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Device for Taking Travel Notes?
the Anonymous Wanderer writes "When I go in vacations, I like to take notes and upon return write a travel story for my friends. Until now I've been using a paper notebook, but found that I'm so busy when I come back that the notebook sits for weeks or months unopened. On the other hand, I have some 'dead' time during trips and I'd like to take the notes electronically (final editing could be done upon return). I don't want to carry a laptop or a PDA (too expensive, plus I want to be away from computers at least those 2 weeks per year). Any suggestions for a light, cheap, keyboard-equipped device? Like a travel clock + keyboard and more memory and USB? Thanks, the Anonymous Wanderer."
A calculator is always nice to have. And you can plug in a keyboard. And while you're out traveling, you can also be collecting data!
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Here's the solution for your problem: just get a really expensive notebook (executive journal). This way, you'll have spent enough money to actually feel bad not using it, and you'll actually save money not buying a stupid electronic device just to jot down some words.
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You want an electronic device, that has a keyboard, you can type on, but is not a laptop or a PDA? Is there a punchline here?
Christ, buy a Palm IIIe and a keyboard from eBay. Way less than $50. If that's too expensive, stick with your notebook and buy a scanner.
This sounds like one of those people that sends the annonying 10 page email out to a list of their 50 closest friends detailing all the event on their vacation! Save us! Someone please! :)
Memories become legend, Legend fades to myth, and even myth is forgotten by the time that age comes again.-Robert Jordan
Try here: Alphasmart. They even have many models which will work off of AA batteries.
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Happy Trails!
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If too expensive is the reason you do not want to carry a laptop or a PDA, then I strongly suggest you get one of those el-cheapo Palm Vx's off eBay for like $20 or something.
:)
You can also get a foldable portable palm keyboard for less than $5.
It's really portable and quite comfortable to type in too.
I always carry these around when I go wandering -- they are good companions in the wilderness (read books, take notes etc) and you can read them in the dark too (they come with a back-lit display).
Besides, using them does not make you feel like you are using a computer-ish device, just think of them as nothing more than advanced note-taking tools with alarm clocks and games
And oh, if you are the type who hikes/climbs mountains etc., you could hook up a GPS to your Palm to look up directions using something like Cetus GPS - that way you have a GPS tool, alarm clock and a note-taking tool all bundled into one.
Travel Clock + KeyBoard + Memory + USB = PDA If you're worried about cost, a Zaurus SL-5000D or SL-5500 can be gotten on eBay for a reasonable price. Of course, if you're not concerned about price, then the Treo 600 would do what you need, and comes with a (albeit poor) camera.
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This almost sounds like a troll -- "I don't want to carry a PDA, but I want a device with a keyboard and USB. A travel clock with a keyboard? What universe are you from?
Anyway, I recommend getting a cheap early-model Palm Pilot (circa $100 or so, especially if you get 'em used) and a keyboard. I used the Palm m500 and a Logitech keyboard (about $75, less used, I assume) to write a travelogue on a trip this summer. The battery life on the plam impressive, and if you lose it, you're only out less than $200. Or much, much less if you buy used.
One caveat: the accuracy on those tiny keyboards sucks. Expect to spend some time cleaning up yuor speling on your home pc.
http://www.dynamism.com/u70/
Seems like just the ticket - but it may empty out your wallet considerably. I've used the U101 a lot when travelling for everything to photo editing, dv editing, notes, watching movies on 10 hour plane flights, or wifi net connectivity -- but the U70 (although the 800x600 screen seems too small for my liking) seems more flexible / portable.
I recommend this device. Small, relatively lightweight, not a PDA or notebook, and is called Stallman. What more could an aspiring Slashdot geek want?
It is, however, missing your travel clock and USB connectivity requirements.
A camcorder may not have a keyboard, and may not be easy to take notes on - but believe me, there's nothing like audio+video to make a memorable/enjoyable memoir of your trip.
I never thought of a camcorder (usually $300+) as a worthwhile investment, but my recent experiences changed that view - my parents're visiting and they've got a camcorder along (Sony, about $500.00, I think).
