Re: [NTLK] Found this on engadget...

Steve,

> Check out what this guy wrote when he found his long-lost PDA:
> http://www.rohdesign.com/weblog/archives/002163.html

While I have some sympathy for this view, a paper diary or organiser
just doesn't cut it in comparison to a Newton.

Yes, I like the feel of writing on paper and being able to sketch and
write freely without the tech getting in the way and there is
definitely something reassuring about a solution that doesn't need
power, can stand being dropped and won't lose data but in reality the
amount of time that such a solution requires starts to get in the way
as much as the technology does.

If I attend a meeting or lecture I simply cannot imagine having to
use paper again. The ability to build an outline as you make notes is
too valuable and too powerful. Going back to expand a previous idea
without break outs and squashing notes where they are meant to go is
perfection.

Then there is all that copy typing to get the data back into your Mac
or PC - I'm going to do this job twice?

I don't have much of a need for a diary but the Newt is easily as
good as any paper solution I used before. As I am home-based, iCal
does it all very nicely.

A paper notebook is pretty robust but if you lose it, it's curtains.
You can backup the Newt and restore it to another one if the worst
happens.

How much paper can you realistically carry with you? I have 13 years
of notes with me when I take my Newt around so I can draw on
everything I have ever entered on a particular subject when I need to.

Writing out an address book of 500+ entries gets to be a bore after a
while.

I don't do sync and don't want to. Data stays where it needs to and
gets accessed from the device that keeps it. Any tiny inefficiency in
having to copy some fragment of data from one platform to another is
overwhelmed by the aggro of having to get sync working and check for
errors.

As far as having to tend and maintain the machine, I agree that many
devices can be a pain but all I do with my Newt is feed it
rechargeable batteries every few weeks (30 seconds), upload/download
data every few days (5 minutes) and do a backup to a card now and
again (10 minutes). Other than that it just does it's thing, year
after year, after year.

If I go out for the day for pleasure or for some non-notetaking
exercise, I may take a small paper pad in my camera bag in case
something needs to be jotted down but otherwise, it has to be the Newt.

Joel.

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