From the category archives:
Computer Hardware & Software
Best Rugged Laptop Cases - For the Off-road Writer
The off-road writer - now there’s a niche.
If you find yourself toting your laptop on camping trips, hiking trails or perhaps everyday is a rocky adventure scaling the urban jungle, you may want to take extra precautions in protecting the prized possession that holds your latest masterpiece - the laptop.
As long as you have hard drives with movable parts (Come on 500GB SSD!) and manufacturers like Apple producing laptops with glass screens (new Macbook/Macbook Pro) you can never be too cautious. There are extreme solutions and everyday precaution gear. This article is all about the EXTREME. As in, "I dropped my laptop bag halfway down the Himalayas and it took a lickin’ and kept on tickin’".
Aside from the overkill look of the 80s James Bond aluminum briefcase, there are a handful of "practical" off-road laptop bags: Otterbox is arguably the king of rugged gadget cases. Toting the 7030 laptop case will add a whopping 6 pounds to your mobility but it gets the job done for $189.95.
{ 0 comments }
Backup Laptop Batteries with the Mobile Writer in Mind
For whatever reason we can rove the landscape of mars with robots and walk the face of the moon, but we can’t figure out how to get 24-hours of juice out of laptop batteries. Nonetheless, this article offers a few solutions to extending your mobile writing time with extended or external battery options.
Extended vs External
Extended batteries are OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) add-ons that offer additional juice either by swapping out a battery and replacing it or attaching an additional battery. Many laptops on the market have the ability to remove the optical drive and replace it with an additional modular bay battery, thereby adding 3 - 5 hours to the main battery life. When purchasing a “mobile” laptop be cognizant of optical drives described as "Modular DVD/CD, DVD-ROM, etc". Modular means it’s removable and not screwed into place. Since you probably rarely use the DVD/CD on the go, this isn’t a bad option if your laptop is equipped to do so. Some laptops allow for the main battery to be easily replaced with a larger, more powerful extended battery. For example if your main battery is only 6-cells, you can upgrade to a 9-cell battery and gain several additional hours of computing time.
External batteries are more flexible than their extended brethren. These gadgets not only power your laptop but additional devices like your cell phone and iPod. These non-OEM devices are usually more powerful, offering as much as 10 hours or more of juice. Some external batteries like the Electrovaya PowerPad 130 recharge the main battery while powering the entire laptop. Before choosing you want to be certain that the voltage output (if not adjustable) matches the voltage input of your device. Extended batteries usually come with multiple adapters so it is a “one-size-fits-all”. The caveat emptor here is size and weight. Remember, as a mobile writer, the lighter your gear the better.
{ 0 comments }
ThinkFree Office for Netbooks – Giving Away Free Copies
I hope I’m not too late with this article, but it was just recently brought to my attention. ThinkFree is offering a free copy of their office suite built specifically for netbooks. ThinkFree Office is a suite of low-disc consumption office products that play nice with Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint, so you will have no problem opening or sending docs to Microsoft Office users. The light build is not taxing on the operating system - which is perfect for not-so-powerful netbooks.
FYI…Founders’ Blog recently covered netbooks as they relate to writers. If any of our readers have made the leap and purchased a netbook, you have only until October 31, 2008 to fill out the survey and pick up your free copy of ThinkFree Office. Otherwise, the cost is $49.00.
via: Gottabemobile
{ 0 comments }
Netbooks – Good Geek’dm for Writers
Netbooks are the latest piece of hardware to target the geek scene. Every manufacturer worth its salt is rushing to get their version of the netbook on the market. Not to be confused with laptops/notebooks, netbooks are optimized for light computing tasks like word processing and heavy internet usage - hence the term “net”. They are the latest craze in computing and are spreading like wildfire. I’ve been watching the netbook craze since Intel introduced the Atom in the spring of 08’. And while the netbook truly has benefits for writers, I believe its greatest purpose will be in offering the ultimate low-cost web portal to the world at large. Mark my words, these things will soon inhabit the Amazon jungle.
One of the most attractive benefits of netbooks is the price tag – as low as $250. Why so cheap? Netbooks are not high performers when compared to their big brother notebooks/laptops. They have slower processors (i.e. Intel’s Atom and Celeron M) and smaller, slower hard drives. Hard drive capacity can be as small as 2 GB (the size of my very first Pentium desktop) or as large as 250 GB. Some use solid-state disks (SSDs). However, with slower processing speed, storage space becomes a tertiary matter because you are not going to get the speed you need to run bloated software programs.
Aren’t we headed in the wrong direction? Not quite and here’s why: Cloud computing (internet based programming) is everywhere and giants like Google, Apple, and Microsoft are leading the pack. The more we access applications on the web to complete our day-to-day tasks, the less desktop performance we need. Netbooks are designed primarily for web-based computing. They carry all the bells-and-whistles when it comes to USB ports, WiFi, WAN and Bluetooth connections.
No multitasking, gaming or heavy software programs ALLOWED!
Now think about it… For writers that’s not such a bad thing. More than ever before scribblers find themselves mobile, as the coffee houses have become the home office and working vacations are common - as is writing your novel during a lunch break or polishing that blockbuster script poolside. You simply need a machine that catches your brain droppings no matter your location and a software program that pulls it all together in a nice neat format.
Photos, games, IM – that’s called DISTRACTION. Notice I didn’t include music. Select a model with descent HD capacity so there’s plenty of room for tunes - a godsend when you need to drown out those inconsiderate types who dare frequent the coffee shop to socialize. Blasphemy! Can’t you see I’m spinning gold at the tips of my fingers here!
{ 4 comments }
High Cost of Printer Ink – Highway Robbery
via: Gottabemobile, Slate, Hub Pages
{ 1 comment }
FAQ PDF Talk - What Writers Need to Know
The digital age has brought us a more efficient process of communicating literary assets. To date, this often means that writers submit their manuscripts and screenplays online via PDF.
