: Is the iPad a convenient medium for writing work? Does anyone here write on an iPad at all? The iPad 2G is due this summer and I have waited since March 2010 already, so I am planning to

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I've used my iPad to write a lot of blog posts and a few articles. I haven't done any writing on it like for a book project. Mostly that's because the publishers want their funky templates to be used that only work in Microsoft Word.

I can type about as quickly on the ipad virtual keyboard as I can on a normal keyboard (about 70 WPM or so). It requires keeping a bit of a watch on the auto correct on the iPad so you don't get totally screwed up, but like anything all it takes is some practice.

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Charlie Stross is an SF writer and tech maven. He's written quite a bit about writing on an iPad. He doesn't use it as his primary writing machine, but finds it a convenient travel device. Stross thinks the iPad can be a good writing tool -- but you must have an external keyboard. There's a lot of detail at the links.

A first report "Word Processing: Now this is currently a bad situation." www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2010/05/gadget-patrol-ipad.html A month later, briefly, "some notes on the subject of writing with an iPad." He briefly covers word processors (both programs and workflow), keyboards, and stands. www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2010/05/ipad-writing-stuff.html "Unless I'm planning on doing Serious Work, the iPad is acceptable." www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2010/06/gadget-patrol-ipad-a-month-on.html "An iPad is a sufficiently powerful computer for email, web browsing, some light duty writing, and so on for a week long trip." www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2011/02/travel-tips.html "Stuff I can't do with the iPad? ... Research-driven writing that requires me to have a multi-tabbed browser and a word processing app open simultaneously." www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2010/07/holding-pattern-1.html "Okay, suppose you have an iPad and want to shovel text into it. What are your options?" Toward that end, he tests many keyboards. There's a lot of detail about his experience, and how keyboards trade off size and functionality. He prefers the Targus, but YMMV. www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2011/06/ipad-corner.html

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I carry my iPad at times when I'll be without power for a long time. My laptop will only last 2-3 hours, and sometimes I want to write or make notes for a longer time than that.

I don't have an external keyboard, but I have considered getting one. If I type in landscape, I can type almost as fast as on a traditional keyboard, but the corrections take longer. The interface doesn't lend itself well to corrections (from my perspective), so I tend to leave those to later.

I have used the Wordpress app and Blogpress to write blog posts or observations at different times. I also use Evernote extensively to make notes or write pieces (short articles) at times and have them sync up with my other machines.

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I would say an iPad is good if you're writing a note, but not a chapter - the touchscreen lacks the tactile feedback I need to go to full touchtyping (for one, it's really easy for your fingers to wander.)

Adding a physical keyboard solves that problem (and as others have mentioned, reclaims a lot of physical space on screen). I haven't tried one of the bluetooth solutions yet, but the USB adapter on the Camera kit will let you plug any USB keyboard in. The popup says it's not supported, but it works just fine.

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As usual, the answer is "depends." For idea generation, capturing bits of dialog you overhear, writing copy - an iPad with an Apple Wireless Keyboard is hard to beat for portability.

But, if you need to do a great deal of editing, nearly any desktop app will have it beat.

I think as a tool for observing life it's excellent (and the iPad2 will be even better).

Related to this is the whole plain text vs. rich text debate. Bottom line is if you are still going though a publisher, you will use what they tell you to use (Word). But if you are an authorprenur, you end product is going to be several formats: pdf, ePub, etc. Keep life simple and go plain text.

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As a Game Master for a bi-weekly role-playing group, I write a lot of notes on my iPad. I use Pages, and sync it to a Box.net account using WebDav.

I'm also in the process of writing my first novel, also using Pages. So far it meets all my needs.

I believe that publishing a book written with Pages (digital or paper) won't be too difficult if you just focus on writing and not page making. Just write, and leave all the page makeing to the end, since every publisher has its own rules and guidelines.

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I do, quite regularly.

Initially, I used it to write for classes mostly. Now, I've begun to work on more creative projects using Pages and an Apple Bluetooth Keyboard.

Though the Apple keyboard costs a little more than a non-name brand device, it fits perfectly alongside the keyboard in my bag.

At present, I use a small iPad wedge stand, but I'm considering a Compass stand from TwelveSouth. They're quite nice.

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For me, writing on the iPad (without a wireless keyboard) is somewhere between writing using the pen and typing on the keyboard.

The reason I say this: it is harder to make edits on the iPad than on the computer. That makes you want to carefully choose your words and plan ahead a bit.

I use Pages and Dropbox. The dictionary built into Pages is actually good.

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Absolutely. I wrote about 60% of my NaNoWriMo content on an iPad, both on the bus and at the local library, using PlainText. Several times, I wrote for over two hours on the device. My typing rate, while lower, was not substantially lower than with a full keyboard.

That said, it's not as easy or comfortable as a laptop or desktop (or a Bluetooth keyboard, with is effectively a laptop with a disconnected screen). So, like anything, you have to weigh the pros and cons of the tool for the situation. For the scenario you describe, taking notes on the go, or having a portable device handy when inspiration strikes, the iPad exactly fits. If you're spending all day typing, you'd be better served by having a physical keyboard.

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I did a blog post on this last year:
Can You Get Real Writing Work Done on an iPad?

My answer was yes, by the way.

An edited excerpt (considerably more at the link):

For casual writing (emails, mainly),
the iPad’s on-screen keyboard is
sufficient. When I had to work on a
chapter of the latest book, I turned
to one app and an Apple Wireless
Keyboard.

...

The app I used for writing was
Dataviz’s Documents to Go Premium,
which creates and edits Microsoft
Office documents (Word, Excel,
PowerPoint). The great thing about the
Premium version (and justifies the
extra over the basic version) is
that it connects with the Dropbox
online storage service, which
automatically syncs any document
between your different devices. So I
wrote the chapter in Documents to Go,
saved it in the iPad and also to
Dropbox (you need an Internet
connection, of course), and the
chapter was immediately replicated on
the Mac at home. When I got home, I
opened the document in Word from the
Dropbox folder on my Mac Pro, did some
touchups, and sent it off to my
editor.

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I find that Pages works pretty well (Pages is Apples word process for the iPad). There are a couple extra steps to get documents out of the application, but nothing huge. Though for long term typing I would use a Bluetooth keyboard.

Also, a book stand works well to hold up the iPad so it's comfortable to read as you type.

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I don't use my iPad for my manuscript, but I know several authors who do. They tend to belong to the large camp of writers who prefer using plain text editors for their writing in order to avoid distraction.

However, I do use it for note-taking. I use a combination of two apps for this: Springpad and Elements. Springpad is nice because it doubles as a web based, cross-platform bookmarking tool and note organizing system. I use it to capture ideas for later use. I use Elements to actually author blog posts or chapter fragments while I'm on the road.

If you plan to do any writing on an iPad I highly recommend the Kensington KeyFolio bluetooth keyboard. It's not quite as comfortable as a laptop keyboard but it's better than trying to type on the iPad itself - mostly because you win back the screen real estate that the keyboard steals.

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