Register | Sign In


Understanding through Discussion


EvC Forum active members: 65 (9162 total)
1 online now:
Newest Member: popoi
Post Volume: Total: 915,818 Year: 3,075/9,624 Month: 920/1,588 Week: 103/223 Day: 1/13 Hour: 0/1


Thread  Details

Email This Thread
Newer Topic | Older Topic
  
Author Topic:   Computer question: Does anyone know a product that..
Brian
Member (Idle past 4959 days)
Posts: 4659
From: Scotland
Joined: 10-22-2002


Message 1 of 14 (220152)
06-27-2005 4:54 PM


I can buy that would allow me to type up notes in a library and then take the device home and download the notes onto my PC?
I am looking for something that resembles a laptop computer, but I dont want a computer, I want something like a word processor with a decent size screen.
Does anyone know if such a device exists?
The kids use Alphasmarts at school, but they are not what I am looking for.
Brian.

Replies to this message:
 Message 2 by Jazzns, posted 06-27-2005 4:57 PM Brian has not replied
 Message 3 by dsv, posted 06-27-2005 4:58 PM Brian has replied
 Message 9 by Dead Parrot, posted 06-27-2005 6:28 PM Brian has not replied
 Message 12 by cmanteuf, posted 06-28-2005 10:54 AM Brian has replied

  
Jazzns
Member (Idle past 3912 days)
Posts: 2657
From: A Better America
Joined: 07-23-2004


Message 2 of 14 (220154)
06-27-2005 4:57 PM
Reply to: Message 1 by Brian
06-27-2005 4:54 PM


Palm or Pocket PC w/ flex keyboard.

Organizations worth supporting:
Electronic Frontier Foundation | Defending your rights in the digital world (Protect Privacy and Security)
Home | American Civil Liberties Union (Protect Civil Rights)
AAUP (Protect Higher Learning)

This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by Brian, posted 06-27-2005 4:54 PM Brian has not replied

  
dsv
Member (Idle past 4724 days)
Posts: 220
From: Secret Underground Hideout
Joined: 08-17-2004


Message 3 of 14 (220157)
06-27-2005 4:58 PM
Reply to: Message 1 by Brian
06-27-2005 4:54 PM


I suggest the Hipster PDA.
A marvel of modern technology.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by Brian, posted 06-27-2005 4:54 PM Brian has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 5 by Brian, posted 06-27-2005 5:02 PM dsv has not replied

  
Brian
Member (Idle past 4959 days)
Posts: 4659
From: Scotland
Joined: 10-22-2002


Message 4 of 14 (220159)
06-27-2005 5:00 PM


Geez, that was quick!!
Cheers guys.
Brian.

  
Brian
Member (Idle past 4959 days)
Posts: 4659
From: Scotland
Joined: 10-22-2002


Message 5 of 14 (220162)
06-27-2005 5:02 PM
Reply to: Message 3 by dsv
06-27-2005 4:58 PM


Hard to download though!

This message is a reply to:
 Message 3 by dsv, posted 06-27-2005 4:58 PM dsv has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 6 by CK, posted 06-27-2005 5:30 PM Brian has replied

  
CK
Member (Idle past 4128 days)
Posts: 3221
Joined: 07-04-2004


Message 6 of 14 (220173)
06-27-2005 5:30 PM
Reply to: Message 5 by Brian
06-27-2005 5:02 PM


Besides Alphasmart - your best bet would be a palm PDA (as mentioned) connected to an extendable keyboard (a keyboard that extends out to fullsize and plugs in the bottom).
While in my field, there is not much call to go to the library (all our journals are electronic) - I can take notes and input references into the palm version of endnote (EndNote | The best reference management tool). I go home and synch it and poof! it's all on my PC.
Let me have a think I may come up with an option that better suits you....

This message is a reply to:
 Message 5 by Brian, posted 06-27-2005 5:02 PM Brian has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 7 by Brian, posted 06-27-2005 5:32 PM CK has not replied
 Message 8 by CK, posted 06-27-2005 5:41 PM CK has not replied

  
Brian
Member (Idle past 4959 days)
Posts: 4659
From: Scotland
Joined: 10-22-2002


Message 7 of 14 (220174)
06-27-2005 5:32 PM
Reply to: Message 6 by CK
06-27-2005 5:30 PM


Cheers

This message is a reply to:
 Message 6 by CK, posted 06-27-2005 5:30 PM CK has not replied

  
CK
Member (Idle past 4128 days)
Posts: 3221
Joined: 07-04-2004


Message 8 of 14 (220178)
06-27-2005 5:41 PM
Reply to: Message 6 by CK
06-27-2005 5:30 PM


