Well, the most obvious shortcoming is the lack of good light for the phone camera inside. text is blurry due to the pathetic light. I’m hoping that the phone’s camera can do much better outside. The process of editing and uploading photos is quite easy on the Android phone, even with the relatively tiny screen, and the Bluetooth keyboard ($3 at Deseret) makes typing in blog passwords and text much, much easier. Further tests coming… Ugh, and I keep spelling Joe’s name wrong – for some reason I got it in my head that it’s not with an “a” and then I go and look and it always is. ):
Between you, Joe, and Richard I may finally break down and get a smart phone. My camera is web enabled, but not 3G enabled. It needs a WPA.
I like the idea of a mobile typing pack. I like to type on bicycle rides. My go-to bike typewriters are Skyriters. My Hermes Baby used to be my go-to air travel typewriter until I cleaned my Montana Luxe. I find the Montana is a much nicer machine than the Baby. Both are lighter and a bit more compact than the Skyriters. When I go by automobile I generally take whichever machine I’m in the mood to use since size and weight are not a problem.
I look forward to your next mobile post.
Hey, nice post. I’m sure the Android phone will work fine, getting adequate light for the camera is the issue. There are some compact and very bright LED lights for cameras that might illuminate the typing enough to get a decent image, you just have to get one that spreads the light out evenly enough to cover the page.
If I weren’t so stuck to the iPad I might have used an Android phone instead. I’m using a modern flip phone instead of a smart phone, mainly because I like hanging up on calls by slamming the phone shut with authority. My wife is the smart phone user in the family. Of course, for work they provide me with a smart phone, but I have no intention of using it for my personal stuff, it would just remind me of work.
yep, I’ll need to get outside and figure out the best light for the phone’s camera at different times of day, as the flash just makes everything look bluish and washed out. I think it’s only been recent generations of Androids that have made it possible to do this sort of thing pretty easily, my previous Android phones (G1 and G3) just didn’t have the horsepower, screen resolution or software responsiveness to contemplate using them as image editors. The lighting is pretty much the only difficult variable in the process. It will be fun! (:
I’ve purchased on line, several “ring” USB lights with a 15″
flexible gooseneck. THey have 18 LED bulbs, and the ring is about 3″ diameter, leaving a 2″ hole in the center. Ideal for the camera lens to peek through. You already have the USB phone charger as a power supply. VERY even light. Bright but not overpowering. I paid about $3.97 each (with free shipping from China) and well worth it. It even has a built-in switch. THey don’t take a lot of room when not in use. The only improvement would be if the gooseneck was sturdy enough to hold the weight of the camera so it could serve as a Tripod.