u/writesandbikes

At the tiny airport cafe in Asturias Spain. Took my Boox Go7 (black and white) for a quick writing session. I’m really appreciating the versatility of having different devices for different use cases. I bought most of them used as an experiment to see what would get me across the finish line of a very long book. So far so good.

My temporary writerdeck setup for the summer in Northern Spain. I know I know I didn’t build it or modify it but I love it because it’s ultralight and I can chuck it in a carryon or backpack and I’m good to go.

It’s a Boox bw Tab X (with Obsidian as the writing app) and Logitech 2 Keys to Go 2 keyboard. Not pictured is my Note Air5 c which has a 509-page PDF with handwritten notes 😬.

Two years, including one year of writing two hours a day M-F before work, rain or shine. Sometimes it was garbage. Sometimes it was beautiful. But it was mine. Now comes the hard part--wrangling this down and turning draft zero into 90k words. That'll be another two years but who's counting.

Birthday is tomorrow. Draft 1 of the book is days away from completion. I’ve been bouncing around from one setup to another (thank you Boox and QwerkyWriter 2). But when all is said and done, the book will be revised and edited on this little machine, an early birthday present from my spouse. Olivetti Lettera 32, favorite of journalists and aspiring writers alike, 1970-something 🇮🇹 made in 🇪🇸 🥰

Baby writerdeck = Boox Palma 2 + Logitech Keys-to-Go 2 + Obsidian

No, I don't normally write on tree stumps. But now I can if I want to. I was skeptical about the Palma 2 but after getting it yesterday I am satisfied. Crisp and responsive (zero lag) with Obsidian. I'm sure it does other stuff and no idea what or how well but as a dumb portable black and white e-ink screen it's really good.

And I stuck it on the Qwerkywriter and took it to the coffee shop for fun. Love it. Thus ends my quest for distraction-free ways to write and annotate a book. I guess I have to finish it now.

The old adage "you get what you pay for" may not be quite true in this case. So, my daily setup entails the world's heaviest (and best) mechanical keyboard (the Qwerkywriter 2) and the world's almost largest e-ink screen (Boox Tab X). After much experimentation (aka procrasting because I am terrifyingly close to finishing the first draft of a book) these two items comprise my distraction-free setup. I love it and it gives me 2-3 hours a day of focused writing time.

That said, there are times when I need something more portable. Recently I bought a tiny Logitech Keys-to-Go-2 keyboard and paired it with my Boox Note Air 5c, which made a much more portable setup for plane trips and a holiday. 

I had also read about the Yunzii QL75 keyboard (they call it a "typewriter keyboard") and, because it‘a like a third of the price of the Qwerkywriter, I thought I'd give it a go as a more portable yet still highly tactile keyboard. If you are reading this and shaking your head and wondering why a distraction-free writer deck merits so much experimentation, quit reading now or refer to the earlier bit about procrastination 😉

I got mine today and gave it a go. I love it. Love it. For those of you (like me) who want to pretend they are typing on an actual typewriter and paper, get the Qwerkywriter instead. This is not that. However, it is cheaper, ridiculously fun to type on, and so much lighter that, despite its larger footprint, it feels more portable. And, for me, it is cheap enough that I'm willing to take it overseas for the summer and I don't care if it gets banged up a bit in my checked bag.

Here's a summary of why I like it and why I think it's perfectly reasonable competition to the Querkywriter 2:

The keys are fast and responsive. They have the typewriter tactile "clack". Relatively easy on the fingers (just enough travel to be fun but nothing too heavy). And, again, the sound!

Why it costs under a hundred bucks (not necessarily downsides):

Unlike the Qwerkywriter this thing is made of plastic and you can tell. Not a bad thing though--it is so much lighter. The keys don't feel like a typewriter--they feel softer and squishier. The rows are on different levels (like many typewriters). This can take getting used to. The keycaps come off really easily.

But, you get 3 pairing modes for 3 devices, a return lever and scrolling knobs that work. I have zero interest in doing anything but typing on this thing but you can customize it somehow to do other stuff.