Eureka!
How about this suggestion - taking in the best of both worlds!
You buy...
shortened link
and a pad of paper.
You then scan in the pages and the OCR software turns it into computer text.
all for less than 25 quid plus you can scan pictures from books and the like.
This message has been edited by AdminJar, 06-27-2005 04:54 PM
Why it's magic - my idea was so amazing the link even corrected itself...it's wonderful to be me!
(joking aside - did that link misform the screen at lower resolutions? It looks fine at 1024*768)
This message has been edited by Charles Knight, 27-Jun-2005 06:03 PM

This message is a reply to:
 Message 6 by CK, posted 06-27-2005 5:30 PM CK has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 10 by Brian, posted 06-28-2005 2:58 AM CK has not replied

  
Dead Parrot
Member (Idle past 3346 days)
Posts: 151
From: Wellington, NZ
Joined: 04-13-2005


Message 9 of 14 (220194)
06-27-2005 6:28 PM
Reply to: Message 1 by Brian
06-27-2005 4:54 PM


My choice:
Buy a Psion (series 5/5mx) organiser off Ebay. They go for around 35 at the moment, but are still the only thing I've found that a) has a decent keyboard, and b) fits in a jacket pocket. They're fairly old tech - about 10 years old now - but still do the job nicely. They even run off standard AA batteries, so you don't have to muck around with a charger. the software lets you drag stuff straight in to Word and Excel formats to work on later (or in my case, from Word to Psion so I can work in the pub.)

This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by Brian, posted 06-27-2005 4:54 PM Brian has not replied

  
Brian
Member (Idle past 4959 days)
Posts: 4659
From: Scotland
Joined: 10-22-2002


Message 10 of 14 (220321)
06-28-2005 2:58 AM
Reply to: Message 8 by CK
06-27-2005 5:41 PM


Re: Eureka!
HI Charles,
This is what I do at the moment, but the OCR software doesn't recognise my crappy handwriting very well.
When I place a photocopy, journal, or book onto the scanner, the OCR package (Omnipage) identifies typed text extremely well, must be close on 99%.
What I am want to do is type in some notes from different pages in a book, maybe in the library, on a train or bus.
OCR is excellent, but only really for typed texts.
I would also like to type some ideas merged into the notes as well.
Brian.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 8 by CK, posted 06-27-2005 5:41 PM CK has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 11 by Percy, posted 06-28-2005 8:11 AM Brian has not replied

  
Percy
Member
Posts: 22393
From: New Hampshire
Joined: 12-23-2000
Member Rating: 5.2


Message 11 of 14 (220368)
06-28-2005 8:11 AM
Reply to: Message 10 by Brian
06-28-2005 2:58 AM


Re: Eureka!
Brian writes:
This is what I do at the moment, but the OCR software doesn't recognise my crappy handwriting very well.
Even I can't read my handwriting. If they ever develop OCR software that can read my handwriting then there is a God!
--Percy

This message is a reply to:
 Message 10 by Brian, posted 06-28-2005 2:58 AM Brian has not replied

  
cmanteuf
Member (Idle past 6766 days)
Posts: 92
From: Virginia, USA
Joined: 11-08-2004


Message 12 of 14 (220416)
06-28-2005 10:54 AM
Reply to: Message 1 by Brian
06-27-2005 4:54 PM


Why aren't Alphasmarts what you are looking for? I bought one for taking notes in college and found it exceedingly useful. What is your objection to them?
Chris

This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by Brian, posted 06-27-2005 4:54 PM Brian has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 13 by Brian, posted 06-28-2005 11:35 AM cmanteuf has replied

  
Brian
Member (Idle past 4959 days)
Posts: 4659
From: Scotland
Joined: 10-22-2002


Message 13 of 14 (220420)
06-28-2005 11:35 AM
Reply to: Message 12 by cmanteuf
06-28-2005 10:54 AM


The problem I have with them is the screen size.
I'd like to be able to look at more lines of text without having to scroll back.
Alphasmarts are v. good, it just not quite what I am looking for.
Brian.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 12 by cmanteuf, posted 06-28-2005 10:54 AM cmanteuf has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 14 by cmanteuf, posted 06-30-2005 9:32 AM Brian has not replied

  
cmanteuf
Member (Idle past 6766 days)
Posts: 92
From: Virginia, USA
Joined: 11-08-2004


Message 14 of 14 (220918)
06-30-2005 9:32 AM
Reply to: Message 13 by Brian
06-28-2005 11:35 AM


If screen size is an issue then I'm not sure that a PDA/keyboard option is significantly better. A friend used that and at least with his model (Palm something or other) he couldn't display much more text on the screen than the AS could. If you do buy such a device, see if you can get your hands on a demo model before you purchase to make sure that the screen size will be sufficient for what you need.
Chris

This message is a reply to:
 Message 13 by Brian, posted 06-28-2005 11:35 AM Brian has not replied

  
Newer Topic | Older Topic
Jump to:


Copyright 2001-2023 by EvC Forum, All Rights Reserved

™ Version 4.2
Innovative software from Qwixotic © 2024