Laptops on the AT

[V8]

Okay, I get the virtue of small all-in-one phones, with email built in, but I don't get how you type any decent journal-length stuff on that tiny a keyboard. Text messaging, sure, but actual journaling??
Would some folks who have actually done this fill us in:
Do you have to use thumbs-only? Hunt and peck? What about using all finger like on a regular keyboard? It's SO much faster - hate to lose that option.

Also, mention the make and model of what you used - that'll help, too.
Thanks.

[BrianLe]

There are different approaches --- the all-in-one that I use does have a slider "thumbs" keyboard. In retrospect I think I would have been better with the slightly lighter version of the device that has no built-in (hardware) keyboard. FWIW, my device is an ETEN Glofiish M700.

Different approaches:
(1) type up notes using "thumbs" keyboard on the trail.
(2) carry a bluetooth keyboard and use that. Downside is extra weight, plus another device that requires (perhaps different type of) batteries.
(3) my device has an integrated voice recorder. Take voice records periodically, have the bluetooth keyboard in bounce box, infrequently in trail towns transcribe and flesh out voice notes to update journal, and post or otherwise send out journal entries at those times.

#3 is my tentative plan for my PCT hike. I keep my device very handy (on shoulder strap), and in various shake-down trips this past summer I found myself very willing to save voice notes, but wasn't too inclined to type out longer notes using the little keyboard. Back home, transcribing the voice notes is a little tedious, but entirely do-able, and the exact date and time of each voice recording is just automatically part of the file information for the recording. That combined with a review of photos (also date-stamped) can do a lot to jog the memory.

To be really clear here, I have NOT thru-hiked a major trail, the above is just based on thinking about it and doing a few hundred miles of prep hikes.
Also note that I suspect that there's a fair bit of "individual preference" at work here. I'd bet there are folks who would be happy typing up journal-length stuff using the little built-in keyboard, and others who would think it well worth the weight to carry a bluetooth keyboard.

[V8]

Yup, I guess I'm going to miss the elegance of the pocketmail device, slim, but decent size keyboard - no reason someone can't make a PDA type phone that shape for keyboard enthusiasts.Must be a lot of us out there, given the popularity of blogging.