Portable Writing Devices: Small Typing Units for Writers

Writing is an interesting hobby, and an even more interesting career. Typing becomes second nature. The desire to write hits at all hours, and can be quite inconvenient. Carrying notebooks is still the lightest, easiest way to write on the go, but handwriting is slow, and has become archaic.

Laptops are a godsend, offering mobility that a desktop cannot. But they are still too much at times. They often weigh 4 - 5lbs, and are large - certainly too large to caring everywhere. They are also expensive. Not many people are willing to take them hiking into the desert or up a mountain. PDA's are nice for on the go typing, but are slow, and can be an inspiration killer.

So what do you use when you need less than a laptop, but more than a PDA? The following are cheap, easy-to-find dedicated typing devices. Some are old, but still used so commonly that they can easily be found on eBay or other auction sites.

NEC Mobilepro 700 - 900

These devices have become quite popular with the writing crowd, so much that an entire new market has appeared for them. Many can be bought from eBay, as well as WiFi cards, transfer cables, memory, screen protectors, and cases.

The Mobilepro is a nice little device. Running Windows CE, it has a touch screen and stylus, and a keyboard that is 92% the size of a normal one. It is very easy to touch-type on them, yet they are ruggedly durable. This device is light, and can be crammed into a back jean pocket. It turns on instantly, making it perfect for on-the-fly writing.

The 700 is the oldest model , and offers a monochrome screen. It is useful for nothing more than writing, and has difficult firmware. The 780 is ideally the lowest model you'd want to purchase. The 900 is the best, offering a nice color screen, as well as better firmware and hardware.

This device is very durable. They can take a beating, and are good at what they do. If you are looking for a device that you can take with you to the top of a mountain, or peck away on at the campfire, than this is for you. If you are looking for a device with a bright screen that can easily surf the web from, this device is not for you.

HP Jornada