What I, as a writer/editor, want from a tablet computer

Wm Morris · 4.27.10  

I like the idea of tablet computing because as a writer, editor and reader, anything that’s conceptually akin to a book or a (paper) notebook has an inherent appeal. However, I’m unlikely to commit to a device unless I am convinced that it will work well for me as a writer and editor and work in a wide variety of situations and for all stages of writing and editing a work. As I think about what that means in relation to a tablet, I run in to several barriers — not all of which can be overcome by interface (even a multi-touch one) alone.

Now, this may simply may be my own idiosyncratic needs. And certainly they are informed by the fact of my daily bus commute and the fact that I live in an apartment with a wife and daughter (and so have no “room of my own” so-to-speak). But here are the two things that I would require of a serious writing device:

A. Easy, quick data input for when ideas are flowing (brainstorming) and/or I’m in the zone (writing) that can happen in a variety of environments and even without the need for a flat surface.

B. Easy mark up of drafts, including the ability to quickly move chunks of text around.

Now I know the whole point of the iPad is supposed to be that one only needs a finger and the device (with the addition of a bluetooth or docked keyboard when needed), but I think some extra hardware accessories would be very useful when paired with a tablet computer.

Here’s what they are:

  1. A thumb keyboard: yes, I know this sounds dumb and retrograde, but the problem with a blue tooth keyboard is that you need a flat space to put it down on. I don’t have that on the bus. A thumb keyboard, say similar to a Blackberry keyboard, but I’d be open to other configurations, connected via bluetooth to a tablet means that you could have the tablet nearby, but not need it be all the way out and still go to town with the writing. Heck, I’d be willing to give up QWERTY in a second and learn a new alphabet input system for the right device. For those late night flashes of inspiration. For when you want to stand and pace. For, as I mention, the bus or the plane, this would be a great, easy way to download what’s going on in your mind. One key wakes up the tablet and opens up a blank document. The rest is just sheer input.
  2. A pen/pencil stylus for editing. Yes, one could theoretically use a finger. But the ergonomics of that suck, imo. Plus you can’t get quite as fine tuned as you need. A stylus that felt in the hand like a good pen or pencil coupled with software that recognizes editor’s marks and has provisions for adding annotations/comments and selecting and moving around chunks of text would be awesome. Think about how much more efficient and clear you’d be as an editor if you could interact with drafts in this way instead of either using Word’s or Adobe Acrobat’s horrible mark up systems or (as many editors still do) printing the document out and going over it on paper (thus requiring duplicate data entry).
  3. A dictation device. Possibly a microphone you hold in your hand or even one of those silly bluetooth ear devices. I write well when I walk. If I could walk with while carrying something that’s easy to hold and that I could speak in to as thoughts came to me and that could record a half hour or more worth of data and then connect wirelessly to a tablet and transcribe and transcribe well, I’d be in heaven, especially if I can then use the pencil stylus to edit the results.

I’m open to other solutions. But really, although multi-touch on a tablet solves many UI issues (I’ve never been fond of using a computer mouse), I still don’t see a vast improvement for those of us who focus on writing and editing. Give me the above, however, and a tablet is all I would need.

Categories: Technology | Tags: , , , ,

Comments

2 Responses to “What I, as a writer/editor, want from a tablet computer”

  1. Todd Robert Petersen on April 28th, 2010 10:36 am

    I hadn’t thought about a thumb (or holding the unit) input method, and I think it has some real merit. I have a walking commute, but I’m about to launch into a year of meetings all over campus, and I’m thinking that a tablet will be the tool that allows me to keep information in one place and quickly integrated into my desktop.

    I have also been wanting stylus-based digital text editing. If I can knock the print to paper, markingup, and re-inputing of changes out of my workflow. I’ll save a lot of time.

    I also want to plug the tablet into a keyboard and use a writeroom environment to compose. It could be the ultimate in portable distraction free writing, especially the iPad without multitasking.

    What I’m saying, I guess, is that I want a digital typewriter that can fling stuff to my desktop for desktop type stuff.

    As usual, you do a fine job of representing my tech desires.

  2. Wm Morris on April 28th, 2010 12:23 pm

    Thanks!

    This is certainly a very specialized, perhaps even idiosyncratic way of wanting to interact with the tablet (or a computer in general), but I think that it suggests that what is a current weakness for tablets — the limited form factor — could also be liberating from the screen-attached-to-keyboard model we currently have, which has its weaknesses for intense periods of writing/editing (as evidenced by the number of writers who still do longhand for first drafts [and/or take notes that way] and editors who print out manuscripts).

Leave a Reply