I've been meaning to do this for a while.
First and foremost, I'm a computer geek. I've been messing around with PC's
since Windows 98. There's a lot of changes everyday in technology, but very few
make a difference when it comes to writing. I'm going to focus on the three
tools I will spend the money on as a writer: keyboard, monitor, and
printer. I will also list the software
I can suggest as well as what type of computer to get.
First of all, a good keyboard. As much as
I try, I can't stand touch screen typing. Even when texting on my smart phone,
I make so many typos, it's not even funny. I can do 50wpm on a keyboard, but
drop to 10wpm when on touch screens. It's at the point, if it requires a lot of
typing, I will fire up my PC. No way I can write more than a paragraph on a
touch screen regardless of size.
Now, far as what keyboard to get, I
suggest a good mechanical keyboard. A mechanical
keyboard uses a different technology than your typical keyboards. They widely
use Cherry MX switches instead of rubber domes found on cheaper keyboards, so
some do make a very audible click while typing. They honestly do make you type
better because the keys require force to engage, and are way more durable: each
key is rated for 50 MILLION keystrokes.
Now, there are four major Cherry MX
switches out there: Red, Black, Brown, and Blue. I'm just going to give a quick
summary of each. For more technical details, there's a ton of videos and summaries
out there already. Here they are in order:
-
Cherry MX Red
These
are the preferred gaming keys. They require the least force to engage the key,
and don't make an audible click.
-Cherry
MX Black
Same as
Red, but a more force required.
-Cherry
MX Brown
More
force required, but don't click. The Browns are the start of the true typist
keyboards in my opinion. When you press the key down, you feel a bump.
-
Cherry MX Blue
Same as
Brown, but do make the click and require the most force out of the four to type
on. This is my preferred MX switch.
The
two biggest downsides to mechanical keyboards are the cost, and you can't find
them in majority of stores. They start at $100 online and go upwards. Newegg
and Amazon carry a good selection of them, so I would start. Far as stores that
might carry a few in stock, you have to go to stores such as Fry's, Best Buy or
Tiger Direct. If need be, they do sell switch testers online for about $20 that
will come with four to six switches so you can figure out which one before you
make the plunge.
My suggestion far as brand is DAS. They
make no frills standard keyboards, as in no lighted key, extra gaming keys,
etc. Then again, I bought this keyboard for typing only, so I didn't need any
extras. The DAS Company even makes one with no symbols on the key if you really
want to test your typing skills. The other brands that are reliable are WASD,
Rosewill, and Corsair.
The
second technology item I focus on is the monitor and/or monitors. I'm not going
into a ton of details, but my dream writing system is two or three of this
screen sitting on my desk:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824260047&ignorebbr=1
Here's
why:
1) Good
size: 24" to 27" I think are the best screen size for word
processing.
2)
Pivot: I can rotate the screen from landscape to portrait mode.
3)
Resolution: 1920X1200 is the sweet spot for typing. Anything higher, and the
font is too small. Anything smaller, and you lose workspace. 1920X1080 is about
the lowest I'm willing to go these days.
Far the wanting of at least two is due to
the fact I find having multiple screens makes multitasking so much easier. I
normally have my word processor open on my main screen, and my music and notes
on my secondary screen. Also, I can have a web browser on one, and my note files
on the other. Honest truth, once I got multiple screens, I find it hard working
off one screen. I have to switch programs way too often.
Finally, the printer. My suggestion on a
printer can be summed up in one word: laser. Laser printers are true workhouse
that don't cost an arm and leg for ink, but can cost a little more at initial
setup. However, over time, they can save you so much money on ink. You can find
laser printers on sale for under $75 these days, but a decent home one runs
around $150.
When
buying a laser, the biggest mistake people make is they look at the overall
cost of the ink, and think they are too expensive. Yes, the toner might be $100
dollars, but it can print out 5,000+ pages before you need to replace it.
Inkjet cartridges can run $30, and you're lucky to get 300 pages out of it.
Also, laser toner doesn't dry it over time like inkjets. This is why I always
use lasers for editing.
Far as features, you will see models such
as HL-5470DW or ML2860DW. The letters at the end mean what features they have.
All manufactures stick to the same codes overall:
D -
Built in duplexing. This is the main feature I look for when buying.
N -
Ethernet port for sharing it over the network
W -
Wireless networking
T -
Extra paper tray
Far as software, IF you buy one program,
Microsoft Word. Microsoft Word is the default word processor in the industry,
and any submission will ask for a Word file. There are a ton of decent free
Word processors, but I always finalize my files in Word before I even think of
submitting them. I've had issues in the past of where one word processor made
the file off in Microsoft Word. That's why I stick to Word to finalize files.
My main typing program honestly is Libre
Office. I do all my rough drafts in Libre. Libre Office is almost the same as
Open Office, but when Oracle bought Open Office, the main guys formed Libre
Office. Since Libre came out, I haven't used Open Office, but again, it's now
personal preference between the two.
The
main reason I stick to Libre are two main reasons: it has the old school look
of Office 2000 that you can customize the layout and appearance. I have mine setup for blue background, white
text, and removed all the toolbars save like 4 icons. The other thing I always
loved about Open / Libre is you can save directly to PDF. I know the newer
versions of Office support this since 2010,but Open / Libre has been doing this
since 2005.
My final thought about writing technology
is on the PC itself. The main thing when buying a new PC comes down to this:
Can it run Word? After that, the brand or operating system doesn't matter. Far
as hardware, my main suggestion is 8GB of RAM regardless if it's either OSX or
Windows. After that, CPU doesn't matter as much. I can't tell a huge difference
between my 6 year old laptop and my brand new desktop when it comes to writing.
