And I always carry:
– a small notebook and pen in case I see/hear something in public that would make a great story
– a pocket tape recorder, so I can dictate when I’m driving and get a hot idea.

I tried using an iPad to write on. It didn’t work for two reasons. First, I like Word, and the Word provided on the iPad is, to me, little better than use a simple text editor. (You can use Office 365 now, but it’s still pretty ordinary.) Second, you need somewhere flat to put your keyboard. I do a lot of typing on the train to and from work. No matter what sort of case you get, iPad plus keyboard on lap simply does not work. As for the keyboard on the iPad itself, only for emergencies, never for real work.

My iPad is the mini. It’s small, lightweight, and perfect for iBooks without taking too much to space. I use it for emergency emails and for the occasional web browsing.

Like Rob, I use email on the laptop. It’s so much faster, and more accurate, to type replies, plus I usually have the laptop open anyway.

I use my phone(currently an Android, thinking about switching to iPhone) for calls and text messages, but that’s about all. My old service provider used to have a text messaging service for the PC and I loved that functionality.

A number of things colour my use. I’m a fast typist, so I like a keyboard I can touch type on. When I answer the phone half the time I also need to look at websites (I work in web design) and the laptop is best for that. It’s really awkward trying to talk on the phone and view a website at the same time, not to mention, half the time you can’t see what the problem is. Also, I like Word for writing.

The PC is actually a Sony Vaio laptop. I like this line because they are relatively lightweight, but still have more than enough power and memory to meet all of my computing needs. I definitely could not function without a laptop – I spend far too much time on the road.

The iPad is mostly an entertainment device for me (games, videos and reading), although I do use it sometimes for email. I have to say, however, that I much prefer email on my laptop (using Outlook) as it is easier to edit and offers quicker access to the functionality that I need.

The phone is mostly used for texting, calls (yes, I am that old) and reading email. Very occasionally I will write email using the phone, but only when I am desperate. There’s actually nothing wrong with the email function on the phone, I just prefer the bigger keyboard and superior editing functionality of Outlook (yes, I am that old – again).

Of the three devices, the only one I would consider for writing is the laptop. There are so many reasons for this – larger screen, bigger keyboard, easier editing, quicker switching from one application to another, quicker backup to multiple storage options, etc.

Good luck!

The reading view in Word is pretty good. Track changes is a new hell, though. Or maybe I was just used to the old one and don’t like change.

As for my PC, it’s fine, but I was not in my right mind (I was ill) when I bought it, so I spent way too much when all I do is email and write in Word. One new thing that is quite nice, if you like to put together your own videos, is the new Microsoft Movie Maker. It’s loads easier to use.

These are all first world problems though, so I’m not actually grumbling!

I must confess all our computers/devices are apple products – no snobbery, just practicality for applications we use.

That being said, using the pages app on my iPad and a Zagg keyboard, I wrote most of my novel. Though I don’t have the latest version and was never able to use track changes in pages to edit. After writing, I’d email myself a copy and open it in Word on my desktop. That’s where all my editing gets done.

I think I like writing first drafts on my iPad and then editing on my desktop. Two different brains (creative, mechanical) two different devices/apps, etc…

If frugality wins, by the PC version of the iPad. I’ve heard good things about it and I guess you could download Word?

As far as email, on an iPad, you can easily merge all of your email into one inbox, getting rid of the need to go to your webmail.

Hope this helps!