Great article in the Boston Globe (link below) investigating the analog counter-culture – pads and pens replacing PDAs.
Even though I have have managed my calendar, contacts, to-dos, and some notes on mobile devices for the past 8 years* or so, I still write most of my articles and stories, and take notes at meetings with a simple pad and pen. I have a preferred pad format (tall and thin with a spiral binder on the side), but any will really do.** And I have a preferred pen (Uniball, black), but any pen will do (no pencils, though).***
For me, it’s about protability and ease of use. A laptop just doesn’t cut it. As for PDA, they stink for long note taking or writing or drawing (my biggest beef).
At least now I don’t feel like I am still too analog.
Oh, and see who they quote – someone who’s recently rediscovered the joys of paper and ink.
Link: PDA buffs go back to basics – The Boston Globe.
Christian Lindholm , vice president of global mobile products for Yahoo!, used a Moleskine to go analog this February for brainstorming and taking notes. He now carries around a Moleskine reporter-style notebook and uses it sideways, or as he puts it, in “landscape" format.
“I needed an instant portable solution that I could have with me all the time, which doesn’t run out of batteries, has high resolution and is ergonomic to write on," he said. “I’m actually quite pleased. I’m already in my second generation, almost third."
*I’ve been synching my Mac then my PC to various different generations of mobile devices. The ones I remember at the moment: Palm III, Palm V, Nokia 6210, 9100, 9210, 7650, 3650, 6600, 7610, 6630, 6680, N70, N93. Synching, especially over the air, has been near and dear to me for a long time and I have learned quite a bit about what to do and not to do. 🙂 Fodder for a future article, I am sure.
**Folks, what’s with the Moleskine? Too trendy for me. 😛
***Oh, but someday I do want to try all those different pens…. 🙂
