You might consider the Alphasmart Neo. I use mine to write first drafts. It has a full size keyboard and it's easy to transfer files to my computer. The only real draw back is the small screen, but even that is an advantage because it keeps me from trying to edit while I'm writing the first draft.
I do alot of script writing and use my ipad 2. Absolutley love it. If you decide on the ipad 2 go with the Scripts Pro app. I use it on my iphone and ipad!
I'm old school, so I pull around a red wagon with an archaic typewriter everywhere I go. I'm looking at an electric typewriter, though, since there's also room in the wagon for a battery! Laptop, though, if I could afford it.
If I'm away from home, I just use pen (or pencil) and a pocket-sized notebook (I mean a PAPER notebook!). I remember writing half a short story for a writing course I was taking in a little Moleskine notebook while I was waiting at the DMV to renew my vehicle registration. Worked really well and I didn't have to worry about the battery dying.
Also, when you mention functionality, does iPad support flash yet? If not, that's another reason to go with a laptop.
I thought I was the only one. I actually do most of my first draft work by hand, so my portable option would definitely be a pen and a notebook. I keep a tiny binder (4x6, it's super cute...what can I say, I'm a girl) and a little steno pad in my purse. My husband thinks I'm insane, but they come in handy.
I'd draft by hand, but for the fact I can't write very long before I have issues, and when I write things down they're usually terrible but then I get attached to them. So even my notebooks go unused now. I had one that had a cartoony monkey I think in a doctor regalia and said 'Monkey Business' and the other the pink/purple dears-hearts-mushrooms that Old Navy had for a while... What can I say, I'm not a girl, so it's ironic and they're super cute anyway, whatev.
I'd say a laptop -- an iPad would be harder to write with, IMO. Plus you can only do so much with it. I would get a small-ish laptop, not so small it's a netbook, but not one of those huge 17-inch laptops either.
Why no 17-inch laptop? I love my laptop, full size keyboard and number pad, big screen, etc. It may be huge but it's awesome
Before I bought my phone, I had to make sure it could record voice memo's. It's perfect because I always have my phone on me anyway, so I don't need to lug around a pen and paper/digital recorder. Also great because I do most of my brainstorming while driving, and it's a lot more dangerous to write and drive than to speak and drive. I think most phones can record voice memos.
I love mine, too, but unfortunately isn't very practical for portable usage. =P When I go to college I'm either getting a smaller laptop or a netbook or something; the smaller one for taking to classes and around wherever, and my current one will just stay in my dorm/apartment. Especially in places like coffee shops. I'd much rather have my sister's laptop [maybe about 10 inch? Don't know the exact size, as she's off to college herself] for convenience/overall ease.
Good point I rarely take mine anywhere other than the front porch, so I don't really worry about that much. My sister has a little one like the one your sister has (I don't know the size either) and I can't type on that thing, lol. Typo heaven I know I'd adjust, but it's so frustrating.
Typing stories on your cell phone. That sounds painful. I'm glad it's working out for you. I tried it once. I kept on making mistakes.
I do not like to sit at a desktop and type for prolonged periods of time and that could be what has lead me away from novel attempts. I have my trusty notebook and pen, but then typing that all up just gets boring for me. If I typed a little at a time it would work, but I end up writing so much on paper that it is impossible for me to type it all up. Perhaps a notebook or some sort of translation system would be best employed, but to pick one... tricky. I can't always be noisy, so sound recordings may not be the best method. I can sure type though.
It took a little getting used to, I'll admit that, but now it's relatively easy and painfree. Can write for hours. Though for the last few days the shift button keeps getting stuck... that's annoying. I may have abused the poor machine a bit too much.
I actually just took out my Toshiba Satellite L64 today and am loving it. It's very light and pretty small - but then I carry my backpack everywhere. I have a friend who carries an ipad with a portable bluetooth keyboard, sometimes you could find fairly small/ light weight keyboards. And then there's the pen and notebook, you can't get much more portable than that. They work in any light too.
When I was writing a story that was divided into three parts, I'd take pocket notebooks with me and whenever an idea came to me, I'd scribble it down in the notebook for that particular part of the story.
Yeah, I could never do that. I'll use my cell phone to make notes or to write down ideas and such, but to actually write I think that'd be very difficult and frustrating. Even with my Qwerty keyboard.
I plan everything on the laptop, but do a mini written pad version, writing out bits of the next chapter, easier to do when having lots of small chapters.
My ideas go on a pocket-sized notebook that goes with me wherever I go, sketching into a college-rule notebook (more detailed notes but less than an outline, more questions to myself than anything), and I do drafts on my laptop that goes anywhere I go -- as long as I have a few minutes to write where I'm going. My laptop cfan get cumbersome though, but I'm looking into a netbook like you to ease the process. In the end, pen and paper is what I fall back upon for sheer portability, but that may change if I get one of those newfangled netbooks! I say try both the iPad and the netbook - type up some flash fiction, see which one is more transparent.
I use tablet to write and there's a free Office app called Kingsoft Office. It's great for writing. The only negative part is that you have to realign your writings when you open it in Microsoft Word and vice versa. Otherwise, it works great. If I don't carry tablet, I'll use Inkpad app on my android phone to write temporarily. If I my phone battery is low, I'll just write it in my brain lol.
@Chrysostom : how did you find this 3 years old thread? For me (and I'm sure for many others) a touch screen keyboard is out of question as I need to write text with accented letters and it is really hard to write them on the screen. Character recognition softwares are a bit better but still not 100%. A keyboard with separate keys for these letters is a much better option. I have a laptop with such a keyboard but it's too heavy to take with me all the time so I'm thinking about buying a small netbook.
I've been going through the heavily overused General Writing subforum and redistributing threads that should have gone to other sub-forums (like this one). Chrysostom must have seen it pop up during the move.
I like to use my 7" tablet (android), with a simple but good text editor, and I use Dropbox app to synchronize the file between the tablet and my computer. But when I'm waiting for the bus I use a simple notepad and pen to write or draw.
