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ipad, tablet or what?

cgriggs

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I write poetry and do a lot of traveling. I want something to install WordPerfect on, download my work and take with me on the trips.
My problem is picking the correct unit, whether it is an ipad, a tablet, or whatever might be out there, to do the job.
I have an HP laptop, but want something a little more compact to carry.
I have no idea of the "uses" of these items as my only experience with today's hi-tech instrumentation is with my much loved and appreciated Apple ipod. (A true musical miracle for these aged ears!!)
I doubt that I'll have any other use for the unit other than writing and editing my poetry while "on the road".
Does anyone have a recommendation for what I should be looking for?
TIA,
Charlie
 

AQ_OC

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I write poetry and do a lot of traveling. I want something to install WordPerfect on, download my work and take with me on the trips. My problem is picking the correct unit, whether it is an ipad, a tablet, or whatever might be out there, to do the job. I have an HP laptop, but want something a little more compact to carry. I have no idea of the "uses" of these items as my only experience with today's hi-tech instrumentation is with my much loved and appreciated Apple ipod. (A true musical miracle for these aged ears!!) I doubt that I'll have any other use for the unit other than writing and editing my poetry while "on the road". Does anyone have a recommendation for what I should be looking for? TIA, Charlie

You cannot install WordPerfect on an iPad. I'm not even sure it runs on any Apple hardware. I suggest you look at an ultrabook of some type.
 
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cgriggs

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Hi,
Thanks, but, like I said, I'm not experienced with today's hi-tech gadgetry and am shooting in the dark to see what's out there that I can possibly use.
On my last trip I spoke to a woman with a Kindle. That's surely not the route. LOL
Perhaps I'll have to find a very small laptop. Aarrgghh!
Well, maybe some sort of Tablet, as I see they have the use of keyboards. But, WP??? I refuse to knuckle under to MS Word if that's the only word processing program they use! Hmmm.
Charlie
 
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twerppoet

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If Word Perfect is a must, then the iPad can not help you. If you want the ability to write poetry on the iPad, then there are numerous options. I have at least five of them on my iPad.



The rest is just my opinion on choosing a device for poetry. Being my opinion I am somewhat attached to the idea that it has value, but feel free to skip it with no hard feelings. ;)

Writing poetry does not require any special layout, formatting, or other word processor options. Well, except for shape poetry and a few other oddball sub-geners. That means you don't need any special app or program. In some ways the high powered programs are a detriment. They have their own formats, and those formats are not future proofed.

I believe a simpler app that saves your words in plain text is preferable. Plain text is going to be around for a long long time. Because it is compatible with most editing apps, you can switch apps and platforms any time you like. You are free to experiment.

Now, later on, when you wish to publish, layout becomes more important. But let's face it, this is something that will be done and re-done for each book or chapbook. There is little advantage to having a tweaked look when you're going to have to revisit it each time you do a layout.

This means that for the creation/writing process your choice of hardware should not be chained to a program. Instead choose the hardware that you think you will be most comfortable with for writing. Think about how and where you want to write. Sitting at a desk or table, with a full keyboard? On a bus, slowly adding and editing words on a screen. A bit of both. Maybe something you can pull out of a (big) pocket to write and/or read almost anywhere?

So, what I'm saying is to choose the hardware you believe will be the most enabling. There tons of writing solutions for every platform. You may have to do a little research, and experiment a bit, but there is bound to be something that will do what you want in a way you like, no matter what hardware you choose.

Well, assuming you get something that works well. I'm not talking form factor here, but actual performance.

The small, cheap laptop (netbook), in my experience, is about the most un-enabling device invented. At least I found it so. You might find it otherwise, but hold in mind that these laptops typically have undersized keyboards, and take several minutes to boot. Hardly the tool to capture inspiration. Make sure whatever you choose that it works well in it's category.


Oh, and disregard the user name. It's origin makes no significant contribution to the above opinion, or my fitness as a wordsmith of any kind.

Good luck.
 
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cgriggs

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Twerppoet,
(There has to be a story there!!!)
Thanks for the info, but I have to be able to download work from my computer to the ipad(?), work on it and then transfer the results to my home machine when I return from the trip.
My laptop is such a size that I'm discouraged from taking it with me along with my carry-on.
(How soon before there's a 25.00 charge on all laptops too?)
Having spotted a woman reading from her Kindle instilled the germ into my thoughts and ... here I am. Frustrated with a magnificent, but seemingly impossible, idea. ... sigh ... But, the Dick Tracy wrist radio was laughed at in my youth and now ... wow!! LOL
Charlie
PS. I've been using WordPerfect since DOS 5.0 which is about 25 years now and I love it!!!
 
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cgriggs

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Moonlit Sonata,
Thanks , but the WordPerfect usage may not work. I have to do some reading on the minis.
Charlie
 

twerppoet

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I can find no Word Perfect compatible editors in the App Store. A viewer, yes. Editor, no. A quick glance through the Google Play store doesn't show any better results; so an Android tablet doesn't look a solution either.

Of course, I'm sure Word Perfect can export and import other formats (like .txt or .doc), but unless it can be set to do so by default, it would be a huge hassle to keep changing file formats. And you would have to consider converting all your other files to that format as well, to avoid problems of inconsistency.

I really really don't want to say this, but you might want to consider a Windows Surface tablet (or other Windows 8 tablet). Get a Pro version, and all your current software should be compatible, though you may need to upgrade that as well. The RT version of Windows 8 won't run most desktop apps.

Expensive, but the only way I can think of for you to get a tablet that is compatible with Word Perfect.
 
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cgriggs

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Twerppoet,
I want to thank you for the research you've done. I'm glad I thought of coming to this forum as it saved me a lot of time, and probably a few dollars as well, thanks to your diligence.
I guess it's still the pen and paper route. ... sigh ...
I'll have to wait for technology to catch up to my desires.
A thought crosses my mind that there's probably someone out there today working on just such a project! LOL
Charlie
 

AQ_OC

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Actually, I think cgriggs could just use the version of MS Word that comes free with a Surface 2 window RT device. Poetry isn't something that needs heavy formatting....so even a text editor can do that, I would imagine.

If you let go of the Wordperfect requirement, then zillions of new options open up. The only issue would be getting your previously written work out of WP into the new thing. You must have a grandkid that can help you do that, right? Or print it all out and retype or OCR it. You'd love an iPad mini with tiny keyboard...assuming you don't have big fat man-hands. :)
 
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cgriggs

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AQ_OC,
My WPX5 can "translate" Word easily enough. It's just that I don't want to start playing with it unless I absolutely have to.
I guess it's another one of those "it's a guy thing" deals. LOL.
I will surely look into the possibility of going to an iPad mini with keyboard though.
If I can co-exist with my GPS and iPod, maybe I can evolve into one of those miracles of science too.
(Gee, I keep remembering how thrilled I was to get my Zenith computer upgraded to a full megabyte of memory!! WOW!! "Top of the world, ma!!") LOL
Incidentally, March 8th I'll be 80 and I'm just this minute starting to feel it. LOL
Charlie
 

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