# handheld text editors **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 5, 2000, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handheld-text-editors/32097 "2000-09-05T16:20:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2000, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handheld-text-editors/32097/1 "2000-09-05T16:20:41Z")
About 80% of my computer use is reading and writing text files, and I’d love to be able to do that during otherwise wasted time. A notebook pc is way too expensive for me, and seems like overkill for such a minor task. I don’t even need a color screen. All I am looking for is a keyboard, a screen with 100-200 characters visible, a way to transfer back and forth to my pc, and a pricetag under $75. I have seen some $20-$40 pocket organizers which claim to be able to do this, but they seem designed for making appointments with 80-character descriptions, and I’m hoping for a couple of hundred words or so. I’d like to hear what experiences other people have had, and what recommendations you might make. Thanks all! ---
**Author:** ![Meephead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b782af/32.png) [@Meephead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meephead)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2000, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handheld-text-editors/32097/2 "2000-09-05T16:51:05Z")
My solution is a little more expensive, bur here goes… I use my Palm IIIx with a GoType Keyboard. VERY portable, and handy for other purposes, too. Often you can find Old laptops that are based 0n 286 or 386 processors for under $100 if you look around. Perhaps a local used computer dealer or an online auction would help you find one? ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2000, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handheld-text-editors/32097/3 "2000-09-06T01:31:47Z")
I do the same as **Meephead**. I use my Palm for taking notes in class. It’s great. The lowest end Palm I know of, the m100, sells for ~$150, and the keyboard for another $100. The new keyboards fold up to a size just larger than the Palm itself. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2000, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handheld-text-editors/32097/4 "2000-09-06T02:57:57Z")
One option you might look at - go to Ebay and check out the Tandy WP-2 word processor, or the Radio Shack Model 100 computer. Both of these are old, old technology, but still highly usable. The WP-2 might especially fit your needs. It’s about the size of an 8.5 X 11 notebook, has a full-size full throw keyboard, and displays something like 8 lines of 80 column text. The files are downloadable to your PC through a built-in serial port. The thing runs on AA batteries, and lasts for many, many hours on a set. I have one of these, and they are a great little box. You might find one cheap, and for straight word processing they are hard to beat. It also has a fairly rudimentary contact manager and address database, and I think they have a built-in modem as well. I got mine for $50. The Model 100 computer is the same form factor, but a little thicker. It has a word processor built in, a database program, and BASIC so you can program it. I think the screen might be 40 characters instead of 80, though. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2000, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handheld-text-editors/32097/5 "2000-09-06T06:05:12Z")
You might look into WindowsCE handhelds. They usually have large screens and built-in keyboards, and weigh at most 2 lb. Unfortunately many of them have very small keyboards which are impossible to touch-type on, and the few exceptions (HP Jornada 820, IBM z50 and I think the NEC MobilePro 800 series) are not very cheap. The IBM z50 is going for over $200 on eBay. If you don’t mind a smaller keyboard, you can get something like a Casio A-11 for around $50. I have both the HP Jornada 820 and a Palm+GoType! keyboard combination. The Palm is far better as an organizer, but the HP is better for writing - I wrote most of my Master’s thesis on it. It has a large keyboard, a 640x480 color screen and a 10-hour battery life so I can charge it overnight and write all day anywhere without ever worrying about finding an outlet. I hear the IBM z50 is even better - has that famous IBM ThinkPad style keyboard. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2000, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handheld-text-editors/32097/6 "2000-09-06T13:53:09Z")
thanks all! ---
**Author:** ![JonF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/cab0a1/32.png) [@JonF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JonF)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2000, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handheld-text-editors/32097/7 "2000-09-10T01:48:08Z")
Just saw this in Wired: [AlphaSmart](http://www.alphasmart.com/). Above the specified price range, but perhaps interesting.