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Imagine being isolated off-grid for an unknown number of years. Maybe you're stuck somewhere like Davidge or Mark Watney; or perhaps you've chosen a life of isolation like Yoda or Obi-Wan Kenobi. Maybe you're a survivor of the $Apocalypse. Wouldn't keeping a journal be a great idea? You could pass on your knowledge, keep track of daily activities, maybe even keep yourself from going insane!
Forget all the wastefulness, extravagance, and complexity of most modern devices, you've got survival to think about! Obviously power usage would be a major concern, but ergonomics, searchability, repairability, and data robustness would be important too. Keeping in mind that this is a dedicated device for journaling and barring the old Russian pencil and paper, what would the best solution look like with off-the-shelf modern technology?
(Score: 2) by All Your Lawn Are Belong To Us on Tuesday June 12 2018, @03:17PM
Others have pointed out, you've conflated many different scenarios all with different requirements. Knowing that I will be intentionally off the grid is different from isolation is different from a Zombie Apocalypse. And if there is any degree of control, is it a limited period of a lifetime, and will I have Amazon?
If it is a truly "away from all possible resupply," then I'm sorry but Paper Don't Break. (It may degrade or mold or lots of other things, but not on the same scale of entropy as any modern electronic device.)
If power isn't a concern then Something like this. [dell.com] Or a decent Panasonic toughbook or Dell ruggedized.
If power is a concern and I have any kind of cell or data connection, an iPhone with a separate keyboard will be sufficient.
Otherwise a Tablet, running Android (or whatever), separate keyboard, with an SD slot. I've used Docs to Go (once Documents to Go) with mixed results (I loved it on my Palm T|X once upon a time and so it is still my goto). Any office solution will do that would allow for saving files in a standardized format to the SD slot; I'm not really thinking about the searchability but if you're saving standard files then there should be an app for that. Solar charging system, maybe a battery tank with attendant solar as well. The biggest limitation: How can you achieve redundancy in the file storage. Maybe save-to-SD, copy to main memory, then move that copy to a second SD. And PLENTY of spares on everything... because for however long your mission is you'll need enough backup hardware to survive, no matter what it is. Again, plan for what will happen when it breaks because it will, sooner or later - which brings us full circle to what the actual scenario is and a reminder again that Paper Don't Break.
This sig for rent.