Wednesday 6 September 2006

A thing of beauty

I have a new toy.

When I won the RNA's New Writers' Award, I decided to spend a little of my prize money on a PDA. I've resisted getting such a device for ages, always preferring using a pen and paper whenever possible (I just like writing). But my filofax was starting to feel like a brick in my handbag - that's if I could fit it in there in the first place.

In the spirit of 'going the whole hog', I later ordered a foldable keyboard to go with it. Both PDA and kyboard fit into my handbag more easily than the brick did and I think they weigh less too. The darn thing was out of stock almost everywhere and I've had to wait over three months for it to arrive, but it was worth the wait.

Now I am truly portable. I can write wherever and whenever without having to scribble in a notepad and type up later (although, sometimes that helps. I might blog about that another time.) And the design is so clever. I'm far too busy drooling over it to actually have used it much yet.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ooh - I like it! Can I come around and play with it some time if I promise to take the terrors off your hands for a day?

Hugs...K

Anonymous said...

What's a PDA? Is it like an Alphasmart? It must be something good if there was such a demend you had to wait to buy one.
Janet Ch.

Fiona Harper said...

The PDA is a little handheld computer, Janet. I had that already, it was the koyboard it slots onto I'd been waiting for.

Love my PDA. I have MS Word on it and I can type in notes, ideas and actual writing and then download it onto my laptop with a little cable.

Nell Dixon said...

Looks great, Fiona.

Romance, Rumours and Rogues said...

Wow, very flash Fiona!
And so portable!

Anonymous said...

Wow, Fiona...that's the first time I've see the keyboard! I love it!

On eharl you memtioned reading current HR to get a feel for the new guidelines...Are the current releases published under the new guidelines?
I've been wanting examples for so long...LOL

Carol

Anonymous said...

Oooh, I think I want one of these! I didn't even know they existed.

Janet

Anonymous said...

Fiona, if I wanted to buy a PDA like yours (with a keyboard) what would I ask for in the computer store? I googled PDA and they all seem to have a stylus rather than keyboard.

Janet

Fiona Harper said...

Carol, the new Romance books are available for the first time this month in both the UK and the US. The covers have changed in the UK from an orange corner 'swish' (not a technical term, I hasten to add) to a deep pink one with roses on it. Check out the Mills & Boon link on my blog page to have a peek at what the new ones look like.

Janet, I got my PDA from PC world and if you look on their web site (use .co.uk, not .com otherwise you don't end up at the UK one) they are in the compters section as 'handhelds'.

I tried ordering the keyboard elsewhere, but the only place I managed to get hold of one was from hp's (hewlett packard) online store. I looked up the model of PDA I had bought and found what accessories went with it.

If you want to do writing on a handheld computer, make sure it has MS office mobile on it, which means you then have a portable copy of MS word. Some of the very basic models son't have this.

Anonymous said...

Fiona hi,
I found them on the PC world website.

There are 2 that look like yours but they both have microsoft windows mobile but no mention of microsoft office. Am I looking at the wrong models?

Fiona Harper said...

Probably not, Janet. I can't rmeember how they advertised it. As long as it has MS Word on it, you'll be okay.

I bought the cheapest hp model at PC World and it had all I wanted on it. I think there are some for only £70 or so that don't have it.

Anonymous said...

Thanks, Fiona. I'll go to the store rather than buying online then I can make sure the one I choose has Word on it.
Janet

Anonymous said...

Ohhh - I'm quivering with envy, now. I've been toying with the idea of getting one of these (because if it's Word you can still do tables on it, right? which means it'd be PERFECT for my library reseach days).

Are you at the M&B thing next week? If so, can I be nosey? (i.e. will you show off your lovely new toy?)