If you’re writing on a Mac that has Tiger or Leopard OS, and you’re creating your brilliant masterpiece inside of Word, Pages or a simple text editor; you have PDF conversion tools built right into your operating system. If you’re using Vista, there is a free plug-in that will allow you to “print” to PDF just like Mac. However, if you’re using a later version of Windows such as XP or Linux and you’re using Microsoft Word or some other text editor to create your masterpiece, you will need PDF conversion software.
Print to PDF??? I thought I was creating a .pdf file? I know this is confusing to some folk so allow me to clarify. When you are prompted to “print to PDF”, essentially what you are doing is creating a “printed” copy of the document in .pdf format and saving it to your hard drive. So the document doesn’t forward to your printer spool and come out your printer. You’re creating a .pdf “print” of your original document.
Does my writing software already have PDF conversion capabilities? Possibly. The latest versions of screenwriting programs such as Movie Magic, Final Draft and Montage already come equipped with PDF printing tools. So there’s no need to purchase additional software.
{ 1 comment }
LitCentral Founders Attend SID 2008 Conference
The Society for Information Display (SID) 2008 Conference was hosted at the Los Angeles Convention Center this year, and LitCentral was there to check out the latest in display technology.
What does SID mean for writers?
SID is a collective gathering of companies around the world dedicated to improving the way information is displayed. Yes, that would include kiosk displays, cell phones, TVs, 3D and 4D graphics, etc. but it also comprises e-readers, e-books, Tablet PCs and flexible displays. The latter are technologies LitCentral is interested in with regard to the marketing, reading and analyzing of screenplays and manuscripts.
In a perfect world every writer who ever wrote anything would at least get the chance to be read…to be considered. There are over 100,000 screenplays submitted to the entertainment industry annually, and manuscripts are at least 10 x that amount for the publishing industry. Execs are inundated, and because most are still using antiquated methods to read and analyze submissions there are less and less new writers that make it through the pipeline.
{ 2 comments }
A Wrap-up - Tablet PCs - A Writer’s Infinite Desktop (Part V of V)
Where can I buy?
There are only a handful of brick and mortar shops that sell Tablet PCs along with laptops - and for good reason as TPCs are only 7% of the laptop market. The web is your most abundant resource for Tablet PCs – direct from manufacturer or through resellers. A great source for writers with beer budgets is the world’s biggest garage sale – eBay. You can get used Tablet PCs going for 30% - 70% off new prices. Be careful to only purchase from sellers with quality feedback and numerous sales. Note: A perfect feedback score of 100% with only 3 reviews is not good enough.
Allegiance Technology Partners (ATP) is a good reseller of many popular brands such as Lenovo, Toshiba and Fujitsu. ATP allows you to test drive a demo unit for a 48 hours using the TPC of your choice, for a minimal fee. They are also a trusted source for purchasing your tablet when you’re ready. Some Best Buys carry HP tablets. You’ll have to look closely because often times the way these devices are displayed, the center pivoting hinge is hidden behind a security bar, disguising it as a regular laptop.
Dollars and Cents
New tablets range from $799 to $2600. HP has a very economical convertible tablet in the TX2000 series starting at $799. Dell gets the prize for the most expensive (non-rugged) convertible with a beginning price of $2599.
{ 2 comments }
Tablet PCs and Mac Users (Part IV of V)
I use both Mac and PC and don’t look upon either as a religious platform. Having the ability to access both operating systems on a Mac via virtual machine software like Parallels and VMware Fusion is not only pure bliss but it means I’m almost always tethered to the Mac…accept when it comes to screenwriting. The Tablet PC is such a useful tool when it comes to writing that I cannot abandon the technology solely for Mac.
The Creative Community Cries a River
“Why Jobs, why hast thow forsaken us!?” Dry your eyes creative folk lest you short-circuit your keyboards. But take note Jobs - given that a large part of the creative community are Mac users, Apple may have been better off to go the “tablet” route vs. the “Air” route. [click to continue...]
{ 0 comments }
Tablet PCs and OneNote – The Writer’s Never-ending Notebook and Research File (Part III of V)
Many writers find comfort in the jumbled mess of half-used yellow notepads, crumbled paper and sticky notes cluttering their desks. The psychosis lies in the fact that we actually know where everything is amidst the chaos. Admittedly, this was me before OneNote. This software is what makes the Tablet PC a perfect tool for writers.
OneNote is a brilliant software program created by Microsoft specifically for the Tablet PC. This application is a never-ending notebook that never runs out of paper or files or even ink for that matter, as long as you have your trusty digitizer. This fantastic software is not just for current notes and research.
Other OneNote Uses:
- Musings
- Sketching
- Event Planning
- Random Ideas
- Inking Websites and Pictures
- Creating and Recording Audio Files
And so much more! [click to continue...]
{ 2 comments }
Tablet PCs – Choosing the Perfect Form Factor for Writers (Part II of V)
Tablet PCs come in three distinct flavors – convertible, slate and hybrid. Choosing the right form factor for your needs is essential because the wrong TPC can stunt your productivity. The picture attached to this article shows a Fujitsu convertible, a Sahara slate and a Motion Computing hybrid in respective order. For the sake of argument, and believe me some will argue, I am defining a hybrid as a slate with the ability to physically attach a keyboard, thereby converting it into a convertible. In this article I will cover the specifics of each form factor and how each affects a writer’s productivity.
- Convertible – Attached keyboard. Screen swivels around into tablet mode.
- Slate – No attached keyboard.
- Hybrid – Removable keyboard which converts the slate into a convertible.
{ 2 comments }
Subscribe 
Subscribe 