A Writer's Best Friends: Gadgets For The Writer

17.1.12 The Reporter 0 Comments

A writer is a writer is a writer, as they say. Writers will be found carrying their favorite pens -- or a whole handful of them. They love fancy notebooks, and to be able to collect Moleskines is a treat for them. The more successful ones toted the first Macbooks in the Philippines, back in the time when Windows PC's ruled the market. And whenever they can, they will scribble their notes on anything. And I mean anything.

If caught in a coffeeshop without a laptop or even a pen and paper to capture their thoughts with, they'll resort to asking the barista for a handful of table napkins and the store's pen.

I know, because I never thought the day would come when I'd need to resort to that -- but then it did.

But these times mark the age when writing has become profitable (thank you Google and SEO!) and writers can now afford to invest in gadgets and machines that will make their lives and compulsive note-taking a whole world easier.

Writers may have said "hello" to the smartphones and helpful gadgets by now.

Here are some machines that I know would be handy for writers and other compulsive note-takers and thought-catchers:

iPod Touch -- The cheapest thing you can get to an iPhone, without the phone capabilities, the iPod Touch is the note-taker's delight. With a camera that can take pictures of handwriting pretty well, a writer and his pals will no longer need to run to the nearest photocopying shop in order to take copies of notes written. They only need to snap photos of those notes, and they will be able to share notes, and even pages off of books, on the fly.

The notes that can be taken by the iPod Touch's reportedly only 0.7MP cam.

You can even take pictures of pages off of books, which you can share with your other writer-friends.

Another method of recording one's thoughts is in the form of pictures. As they say, "A picture paints a thousand words." If the beauty of the sight that a writer is beholding is just too much for him to express in words, then a picture would surely beef up what he is meaning to write.

Lastly, voice recordings will never be able to replace the beauty, clarity and convenience of reading the written word, but it'll suffice as a way to record thoughts on the fly. With the iPod Touch's configurations starting at 8GB, a writer can certainly ramble hours of thoughts away.

Blackberry, any kind -- The Blackberry cornered the Smartphone market a few years ago, because it pioneered the handy QWERTY machine. Thanks to that, we now have Nokia's QWERTY's and even QWERTY Androids like the HTC Chacha and the Cherry Mobile Candy Chat.

But nothing really beats the Blackberry in how awesome its keys are engineered. They were built to be tapped on, for hours on end. That is why I completely understand why Blackberry users have been stereotyped as "Crackberry" addicts who tap away at their SMS or email even on dinner tables and family gatherings.

A writer can leverage a Blackberry by taking notes on the Blackberry's memo apps, or even on the Calendar. I find that it's very convenient to make notes on the Calendar, as it records the date when you had that thought. Thus, it's easier to go back to when you need to.

What is great about the Blackberry over an iPod Touch or even an iPhone or a touch-screen Android is that it is handy to type on even when you're in an uncomfortable situation. I mean, only crackpots will be writing their next articles on the commuter train while their in transit, right? But it happens, and thoughts and ideas can and will seize you, even when you're in tough spots.

Long bus rides are another thing. It would be hard to tap out a full-length essay or article on an iPod Touch on a bus ride, and it would be all the worse to start talking your thoughts into it, as other passengers may look at you funny for that. Thus, it is definitely quieter and easier to tap away a diary entry, an essay, an article, and even a short story or a novel chapter on one's Blackberry.

Samsung Galaxy Note -- Being a writer and an Android advocate, the Samsung Galaxy Note is definitely high up on my wishlist. As I said, I am attracted to the capabilities of its S-Pen, not to mention the fact that its screen is so wide, it can surely accommodate big fingers typing away.

One big irritation I have with touch screen devices is that I may get the hang of typing long messages on it when I really push myself to do it, but after a while, I find that I've gotten clumsy with typing on touch screens again.

One big promise that the Samsung Galaxy Note has for writers is that it's going to be an all-in mobile thought capture device: something to research with on the fly, something to take notes with, something to record voice messages (to oneself) with, and something that will allow for doodles, screenshots and diagram-making thanks to its S-Pen.

Check out the Samsung Galaxy Note, free on Smart's Unlimited Plan 2000.

While the writer-by-blood will always go back to his favorite tools of the trade: the trusty notebook and the ornate, colorful, or fine-writing pens, this age does favor him, with all the tools, gadgets and toys that will add to, but never replace, the writer's arsenal of pens and paper pads.