I love gadgets. This means that I own computers, an iPhone, iPad etc -- but I also have a serious stationery fetish. Not to mention a fountain pen collection. And Moleskines...
Here's why: I think better on paper than I do on the computer. Although this is fine, I kept wondering WHY I think better with a pen or pencil in my hand.
I found the answer. And I feel better now. :-)
From A Note on Paper: The Human Interface:
"Not every note I jot down has to make immediate sense. (Please suspend your thoughts about how that state lingers on until the comments.) Most note-taking software I've seen works very hard to translate the scratches I write into explicit characters or symbols. I have used certain symbols to mean particular things - for example, > to mean "make this idea into a heading," and < to mean "make this parenthetical.""
That's it. My notes don't need to make sense to me, right away.
Also, instead of copying and pasting, and calling that note-taking, I think as I write, and what I write sticks in my memory. I can go back over what I've written (with a highlighter, a red or green pen, and edit.) Later, when I get around to the "real" writing, on my computer, I've digested what I've read.
What about you? Have you eliminated pens and paper from your life? Share your thoughts in the comments.