Here's the deal.

Last summer the ladyfriend and I paddled the Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers over about 2.5 months http://www.sourcetosea.net Updating the website, checking emails, and general internet stuff was largely done from public libraries with the exception of using a Pocketmail device (which kicks ass BTW for shorter emails but can't send attachments)

Now, I'm paddling the Cape Fear River down to the coast in late October and need to be able to update things on a regular basis (or at least send/receive emails) send a daily photo log (about 10 photos) and write a newspaper column with the Greensboro News and Record. This will take about 9 days, and I'm more than likely doing a couple of talks at two schools along the way. I'd like to be able to put together a minimal powerpoint presentation on the river by adding photos shot along the way to content written beforehand.

I'm thinking about a Palm Treo 650 or 700 with a folding keyboard to handle this but am open to any suggestions. I'm going to write at least 500 - 1000 words per day so the keyboard thing is pretty much a necessity. I will probably buy an external battery pack that runs off AA's for backup juice.

Thoughts?

8/30/2006 9:50:40 AM

get a 12.1" super slim laptop. Sony, Dell, IBM all make decent ones.

if you pick up a 2nd battery, it should give you about 15 hours of use. Or you can get one battery and a solar charger (little more expensive) that should give you about 3 hours of use per day of charge, plus the 7hours on a fully charged battery.

[Edited on August 30, 2006 at 10:13 AM. Reason : .]

8/30/2006 10:08:13 AM

We have a 12" Powerbook already, but I was really trying to get into a smaller form factor. Whatever I use is going to have to be jammed into a sea kayak everyday, so the smaller the better. The main thing is to have some minimal internet connectivity and word processing ability. I can preview the photos on the camera and have them ready to go on the SD card instead of having a go through some photo-editing software on the computer.

The worst case scenerio has me using the Pocketmail device with my cellphone to send / receive emails. It's got an audio modem on the back and can be used from any phone. http://www.pocketmail.com/ I hate typing too much on the damn thing though, and again, no attachments.

Thanks for the suggestion though.

8/30/2006 10:19:06 AM

the problem with the PDA/keyboard is those keyboards are not very travel worthy, I'd be very worried about breaking it. since you already have a light notebook, i would stick with that.

8/30/2006 10:33:07 AM

i had PPC6700 that handled excel faily well (didn't do more complex featuers like some animation i think). unlike treo it has touchscreen, making layout easier, and the keyboard is quite a bit more comfy. you might want to look into it.

8/30/2006 10:45:13 AM

I'll take a look at that unit Igor. Sounds interesting. Windows-based?

Noen - I've used a folding keyboard with an old Handspring for 3 years now and its held up fine. Took it down the river last year as well. I'd actually just use the Handspring if it could handle emails and whatnot. I can't manage to kill the damn thing.

8/30/2006 10:59:03 AM

treo has touchscreen. At least the 650 does. google says the 700 does too.

8/30/2006 11:13:53 AM

If that's the case, then any of the new PDA Smart Phones will be able to handle everything you need. There's a new Treo on the horizon in the next few weeks, and there's the Q as well

8/30/2006 11:41:57 AM

the q is underpowered

8/30/2006 11:51:45 AM

you could get a phone like mine

http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=420175

[Edited on August 30, 2006 at 12:18 PM. Reason : runs windows mobile 5]

8/30/2006 12:17:39 PM

thats the gsm version of ppc6700/xv6700. although i think cdma version is a tiny bit faster and comes with a better stylus.

and i guess i was worng, new treos do come with a touchscreen. i still like the ergonomics of a pocket pc better

9/2/2006 11:59:47 AM

I'll check into the pocket PC's, but I'm probably leaning toward something palm-based. I use a Mac, and the palms seem to play better with that platform.

Speaking of which, if you're into just getting words on paper, the Alphasmart Dana http://www.alphasmart.com/products/dana-w_In.html is a kickass little palm-based laptop. The keyboard is great, and the thing's built like a tank. Just throw it in a backpack and go. Alphasmart designed the thing for use in schools, so it's fairly cheap and idiot-proof.

I guess the way I best work is just to have some tiny little handheld that can do some of the work until I get back to the desktop to handle any heavier computing. If I can write, send a few emails, and do have some cursory internet access, I'm golden. Shit - I get more done if I don't have internet access.

[Edited on September 5, 2006 at 8:10 AM. Reason : .]

9/5/2006 8:08:50 AM