for less than $200.

The third tool I’m adopting is a simple memo pad for jotting chores and notions that occur to me before they fade into oblivion. One for my pocket, another for bedside along with the yellow legal pads for longer scribblings. Seems obvious, especially for a “Columbo” fan, but yeah, I’m just getting around to it. I used to call my voicemail a lot to leave messages and reminders to myself, but that’s going to be a little harder to do now that I’ve discontinued my landline phone service (still doable from my PC or with my Tracfone). But that’s another story. Anyway, transcribing a litter of phone messages is cumbersome too. Might as well just retype the scribblings.

Update 12/29/07. You know, scratch all that. I ended up stashing the typewriter for now and buying a new laptop that I recently set up in my bedroom. And although I used the memo pad for a while, I don’t bother any more. Still the most efficient way to leave a note-to-self when I’m away from the computers is to leave a mesasge on my voice box or call Jott to send myself a (possibly typo-ridden) email. I don’t use the MobilePro very much and once I get an ASUS eee, a more functional light mini-laptop that is going for about $400 or less (I really want one!) I doubt I’ll ever use the c. 2000-issue MobilePro with its relatively rigid and limited capabilities.

Tags: MobilePro, productivity, writing