So my QwerkyWriter2 and my Tab X will continue to get taken to the coffeeshop every day. But on my desk and for the summer I'm going to take the QL75 and my smaller Note Air 5c overseas and I won't care if my cats step on it or if it gets a little dirty or beat up. In this case, I got way more than I paid for because this plasticky keyboard still makes writing fun and focused for me. 

And totally random, I joined this sub recently (thank you for indulging both the ignorance and zeal of the newly converted) and it has been incredibly fun to learn so much about how different people approach the art and the philosophy of writing with (or in spite of) technology in different ways. You guys are amazing and so generous with your advice.

Needs cleaning but in great working order. So excited!! The carriage is locked (won’t move left or right—I’ve moved unlocked the carriage per instruction) so if anyone has any ideas on how to unlock it please let me know. I’m taking it to it the local typewriter shop to have it properly cleaned.

I flew out yesterday for a quick one-day graduation party. I threw my newish Boox Note Air 5c into my bag and headed off to the airport. On the plane I realized that I had forgotten my keyboard. And for a moment I was like, crap there goes my writing for the weekend (I’m working on finishing a novel).

I “suck” at Android and e-ink tablets—they’re all new to me. And newish to the concept of a writerdeck. And I hadn’t even tried handwriting notes or annotations on the Boox yet (I had done a little bit on my Remarkable 2).

But I’m on the plane with nothing to do, so I give it a go. I have to say, two hours flew by (yes, pun) and I was writing like a fiend. Didn’t miss the keyboard at all. Got to my hotel, woke up this morning and wrote for another two hours.

I was honestly not a fan of the 5c when I bought it. But I’m learning to really love its usefulness. It does everything. I had no idea that I could lose myself writing on a screen with a digital pen without my giant (but gorgeous) mechanical keyboard (Qwerkywriter 2) and nice big b/w tablet (Tab X). Or the paper-like Remarkable 2.

And for me I’m realizing that a writerdeck is kind of a state of mind, and meant to be fluid, whether it‘s my old typewriter or a color tablet with no keyboard 🤓.

My son's Zebra Midliner highlighters fit the RM2 perfectly. I just bought a used RM2 and couldn't believe the lack of cap. I found earlier references to some Faber-Castel pens that are a bit hard to find and, of course, Etsy. I tried my son's markers and found that Zebra (brand) makes double-sided highlighters that fit the Marker Plus. Just in case anyone is looking. (Zebra Line Marker WKT7-5C-NTC Dual-Purpose Water-Based Pigment Mildliner). The blue is ugly but they have neutral colors including grays and browns that go with the folio cover.

For this Memorial Day holiday weekend: Took the Boox Note Air5c and a teeny tiny Logitech Keys-to-Go-2 keyboard with the Obsidian writing app to the lake.

Zero complaints. Love this temporary setup. Went on a nice long run along the water. Came back and handwrote a few pages of notes on the Boox. Then typed about 1000 words. The distractions came from birds, kids, the dog, and jet skis.

Tuesday morning I’ll throw my Boox Tab X and Qwerkywriter 2 into my bag and bike to the coffee shop, where everything will be synced up nicely (thanks Obsidian).

After 3 months of learning Android and e-ink, enduring frustration and a painful learning curve, I’m learning to forgive Android, embrace handwriting on tablets (RM2, Tab X, and Note Air 5c) and am slowly falling in love with e-ink.

I researched buying the Boox Note Air 5c keyboard instead but opted for the Logitech and so glad I did!

It is lovely to type on and doesn’t feel cramped. The keys have a nice little click to them and the Boox was okay in sunlight. The pen that comes with the Note Air is not nearly as nice as the experience on my Remarkable 2 but who cares I’m lakeside and writing and this little tablet does a bunch of things well enough that I can ignore some UI bloat for a few days 🤓😎. And it all fits in a small laptop sleeve.

I now have an ultraportable writerdeck (this one) and a gorgeous typewriter-like one. Best of both worlds. Book is almost done.

This is the tool that came with the stylus. For the life of me, how does this work? It's a brand new nib--I don't want to ruin it. No videos that I can find for this--all of them seem to use tweezer-type tools. I have a tweezer, but I'm curious about this particular tool.