I’m always ready to embrace new tech, especially to improve productivity. Now that I’ve doubled my writing output to two full length novels a year, I find that anything that promises to help me get my thoughts down faster, and on the go, is worth a shot.
To that end, I sometimes use portable devices to create content. For example, I’m writing this blog post in a Starbucks after dropping off my teenage son at the gym. There’s an hour to kill before I have to pick him up. So, I pop into the coffee shop, order something caffeinated from the barista, and get down to business.
For this, I needed a portable setup that took up minimal space, always a challenge because compact tools involve a sacrifice of either comfort or function, or both. In addition, I strive to prevent hand fatigue (I type at around 90 wpm and am working on my 10th novel—also writing short stories, blog posts, articles, and such) so there’s quite a bit of repetitive motion.
My home office is filled with ergonomic features most portable devices don’t have, so I compensate by seeking out keyboards with raised clicky keys that don’t need much force to press. After some research, I found a small Bluetooth keyboard with raised floating keycaps, so I can type fast—and accurately. To my surprise, this little cutie was under $20. I ended up loving it and used it to write this post at Starbucks.
Speaking of which, another important point about working in the wild. The environment can be noisy. As luck would have it, a woman seated at the table beside mine spotted a friend she hadn’t seen in a long time. She jumped up and called her name. The other woman rushed over, and they shrieked and hugged each other. The two began an animated conversation, with lots of raucous laughter and scandalous gossip, which was totally distracting.
I mean, how could I not listen in to find out if the Johnsons were getting divorced—or if the husband knew his wife was having an affair with her tennis coach? I am a writer after all, and this was pure drama. But no, I had work to do. Time to take action. I took out my secret weapon: Open ear headphones.
Regular headphones are too bulky to take everywhere, and even the smallest earbuds will not fit into my absurdly tiny ears—ditto earplugs. So I’ve found these beauties. I put them on and opened an app that plays rain and thunderstorm sounds. The juicy conversation beside me faded into the background.
Another issue with working in a tight space is the mouse. There’s no room to put a pad and slide a standard mouse around. Enter the trackball mouse. It’s completely stationary, ergonomic, and easy to use with practice.
The only downside is that they can be bulky, so I hunted for the smallest trackball mouse I could find. This little guy does the job, and even comes with a case and AAA battery. You can see by the size comparison how compact it is. This mouse wouldn’t work for Michael Jordan—or anyone else who could palm a basketball—but for me, it was perfect.
Clearly, I’m not afraid to try new things. Sometimes, it works, other times, not so much. Here’s an example of each:
The Crystal keyboard – It has what’s referred to as an “Alice layout” and it’s straight from Wonderland at a jaw-dropping price of $300. It is, by far, the coolest and most beautiful keyboard I’ve ever bought.
With great excitement, I paired it with my laptop and started typing. And making a lot of typos. And deleting. And retyping. Wash, rinse, repeat. Oh no. I really wanted to love this piece of crystalline art. It was going to be my forever keyboard. Look what it can do:
But even after slowing down to 30 wpm I kept making errors whenever I tried to type any of the keys in the bottom row of letters. Everything from Z to / was a problem. I use a split keyboard every day, so that wasn’t the problem. It was something about the Alice layout.
No bueno.
I’m going to practice with it a few more times, mostly out of sheer stubbornness, but if I can’t get up to speed, I’ll have to send back this gorgeous gadget. And a little piece of my heart will go with it.
The Retro Steampunk keyboard – I wanted something to pair with my phone. I have the Samsung Z Fold 5, which opens up to a 7.6-inch screen. I have Microsoft Word on the device and will sometimes work on my manuscripts right on my phone. But not without a keyboard, because thumb-typing a novel is not going to happen.
So I looked for something that would also hold my phone and bought this fun Bluetooth keyboard described as “steampunk.” Not only can I type at top speed, but I get more compliments on it than any other device. The contrast between the retro look and the high-tech functionality draws a lot of attention.
And when you turn it on, this happens:
So there’s the good, the bad, and the ugly of my portable work setup. You may find me in a coffee shop, at an airport, or on a plane typing away. Have you found any productivity-enhancing gadgets that have made work easier? I’d love to hear. I’ll probably give them a try!
