A Cheap and Portable Word Processor?

An anonymous reader asks: "Last evening I was waiting for a bus and realized that it would be very nice to have a little portable word processor; not a fancy PDA, but something with a bare minimum of processing power, small screen, and a cheap mini-keyboard, so that it could fit in a jacket pocket. It doesn't seem like an infeasable product - consider the price that all-in-one 8-bit game machines like the C64 DTV go for, add that to the price that the cheap organizers go for, and you get a retail value under $50. The only major difference would be in the software, and with some attention given to expansibility it might even be a decent device for homebrews. Does Slashdot have any thoughts on what might fill these gap, or is there really no product that tries to be small, cheap and low-powered like what I'm looking for?"

"When I got home, I did a search for any such devices, and came up with two choices: bulky 1980s machines with outdated connectivity options, found on eBay for pennies - some of these are actually programmable too, interestingly enough; and overpriced 'educational' machines which are almost equivalent to the 80s machines (over $200 or even $300). Electronic organizers are going for under $20, but they are woefully limited machines. The only other cheap option is to get a used PDA."

Pencil/Paper

[fembots]

I think there's a major difference between your proposed cheap word processor and a handheld game/organizer, which is the output requrement.

I'm sure you would like to move your documents somewhere, maybe to a desktop for final processing, printing and whatnot? So maybe a USB, IR or a memory slot so that you can transfer data effortlessly?

Although these "expansions" are not expensive, they still cost money. So it's commercially inviable to produce it, because "for a little bit more" one can probably produce a PDA or mobile phone.

And what's wrong with the pencil/paper solution? Paper is a non-volatile memory so you don't have to worry about system crashes or forgetting to save your documents.

From my experience with PDA, you'll write/type about as fast on a PDA as you would on a piece of paper

Uh...

[grumpyman]

Pen and paper?

What is the problem you are trying to solve?

[winkydink]

You want to type words into a cheapo, pocket device, that is clear. Then what? Keep it there and only read from the chepo device? Do more editing on cheapo device? grep text on cheapo device? transfer text to some other device? via what means? how much text?

Hold off on the "It's called pencil and paper" com

[Raindance]

Besides all the functional benefits something like this would have over a little notebook, which are significant (but also mixed), some people are more productive- and perhaps even think better- when at a keyboard than with a pencil and notebook.

People should use whatever device allows them to get their thoughts out into some coherent form. For some, that's going to be a little pocket notebook, and for others who usually do their thinking in front of a keyboard, it'll be a device such as this fellow is looking for.

I'm much more productive (at this point in my life, at least) with a keyboard under my hands than with a pencil in my fingers. Said like that it sounds so unromantic... but I'm interested to hear what sorts of devices are out there.

Don't forget...

[rewt66]

You still need a way to get files off. Wireless would be cool (except for certain security issues), or cable (might be cheaper, too).

AlphaSmart

[ap0]

I remember using these [alphasmart.com] things in elementary school (I'm in college now) -- they seemed decent then, and I'm sure they're even better now. They're a bit bigger than what you were looking for, but they are a simple, portable word processor.

The pen and paper comments are cute, but

[jjsaul]

Some of us type more than ten times faster than we write and like to transfer our text conveniently.

There are easy solutions though - a used Jornada off ebay and a targus stowaway keyboard cost me less than $100. It isn't the perfect solution, but it actually addresses the poster's needs.

For all of you writing those novels on notecards with pencils, good luck with that. Seems to have worked for Stephenson.

Re:Tape Recorder

[cmowire]

Doesn't work. You broadcast halfassed ideas to the rest of the world, sounding like an idiot, and the pathway between mouth and brain is very different than the pathway between mouth and fingers. Typing on a keyboard is private, unobtrusive, and a lot of folks are far more articulate when they type things instead of say things.

Re:Pencil/Paper

[tepples]

And what's wrong with the pencil/paper solution? Paper is a non-volatile memory so you don't have to worry about system crashes or forgetting to save your documents.

Inserts take way too long, as they require recopying the whole document manually. It's also considered a Hard Problem (i.e. something not bundled with a scanner) to OCR handwritten text.

Re:Pencil/Paper

[pdbogen]

I type much faster than I write, and I enjoy it much more, and it's a lot readable (to me as well as other people.) Plus, even a small/old word processor like this (TI used to make one; I don't remember what it's called, but I've read stories about how it's solid as a rock and still in use) would have significantly more capacity than a pocket notepad, or anything else of equivalent size.

Re:Sure, but...

[fuck_this_shit]

90 percent of all those scraps never need to make it into any electronic device. and typing a phonenumber again isn't really something I'll break into tears over in sorrow over the time I wasted by not hooking up a pda, walking through some menus and then sending it over... oh... wait...

