Kojinsha Ultra MobileI have a problem, and I’m not sure what to do about it. I have too many things to blog about, and it’s getting more difficult to keep track of what should be discussed and in what order, as well as which site should get the content.

How many blog topics do you have in your queue? One? Three? Seven? As of right now, I have forty-seven.

Forty-seven posts, most partially written, for three of my blogs as well as guest posts for elsewhere online.

While an abundance of articles is usually a good thing, I’m finding myself running out of time to complete these small projects while also affording a good amount of time to work, family and sleep. It’s a shame I don’t earn a respectable income through my online writing ventures, as things could be much easier if I’m essentially working for myself.

Looking For Better Tools

A few days ago I posted an article outlining some potential ways to keep track of our articles, and in it I had mentioned using a pen and paper to work on rough drafts as well as record ideas. I’ve been using a 5 year old HP iPaq for this task and it’s clearly getting on in age. To that end I’ve been looking for something a little more up-to-date and capable of keeping up with my expectations. Something that many portable devices in the past have failed miserably at.

The HP iPaq 210 was one of my first choices, as this is the newest and most versatile PDA on the market. I’ve had great luck with HP in the past, and I would have no problem staying with them in the future. Cost of the iPaq 212: $425 CAD.

The Asus EeePC is another option, as an ultra-portable would give me more options. Not only could I write posts faster with such a device, but the option to write custom plugins or modify my theme would be there as well. On top of this, the battery life is supposed to be superb. Cost of the EeePC in Japan: ¥49,800 ($510 CAD).

The next ultra-portable that has caught my eye is the Japanese-made Kojinsha E8 mini-notebook (my kingdom for a real link to the manufacturer’s site). This unit is similar in size to the EeePC, but that’s where the similarities end. These machines are based on notebook technology and, because of such, come with standard notebook features. Cost of unit: Starts at ¥60,000 on sale ($615 CAD).

Keeping on the ultra mobile notebook theme, the final option is a HP Compaq 2133. This unit is one of the bigger mini-notebooks, though, and will likely be the most expensive option. To make matters worse, this is still in design and testing stages, which means I’d be forced to wait until late-summer/early-fall. Expected price: $650 CAD to start.

All This To Blog?

Blogging is a funny thing. Some people can do it with zero financial costs and thoroughly enjoy it. However, I’m not one of those people.

In 2006, my total financial investment in blogging was $27.50 USD. 2007 worked out to $95 USD. 2008, though only four months into the year, has seen a total investment of $133.75 USD. That said, since June of last year, all online expenses have been covered through advertising funds.

Like most hobbies, when we start to take something seriously, we invest more than just time. Previous hobbies have included robotics, high-performance computing, gaming, reading, model trains and long-distance driving. None of these were particularly cheap, but the sheer enjoyment of the pastime was more than sufficient to make up for any financial burdens. Blogging is no different.

The way I see it, my existing computer equipment has survived 5 long years of use. Anyone who knows me will realize that I am not one to under-utilize technology. Truth be told, I feel sorry for my computers. When they’re misbehaving or broken in some way, I have no trouble ripping them apart (both hardware and software) in order to correct the matter. There’s also no such thing as “retirement”. Machines are always useful, even if it means converting them to perform a task they are not designed to handle.

So if blogging is such an enjoyable hobby, why not invest in some of the better tools out there in order to accomplish more? Typing on a mini-notebook would be quite a bit faster than writing block characters on a half-broken PDA.

Preaching to the Choir?

Of course, I’m probably preaching to the choir about this. Truth of the matter is that I’ve already decided to invest the cash into a new portable device. Which one? I haven’t decided. However, like all of my blogging expenditures since June 2007, the cash will come exclusively from online earnings.

The paychecks are for bills.

Do you find blogging addictive? Have you made rules for yourself to make sure it doesn’t completely take over your world?