Nothing beats a camcorder to take audio/visual notes including a running commentary. It's even fun to plug it back in to the computer and edit it and relive the memorable portions of the trip later. Give it a try.
An Indian-American Hindu committed to non-violent thought/speech/action alarmed by the global explosion of radical Islam
Try the calcuscribe. Light, small, fullsize keyboard and runs for months off three AA batteries. Oh yeah, and it connects via the keyboard port so it works with everything.
On the downside, they're staggeringly overpriced ($240) for a keyboard + flash memory + LCD screen.
If the notebook is so boring after the trip that you don't even want to subject your own mind to reading it, why the hell do you think anybody else would care?
Sorry, I am just being very straightforward.
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I'm seriously in love with my trusty old Psion Series 5 for writing stuff on - I mean, the odd short note is fine to do on the Palm M130 I got, but nothing can beat the Psion for datainput. True, it has only a serial conector, but then, nothing is perfect. A Psion 5MX or a Revo might be just what you need.
Everything in the world is controlled by a small, evil group to which, unfortunately, no one you know belongs.
I have the Visor with the collapsible keyboard and I used to take that with me for my travel writing and although it worked ok it kept crashing like crazy. I bought a Psion 5 on eBay and it ROCKS! Comes with a keyboard ( a little small but usable ) built in voice recorder. Notably it takes a standard CF card and I shoved a 40 something meg card into it. It comes with reasonable versions of Word, thesaurus, spell checker, etc and it works great. I even have an Ethernet adaptor for it.
You can see see the eBay Psion 5 stuff here. Runs on two AA batteries. I wouldn't have thought to get one but I got the recommendation from Robert Young Pelton author of the World's Most Dangerous Places. If it's good enough for him....
Check out a thing called the alphasmart.
http://www.alphasmart.com/
it has all the features you are looking for.
Dude... ok, call me an ASS, but this is EXACTALLY the point of a PDA.
As for expensive, what exactally IS your budget? Sure there ARE $500 PDA's, but there are also $50 PDA's. You can't justify your avoidance on cost and I personally think the "I like to get away from computers...." arguement is rediculous. If you were a bus driver, this would be equivilent to saying you want to go on vacation, without being subject to a car/bus/whatever-can-be-driven.
Hell, if its notess you want, get a $10 mini-cassette recorder, and just talk into it. It will be much easier to deal with then pen and paper anyway.
"When life gives you lemons, don't make lemonade. Make life take the lemons back!" -- Cave Johnson
I don't want to carry a laptop or a PDA (too expensive, plus I want to be away from computers at least those 2 weeks per year). Any suggestions for a light, cheap, keyboard-equipped device? Like a travel clock + keyboard and more memory and USB?
If you want to be away from computers, use pen and paper to take your notes, like all those guys wearing flannel shirts at your local Starbucks. If a device has USB, keyboard and memory, it's a computer according to the classic definition with embedded software - just as any PDA, but more limited. So... why not to use the PDA anyway?
You want to be away from a computer, but you want an electronic way to take notes? Does Not Compute.
:-)
:-)
Honestly, get yourself a Palm and the Palm UT Keyboard or even the wireless IR keyboard they sell. OK, so it's electronic. It's still the most convenient you'll find, and has a ton of other features as well. Like reading ebooks on the plane on the way to your vacation, then taking notes while on the vacation, then playing games on the way back from your vacation. It works out quite nicely.
These guys can give you great advice on which model you want to get. They've reviewed just about every handheld in existence.
Disclaimer: I am one of "those guys".
--GrouchoMarx
Card-carrying member of the EFF, FSF, and ACLU. Are you?
On our recent honeymoon in NZ I used a USB MP3 player with a mic to record short notes. Worked great, got lots of ambient sounds to go with the pics, plus now I'll always know how dorky I sound in person....
Why does it have to be written? It sounds like since you were writing it down on pen and paper you had todo lots of transposing already.
Why not invest in an mp3 recorder and use it to keep an audio journal of your vacation.
