Blogging/Journal on The Move

Today - a debate with myself - do I really need to take a computer on tour - it comes out as a lot of weight (and space) in the panniers - and it is something else to charge

Computer - Pros - it is versatile - I can run a lot of different programmes on it - It has a reasonable keyboard - It has a good screen - I can easily backup and manipulate files from my camera

Computer - Cons - Space and weight and charging it

I have tablets - a Nexus 7 which I think after my last tour has become a defacto standard for me to take on tour - it is small and relatively  light enough that it can live in one of my bags attached to the stem on the bike - easy to fish out if I need to refer to the Internet while I'm on the move - Google maps and Archies camping app being the usual suspects

My other tablet is a Samsung Tab10 and for my sins i'm going to try to write this page of the blog on the Tab 10

Test photo - added from Tab then PC

Tablets - Pros - (for the third time) light and easy to carry about - easy to get out in a cafe and do “a bit” - easy to charge either from the mains or from my hub dynamo.

Tablets - Cons - accessing photos from my camera and/or cropping, downsizing or any form of editing would seem to be a pain - without photos the blog  would just be parcels of text - not that interesting - I would be the first person to lose interest -backing up the photos from the camera would seem to be a nonstarter full stop.

First fail is that the tab 10 has run out of battery – switched to the Nexus – a couple of paragraphs and try to insert a photo from the tablet – second fail – not only did the photo refuse to appear – but I lost the couple of paragraphs that I had added – replace paragraphs using PC – back on the Nexus – add a bit more – try to save – third fail – text disappeared – publish would seem the only answer

Fourth fail – actually the fifth – the fourth was abandoning doing the blog page on the tablet and resorting to the PC – page finished tho I did manage to get some pictures on the page using the Tab 10 – The fifth fail was opening the blog this morning and discovering that most of what I did two days ago had vanished – according to the blogmeter it was published but somehow has reverted to a previous state - of course I got all cocky and didn't do the compose on word bit 

So where was I – My favourite medium for recording my journeys is Crazyguyonabike as a “Journal” - Forgive me if I’m wrong - but to my mind a journal is like a diary - starts at the beginning and finishes at the end - a separate page for each day and subject - a blog is a series of posts stacked on top of each other – reads from the top down - my personal preference as a reader of both mine and other peoples tours is the former.

However, on the two occasions that I have tried to create journals on CGOB live – I have failed miserably - so the cunning plan - create an abbreviated account of where I’ve been, where I am and some highlights as a blog – enough to satisfy those people - my public -who are interested enough to take time out and click on the internet - then I return home create the journal - more for my own satisfaction than anything else - for the first 20 years of my cycle touring all I have is some scabby notebooks with very scant notes of daily mileages and whereabouts – being able to go back and look at the journals I’ve created so far is brilliant.

Gratuitous photo break up the text - I was losing the will to live

Anyway back to the plot - debate - whatever - having failed to create/update this blog page on four occasions so far - with the benefit of sitting at home in front of quite a good PC connected to what I’m led to believe is a fast broadband  - I’m beginning to see what I’m up against - I have solved the editing and inserting photos from the tablet - however, selecting one photo from among thousands on a memory card, copying it and editing it on the tablet was very cumbersome - plus I still have the issue of backing up my photos from the camera.

Backing up the photos I found could be easily solved by purchasing/using a portable card reader/hard drive – definitely feasible - however, another 500g cum half a kilo to lug about - weight of the tablet plus bits is getting close to that of the netbook plus charger and without having the utility of the netbooks PC environment. 

Add in that it is easier to use blogger on a full page browser rather than using the app - plus the investment I would have to make in more kit I’m getting sortof 55:45 in favour of taking the netbook - Jury is out