Anyone trying to do remote writing with Scrivener for Windows? I've come upon what seems to be a decent phone-based setup for using Scrivener for basic draft writing...
- Droid Charge Android Phone
- Microsoft BT Notebook Mouse 5000
- Freedom Pro BT Folding Keyboard
A better BT keyboard might be nice, though. (E.g. Apple or ZaggKeys Solo)
- Scrivener for Windows (Currently in beta)
- LogMeIn (on a home desktop PC and on the phone)
The phone setup is pretty effective. I have a thin shell case that has a built in stand. I turn on my BT keyboard and mouse and run LogMeIn and I have a remote desktop.
The reason I was looking for a phone based setup, is that I want to be able to write anywhere, and I didn't want to give up the power of Scrivener. The phone is my only device that always has internet access, and is always with me. When the internet is available, I suppose I'll also use a laptop with Scrivener and sync via dropbox.
The great thing is that, surprisingly, it's pretty easy to use Scrivener and the screen is actually big enough to be practical. I admit, I do need to wear my reading glasses, but it's not as tiny as you'd think.
Mostly, this seems best suited for writing a first draft. Other than that, I wouldn't use this set up for serious revision work or outlining. And I haven't used it much, so can't tell you in the end if it will be worth the trouble, but it seems promising as a temporary solution for anyone that depends on their phone for internet access away from home and wants a portable writing solution.
Not every Android phone will connect to BT mouse and keyboard - the Charge has HID support that makes it work. And not all phones have a big screen. I don't think I'd try this with a screen any smaller than 4". Mine is probably 4.3".
Note: If you have a Mac, you can use Scrivener 2.0 (Windows is behind, and v1 is still in beta), you can use the external sync to edit on the run with a variety of text based writing apps on iOS or on Android. I expect to make use of that feature in the future.