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I've just picked up a second hand Psion 5MX with the intention of using it to fit in the gap between when not at a desk/laptop and when in need of more than just a phone for jotting notes.
I've found the keyboard a little 'viscose' at first, but am slowly getting used to it. It's registering the spacebar hits that seems to be the most problematic so far. While I would be more comfortable at a laptop, the 25-40 hour battery life of the Psion and its complete lack of distractions might still win out in the end.
I've heard people claim to have written books and articles for publication on them. It is the distraction-free and long-life aspect I find interesting and am wondering whether to pursue writing on the device for those aspects in particular.
Question
Do people write substantial[0] works on electronic devices[1] like these that are not laptops? If so, what factors are most important (either in the device or in how you use it), and what are the pitfalls to watch out for?
Addendum
I have had time in the intervening days to type up some web content and book outlines on the device and so far it is fitting into the gap between phone notes (almost useless in comparison) and at-desk laptop sessions (with all the other distractions that entails) very well. I'd be keen to hear impressions of others who are straying away from their PCs to write
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[0] i.e. of personal or professional importance
[1] Important in my case to avoid time spent typing up from paper.
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I bought a Psion 5mx three years ago for exactly the same reason. And also because I am a fan of vintage palm PCs. But it seems mine was not in a great condition. I felt malfunctions and once even got my whole drive reset (I did not save my data on a storage card so it was lost and I was very frustrated.) It was also very hard sending everything to the normal PC. And what I found most disappointing I could not write in Bulgarian with it - no language support than its natively installed. Otherwise it was fun using it. I even planned learning how to program on it. But I got mine really cheap. Now I see on ebay they are quite expensive and I don't think it's worth all that money. I think I'd rather use pen and paper if I want something for creative writing :D I also felt very well with my ultrabook with SSD - it is light, fast and battery holds for 4-5 hours on Ubuntu and more on Windows.
It is certainly possible. See these two news stories:
prnewswire.com /
first-book-ever-written-using-mobile-phone-is-published
telegraph.co.uk /
Commuter-who-wrote-fantasy-novel-on-his-phone-on-verge-of-multi-million-dollar-movie-deal
I recall a third story about a science fiction novel written by a UK author on an underground train in London, over a course of several months.
I guess it depends how desperate for time you are, and how devoted you are to your story. (Or how bored you get on the train.)
Just be sure to take regular backups.
I used my Psion 5MX on long trips to other countries (Europe, Africa, South America) and wrote entire chapters of some of my books on it. Loved the (average for me) 28-hour battery life, plus the fact that instead of looking for a place to plug in a charger, I would just pop out the 2 AA batteries and replace them and keep going. Once my batteries went dead on a long flight, and remembered the external flash for my camera used AA's. Solved my problem. Plus the advantage of being an easy fit for an inside coat pocket. Alas, my screen cable broke. (I see the cable is now available on Ebay. Maybe I will try to fix it.) I replaced it with an HP Jornada 720, which I also love, though the battery is around 8-9 hours.
Hope this helps!
Dr. Steve, central Mexico
If it works for you, who cares whether it works for someone else or not?
Personally, I find writing without a full-size keyboard awkward and tedious. But if you have no problem with it, well, good for you.
Surely this is purely a matter of personal opinion and habit. I have written very long pieces on Palm PDAs using handwriting recognition (of a sort). It wasn't ideal. I have also written in exercise books with pens. Although I say that some types of devices, such as ipads, are very difficult to compose on, others disagree strongly. You have to find what works for you.
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