I have a dilemma. I have a desktop that I write on currently but I also have my iPad which I have done some writing on, but not a lot. I want a laptop although when my oldest son asks me why, I have no good reason other than the standard 3 year old response, “because I want one”. Over the past few days it has gotten me to thinking…what exactly do I need to write? What would be the best avenue? And…can I save myself some money and thus the wrath of my spouse by using what I have instead of buying another laptop? (With me a laptop is akin to disposable razors…they only last so long and then I have to replace it)
I have been writing on a keyboard ever since I talked myself into my very first computer. In 1983 I bought a Commodore 64…I swear I really did…and I was smitten with the concept of being able to write in a way that did not require a pen and my keeping track of a zillion notepads. Back then computers were huge and carrying it around would have made you look like Dale, the crazy homeless guy in our town who carries around the bumper of a 1968 Ford Truck. (No one knows why and I think everyone is afraid to ask him) Today, that has all changed and not only can you carry a computer around but some are small enough that you can stuff it into your pocket. (I know…crazy…right?) I am in heaven with the choices now…but there are too many choices and I am finding myself considering the road to data storage and wondering, “will there ever be something that is “enough”.
For those of you who have been living in a cave…the changes to data storage over the last 20 years has been ridiculous…we went from big floppy, to hard floppy, to click storage, (you remember these, they were little round metal disks that fit into a card reader) to CD’s, to DVD’s, to something we call “the cloud” now. (I don’t know about you but “the Cloud” sounds so ominous) Computers have become like those data storage changes….you can buy one today and it is obsolete by noon tomorrow…it’s frustrating.
So there-in lies my problem….I want something that I can do my writing on, carry around with me and be able to fulfill all my needs. I think that might be an iPad. It does have everything I need on it to write and it provides a distraction free zone because you can’t multitask with it, you have to focus on one thing at a time. BUT…I think that my brain is hardwired for a desktop or a laptop because I find myself questioning if the iPad is enough….
So what do you think readers and writers? Which should I choose and why? Help a fellow writer out here because I’m just driving myself crazy…
© The Writer’s Advice, 2012. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.
November 19, 2022 at 2:55 am
Hi Jai. I like both the lap top and the desk top…or pc. Haven’t tried the IPad but I’ve seen it being used by a couple of close friends, and I think I would like it better than my lap top., I have to keep my desk top though…can’t part with my pc. When I am at home (and that is most of the time) I mostly use my pc.
November 22, 2022 at 1:24 pm
I am a bit of a tech junkie… while I was on the road, I indulged a bit and bought an iPad to go with my Laptop and it was a marriage made in heaven. I like having the option to grab the iPad when I am on the go rather than finding a table and power source for my laptop. What made me really happy is the idea of loading my notes onto my iPad and while I am writing on my laptop (much faster to type), I can plug the iPad into a USB Port to keep it charged and use it as a digital notebook rather than switching between windows on the laptop. HOWEVER.. If I don’t buy “Dragon” before Christmas, I will likely get it next spring sometime… That may change how I write completely. No more coffee shops or restaurant tables; I write better when I am on the go anyway and talking to the iPad while walking through a mall or driving down the highway is something I am really looking forward to trying. Hope this helps in some way.