netbook

I wrote at length about the advantages of netbooks for writers several months after these gadgets first stormed the scene. With the current state of the economy, the Founders’ Blog is getting more and more inquiries about the capabilities of these new computers. In response, I’ve taken the time to graphically depict what a productive office setup might look like as it relates to gadgets/technology and the netbook.

Let’s quickly eliminate a few skepticisms about netbooks. While a netbook is not as powerful as a laptop, it is adequate for a writer’s needs. Can a netbook run MS Word? Yes. What about Final Draft? Yes. Movie Magic? Of course. Writers have it easy - we deal with text, the whole text and nothin’ but the text. And netbooks are perfectly capable of running text-driven applications. I do caution a few things: before buying, make certain you purchase a netbook with at least 1GB of ram if it’s running Windows XP and at least 2GB of ram if it’s running Vista. Keep pictures and music to a minimum unless you are using the netbook to transport the files to the web. [click to continue...]

1. $ Gift Certificates - Not exactly techy, but easy.

2. $$ Portable Backup Storage - Encourage writers to backup their masterpieces with portable storage.

4. $$ Ergonomic Keyboard - Try it, they may like it and improve their health at the same time. (Keep the receipt just in case)

5. $$+ Digital Voice Recorder - Often times writers dream the stories they are writing and or their imaginations become alive just before they lie down to sleep.  Having a voice recorder handy helps ensure they capture the thought-on-the-spot.

6. $$+ Update Writing Software - Find out if your writer gift recipient is using the latest version of their writing software or if they’ve been wanting to try something new.

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