http://www.43folders.com/2004/09/03/introducing-the-hipster-pda 43 Folders * Home * Search * About * How to Use 43f Back to Work Merlin's weekly podcast with Dan Benjamin. We talk about creativity, independence, and making things you love. Join us via RSS, iTunes, or at 5by5.tv. "What's 43 Folders?" 43Folders.com is Merlin Mann's website about finding the time and attention to do your best creative work. Introducing the Hipster PDA Merlin Mann | Sep 3 2004 This article was originally posted during the first week of 43 Folders' existence, and, pound for pound, it remains one of the most popular page on the site. Please be sure to also visit related pages, browse our Hipster PDA topic area, plus, of course you can search on the Hipster PDA across our family of sites. Recently, I got sick of lugging my Palm V around, so I developed a vastly superior, greatly simplified device for capturing and sharing information. I call it "The Hipster PDA." Beauty & Simplicity Hipster PDA - the parts you'll need The Hipster PDA (Parietal Disgorgement Aid) is a fully extensible system for coordinating incoming and outgoing data for any aspect of your life and work. It scales brilliantly, degrades gracefully, supports optional categories and "beaming," and is configurable to an unlimited number of options. Best of all, the Hipster PDA fits into your hip pocket and costs practically nothing to purchase and maintain. Let's make one together. Building your first Hipster PDA 1. get a bunch of 3"x5" file cards ( here's 500 for around 3 bucks) 2. clip them together with a binder clip 3. there is no step 3 Settings & Preferences Assembling your Hipster PDA For you hotrods who like to tweak your equipment, I'll note a few mods you might make to the basic configuration. * Consider picking up some different kinds of cards--different colors, lined and unlined. * Personally, I like the really small binder clips and a stack of 12 or fewer cards; experiment for the combination that suits you * Try using a single different-colored card as a visual separator between used and fresh cards in your stack (helps you from accidentally giving someone an old, written-on note) * Buy yourself a Fisher Space Pen. I'll post more on this later (since I'm a bit obsessed with them), but The Fisher Bullet model is tiny, sturdy, and surprisingly comfortable to use. And, thanks to its famous nitrogen-forced ink well technology, the Space Pen writes upside down, underwater, and--yes I've tested it-- through a pat of rich, creamery butter. It's the perfect stylus for your new Hipster PDA. "Getting Things Done" with your Hipster PDA A completed Hipster PDAFellow fans of Getting Things Done will instantly see the application here. Try using a separate index card for each potential inbox item you want to track. This requires carrying a few more spare cards around, but it helps ensure you "close the loop" as soon as the throught occurs to you. When you get back to the office or home (wherever your physical inbox resides), you can toss all your new notes into the pile and process them like you would any other incoming items. Alternatively, you can base a whole GTD system around index cards, sorting them into piles for "Next Actions," "Waiting," "Sometime," and so on. Whatever works for you. --------------------------------------- Search 43F Hipster PDA: Related 43F Links [ ] * 43 Folders: Organizing Your Hipster [Search] PDA * 43 Folders: The Globe and Mail on Ads via The Deck the Hipster PDA * 43 Folders: Index Cards - All 43F Advertise on 43 posts pertaining to index cards. Folders via The Deck * Hipster PDA - 43FoldersWiki - The ever-expanding main entry on the 43f Hosting by A2 43F wiki. More links available there. [logo_a2-20]A2 hosts * 43 Folders: Index Card Printer 43 Folders with Review: Canon Pixma iP3000 - Our handsome aplomb. review of the Canon printer we Please consider purchased primarily for printing to perusing their index cards. Based partly on affordable shared suggestions from readers on this 43 hosting plans. >> Folders post as well as this Google Group post, this review features Merlin Elsewhere short capsules of other recommendations from readers as * MerlinMann.com well. * Back to Work * Kung Fu Grippe The Hipster PDA elsewhere * You