Then when you come home you can just sit down and listen to the entries and use them to write your story.
Firstly, mp3 recorders and the memory they use are cheap.
Secondly, it's alot smaller and lighter than a pen / notebook.
Thirdly, if your've near the right facilites you could even upload your log entries to a server just in case you use lose the thing.
You could even setup a webpage so your friends and family to co surf to your site and listen to your log entries.
Yes Francis, the world has gone crazy.
If you're taking along an iPod (and I have no idea if you are or not), how about getting an iTalk to go with it and dictate your notes?
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I would say that they are generally reliable, though not indistructable. I have an AlphaSmart 3000 that my wife used to take notes all through law school.
Physically, the 3000 is a small full-sized (or nearly so) keyboard with a 4x80 (I think) character cell display. It runs FOREVER on 4AA batteries and can paste text to a PC or Mac via USB or IR. (Some models ISTR have different connectors). No pasting mode is quick (19.2kbaud?), but it works just fine.
The pastica case is relatively tough, and if not beautiful, at least not butt-ugly. My wife essentially tosed it in her backpack for 3 years and it had 0 problems as far as I know. It is probably not waterproof, but I would not fear it geting damp or even a bit of rain on the outside. It has few phsyical ports onit for junk to get inside, and no moving parts other than the keyboard.
My only reservation for travel work is that it's not exactly small. It is relative light (700g?), but it will take up as much space as a very portable laptop.
If you have room for it, though, it would make a great travel log. The text editing software works reasonably well (more featurers than pico, fewer than Wordpad/TextEdit).
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The Nokia Digital Pen could be the answer to your prayers.
It can store up 100 A5 pages...
I haven't tried it myself, but I would love to.
We do not live in the 21st century. We live in the 20 second century.
All he needs is a P-P-Powerbook! Infinite battery life too!
Free Mac Mini Yeah, it's
The Newton eMate, (very) dead technology from Apple, is available for cheap on eBay. It's very rugged, having been designed for kids. It has a built-in keyboard and no disk drive (FLASH RAM instead). It runs for hours and hours on a charge. The LCD display is shock-mounted and highly readable in direct sunlight. It doesn't wash out, it just gets easier to read. There's a backlight too. And it's very light.
It's fun to use one of these on a long plane flight. After two hours, everyone else is either changing batteries or folding their laptops. After four hours, the battery-changers are folding up, and you're the only one still typing.
It doesn't have USB. Its only interface is serial. But the Palm Desktop software for the Mac, which is Claris Works in disguise, will export documents from the eMate either as ASCII text, or to Word.
What you want doesn't seem to exist. if you only want to drop a few dollars on something practical, especially for camping and for reading and writing, I'd suggest rethinking the notebook and pen, and for around 10-15$ you can get a headlight/flashlight thing that you slip on your head, they have LED bulbs, run for days on some AAA or AA batteries. Chinamart has several models on the rack, easy to find there or most other department store. I have two of them, great for working and keeping your hands free, comfortable enough to sit down and read books (or write in a journal) with if there's no other lighting available.
Really, the next best option is just get an real old cheap used laptop, like some old 50$ pentium one or something. Transfer every days notes to a floppy and snail-mail it to yourself with a postcard, daily, then you have a backup if the laptop borks on you. Just make sure it has a decent battery. Don't think of it as a computer, just call it a portable keyboard equipped electronic typewriter for taking notes that's a lot cheaper than the other one you looked at.
But I still like the headlamp/ dead trees storage combo as the cheapest and best. The headlamp will satisfy geek gadget urges and it actually is quite practical, and the dead trees notebook is cheap and effective.
If you take the palm with keyboard route as a lot of people are suggesting, I recommend SiEd for text editing, it saves files as normal text files on the memory card.
If you carry around a cellphone, you can then upload the files with VFSFTP. When I went to events before I got my laptop, I used this setup to update my webpage with live information. I could also upload photos as such.
Ah, one more handy program, Mocha Telnet, it has SSH-2 support. I used it to ssh in to make thumbnails of the photos I'd uploaded.