Is this a stupid idea? It kinda looks like it even to me, but I can't nail down exactly how. The story is that recently, I've been looking for some way to write on the go. I don't want a laptop unless I'm going 100% with it and buying one capable of supporting Oculus. But that's over a grand.

I also don't want a chromebook, netbook, etc. because I already have my phone. I resent the idea of buying lots of little computers in slightly different form factors. My phone already works fine. I just need some way to type on it. So, I bought this bluetooth keyboard:

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It was $18 so it's not the end of the world if I spill my drink on it or something. The keys are backlit so I can type at my favorite cafe, outdoors, at night. Having already received it in the mail at the time of writing, it's got nice clicky keys using scissor switches instead of mushy rubber membrane switches, and feels nice to type on.

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The bluetooth mouse I got works fine. It's like any other wireless optical mouse except it feels very light. Many people don't know that if you pair a bluetooth mouse with an Android phone, a cursor appears on the screen and you can operate the GUI much in the same way that you would a desktop computer.

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The mousepad has really nice build quality with faux leather and stitches around the edges. I am considering replacing it with one of those ergonomic mousepads with an integrated gel pad for your wrist however.

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Here's the mouse and keyboard on my desk, matching nicely with my full size PC setup. They pair with my phone and work nicely. As expected, the only problem is that when propped up in front of me, my phone's screen is too small to comfortably read onscreen text. I thought of a solution to that: A folding fresnel magnifier:

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I didn't think to check where it was shipping from. So now it's on the slow boat from China and will be here in a month. Live and learn. But you can see how it will be the last piece of the puzzle? Like a monitor for this mini desktop setup. That's what it is, too.

Unlike a laptop where the keyboard is in a fixed, cramped, closeup location next to the screen, the different components of this setup can be moved around. I can put the keyboard off to one side, or in my lap. I can put the mousepad and mouse comfortably away from the monitor, whatever.

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Every review I could find says the magnifier works very well. You might look at all this stuff and say "isn't that complicated? Why not just buy one of those netbooks that hooks up to your phone and gives it a bigger screen and keyboard?" The answer is that all of this gear, together, cost me only $60 shipped. It does the exact same thing but in a more low tech way, and feels more comfortable to use.

Maybe in the end I'll decide I really do want one of those. The Mirabook looks quite nice. But then maybe this solution, once I have the last component, will prove superior. Either way it's a worthwhile experiment.

Oh, and yes I have seen the movie Brazil. Yes, that's where I got the idea for this from:

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