Re:Dude, a pencil!

[mstroeck]

I'm sorry, but your comment is definitely not "Interesting". The original poster wants something that he can use with a keyboard. That's probably because he is like me and can type 3-4 times faster than he can write with a pencil.

Additionally, it's damn hard to cut and paste (of the non-adhesive variety) handwritten notes and email-drafts.

Re:Sidekick

[bluephone]

This is not a troll. I don't carry a cell phone (don't want one), etc. But how hard is it to let it charge overnight while you sleep? You say you can't get 24 hours out of it, but do you regularly use it for more than 18 straight hours? Or does it take forever to charge?

Try a TRS Model 100/102

[EverLurking]

http://oldcomputers.net/trs100.html [oldcomputers.net]

Type it out in plain text/ascii and format it properly when you get home and u/l the files to your real computer via it's RS-232 serial port. 16 + Hour battery life on 4 AA batteries that you can find anywhere. Full sized keyboard, small form factor. There have been many a journalist/writer who swears by one of these for use in absolutely primitive/harsh 3rd world conditions. These little suckers are apparently very tough and tres retro. Wired had an article [wired.com] about the TRS 100/102's and other old/obsolete but still serviceable computers.

Some of the lower memory versions are avaiable /near-mint/used/refurbished [club100.org] starting at $75.

Or check out E-Bay, found a few going really cheap right now:

• Model 100's
• http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ca tegory=74947&item=5197944964&rd=1

• http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ca tegory=1247&item=5199719083&rd=1

• http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ca tegory=74947&item=5200179003&rd=1

• http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ca tegory=74947&item=5201521879&rd=1

  Model 102's

• http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ca tegory=4193&item=5200512388&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

• http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ca tegory=74947&item=5200683165&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

• http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ca tegory=74947&item=5200683165&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

I sound like a relic, but ahhh, they don't make them like they used to...

DaveC

Psion 5/5MX

[Anonymous Coward]

I have a Psion series 5mx (used to have the Series 5). This is a bigger brother to the Revo, it has a backlight screen and a larger keyboard. It also runs on AA batteries instead of a built in battery and the serial connector is via a cable rather than a dock (good for connecting to other mobile devices). The series 5/5mx also feature a compact flash slot making it easier to backup and transfer data.

I think the word processor it includes is also better than the revo one (built in spell checker). The series 5 has 8 meg of memory and a 16mhz CPU (more than enough for word processing) and the 5mx has 16meg of RAM and a 33mhz CPU. They still fetch quite a high price on ebay when compared to Palm and WinCE machines of similar specs.

I used my Series 5 to take notes throught my first year and a half at university and it prooved more than adequate for this (and playing games in boring lectures!). Definately a lot easier than using a laptop.

If you want something a little modern then I recommend the HP Jornada 720. This is slightly bigger than the Psion, runs WinCE (will also do Linux), includes a colour screen, PCMCIA and CF slots. In many ways it sounds like the modern(ish) incarnation of the Poqet. Its a shame there haven't been any more systems using this form factor recently.

Re:Pencil/Paper

[trime]

With a lot of care and a lot of time important documents can sometimes be recovered from washing piles. The same can not be said for PDAs, which people also tend to keep in shirt pockets.

Re:Check out Alphasmart

[chriswaclawik]

I like the concept of an alphasmart. Its a barebones appliance for when you don't need the power of a labtop, you just need to type. To those who say you can handwrite for much cheaper, well, I'll challenge to a speed competition any day. And it is a really SIMPLE device, something that seems to be absent in modern gadgetry.

The only thing I never understood was the price. $250, for the most basic model. Its a keyboard with a very small, liquid crystal display. You could get a pda for that much.

If these things were under $50, I know I would by one. Considering how fast some of my teachers talk, typing would allow me to take legible notes.

Re:Sidekick

[Shaper_pmp]

It's not a big deal, until you go away on business for a couple of days and forget your charger. Or go on holiday and find the plugs are different. Or go to a music festival [glastonbur...vals.co.uk] (where there are no chargers, at least none without a two-hour wait).

For me, it's a convenience thing. I want to be able to go stay overnight at my girlfriend's on a whim, and not have to pack a small suitcase full of chargers for the gadgets I habitually carry. I don't want to be forced to choose between carrying around a charger (which effectively doubles the weight/bulk of the phone) or being shackled to my bedroom/study desk each night.

I just can't wait for a simple ubiquitous induction-based charging system. Or even better, environmental options like flip-out solar panels or thermal charging. Or even just fuel cells or (well-shielded) nuclear micropiles. Anything that lets me Stop Worrying About It and get on with whatever I want to do.