Actually Composing from a Laptop

The past several posts have been written on my BlackBerry Curve 8330.  I have been relying on that medium in part because I wanted to see how effective I could be using my phone as a handheld computer.  My analysis:  I did pretty well.

I definitely like the idea of anywhere technology.  I think cell phones will be providing a larger percentage of the information stream in coming years.  How nice to be able to write when the idea strikes, even if one is away from more traditional media.  Serendipity could lead to the best ideas one has; of course, a lot of drivel and lack of polish could also be the result.

I wonder if we will become more adept at extemporaneous writing as cell phone as a word processor use expands.  Many have decried the use of text and instant messaging and email as avenues of inferior writing.  To be sure, once an email is sent it is difficult and often impossible to recall and edit.  Certainly our reputations as learned individuals will be tarnished if too many hastily written posts are not proofread before being sent into the ether. 

I disagree with the critics’ debasement of IM language, however.  Do any of you remember that course that was once taught in all high schools?  It was called shorthand.  I see no difference philosophically in the use of IM-speak and shorthand, excect that the use of IM-speak has evolved organically with the technology at the hands of young people.  Both IM-speak and shorthand serve the same purpose, if the audiences are different.

I love my BlackBerry and will be using it for the immediate future.  Soon, however, I will look to the Android market to see what it can offer me in terms of on-demand computing.  I can’t wait to find out!