Look Nice Today * a million monkeys typing >> D*I*Y * 5ives Planner Hipster PDA Edition - * Merlin on Twitter Thirty-four index card templates * Merlin on Flickr based on Douglas' popular paper planner * John Norris - John's made some very creative index card templates--including a sundial! * Just A Guy - Adam Gurno >> Tricking out the Hipster - Printing your own custom index cards * GTDTiddlyWiki - all your tasks are belong to you - Wiki-based GTD system prints directly to index cards * Getting Things Done ... for teachers: Ductster PDA - Sturdy case for your Hipster PDA * Hipster PDA links, via del.icio.us * Hipster PDA photos on Flickr Hipster PDA Supplies * Index cards + Index cards, plain, white (500) - Good bargain at around $3 + Index cards, grid, white (100) - Light blue grid/graph paper on one side, plain white on the other (although lines are faintly visible) + Index cards, ruled, white (100) - The Classic + Index cards, plain, white (100) * Binder clips + Binder clips, small (12) - I prefer these smaller ones, personally + Binder clips, medium (12) + Silver binder clips, assorted sizes (30) * Space pens + Bullet Space Pen, Chrome, with clip - This is the one I've owned for almost six years + Bullet Space Pen, Matte Black, with clip + Bullet Space Pen, Orange Moon Dust + Explorer Space Pen + Many more models >> 155 Comments POSTED IN: * Merlin's blog * 2199033 reads TOPICS: Classics, Features, Getting Things Done, Heh, Hipster PDA, Index Cards, Life Hacks, Lofi, Paper Right on with the index... by Miss FitsandStarts (not verified) That’s great. So glad you... by Merlin One vital addition to the... by Peter Parkes (not verified) Nice. I’ll bet that comes... by Merlin My favorite Palm feature is... by Brian (not verified) This is a similar to... by Sarah (not verified) It’s aptly named the “ Saturday... by Merlin Me to! Me to! I'm... by Adrian Howard (not verified) A reasonable upgrade is the... by Allan (not verified) I am using the hipster... by joshua schachter (not verified) 123456789...next >last >> About Merlin Merlin's picture Bio Merlin Mann is an independent writer, speaker, and broadcaster. He's best known for being the guy who created the website you're reading right now. He lives in San Francisco, does lots of public speaking, and helps make cool things like You Look Nice Today, Back to Work, and Kung Fu Grippe. Also? He's writing this book, he lives with this face, he suffers from this hair, he answers these questions, and he's had this life. So far. Merlin's favorite thing he's written in the past few years is an essay entitled, "Cranking." [20100318-k] View full user profile EXPLORE 43Folders THE GOOD STUFF * Popular An Oblique Strategy: Cranking Today Honor thy error as a hidden intention * Popular Merlin used to crank. He's not cranking Classics ------------------------------------- any more. * Recent Posts STAY IN THE LOOP: This is an essay about family, priorities, and Shakey's Pizza, and it's probably the Popular [43Folders] best thing he's written. >> Today Subscribe with Google Reader Scared Shitless Popular Classics Subscribe on Netvibes Merlin's scared. You're scared. Everybody is scared. Oldies but goldies Add to Technorati Favorites This is the video of Merlin's keynote at * Title Subscribe on Pageflakes Webstock 2011. The one where he cried. You Introducing the Hipster PDA should watch it. >> Recent Hits Add RSS feed 23402 Created The Podcast Feed 2004-09-03 11:06 * Title Getting started with "Getting Things Done" Recent Hits 678 Created 2004-09-08 13:25 * Title Procrastination hack: '(10+2)*5' Recent Hits 307 Created 2005-10-11 06:30 * Title Building a Smarter To-Do List, Part I Recent Hits 213 Created 2005-09-12 02:48 * Title Writing sensible email messages Recent Hits 202 Created 2005-09-19 02:59 Recent Posts Latest posts from all 43f bloggers * Instapaper 4: Deciding to Read * Cranking * Back to Work: Evolution, Roulette, and Futureproofing Your Passion * Scared Shitless * Nerdiest Interview Ever: MPU Workflows Part II 43 Folders * Contact * Suggest a Site * RSS Feeds * Web Hosting by A2 43 Folders is powered by Drupal, which rules. The site was designed and made wonderful by the astounding Chris Glass. 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