AlphaSmart Neo

A writing friend, Jeremy Yoder, wrote and said he'd been banging out tons of words recently. He said:

"Wanna know part of my secret? I've purchased a Neo from www.alphasmart.com. It's a dream for writing first drafts whenever and wherever I am. I take it everywhere. Over the July 4th weekend, I wouldn't have been able to write a single word, but with this I pounded out 4000 words. I also use it over my work's noon hour, creating another 500-1000 words then. (And today I wrote 1500 words while watching Raquel -- something I can't do at my desk computer.) Can't recommend it enough for writers that are desperate to find time to get first drafts down."

This was back in July 2005, and I was instantly envious and wanted a Neo of my own. But could I spend $249.00 on a machine that is nothing but a simple word processor? At the time, no. Money was tight. Still is.

Like Jeremy, I have a young 'un to watch over while my wife is working on the computer. Because my web business is slow, she does 25 hours a week to help make ends meet, and I spend that time in the living room and kitchen with little Lily. That's all well and good -- but when she's busy with her toys or watching Playhouse Disney, I could be doing something. I have a laptop, but it's a few years old and, although it runs very nicely, the battery is long-dead and there's no way I'm paying something like $200 for a new one. And laptops without working batteries aren't very convenient around a baby. Besides, what if I want to write "on the road" or on vacation?

So the AlphaSmart Neo appealed to me. It's designed purely for typing, and most writers probably agree it's ideal for banging out first drafts. It has a small gray screen with a simple font, and you can have up to six lines of text. It's a full size keyboard, but the Neo is incredibly lightweight and robust, and doesn't generate any heat at all (so there's no problem using it on your lap for hours on end). Best of all is the battery power. You can get the rechargeable version, but I just use 3 AA batteries -- which last a staggering 700 hours. If you work that out, it means I can use the Neo a couple of hours a day on average and it'll last me almost a year.

Another thing I like is that it switches on and off instantly. Think of a calculator. You press "ON" and after a second or two the cursor appears and you're ready to go. If you walk away and leave it, after a few minutes the thing switches off -- but your work remains exactly as you left it, automatically saved, so that when you switch back on the cursor is right there at the end of your text. It has eight files (eight keys along the top so you switch from one to another with ease) and overall holds around 512 KB. I currently have a simple text file on my PC with around 75,000 words taking up just over 200 KB, so I think the Neo's memory is more than enough!

When you've banged out your first draft, you can transfer it to any computer using the USB connection. You just connect it up, open an empty text file, and press "SEND" -- and your draft starts writing itself into the text file. But it's easier to use the File Manager that Neo supplies. You install it on your computer, then connect via USB, and then you can suck the contents off the Neo in a faster, more versatile manner.

I wish I could get paid for referrals. I've mentioned this to several people now, and can't recommend it enough. Sure, it has a few little bugs and things I'd like to change; for instance, the cursor seems a little slow responding, and because I tend to back up a lot to edit what I just wrote, this is sort of annoying sometimes. And the fixed screen could do with tilting up just a tad more (Jeremy said the same thing, so it's not just me). But these are minor things compared to what you get out of it. It even has some nifty features like a simple spell checker, a word counter, and other stuff.

It's already come in handy for me, and I've banged out a few short stories on it. A lot of people say it's not so good for editing, because you only have six lines of text available. This may be true, but I found it okay. And if I go away somewhere and editing is what I need to do, then I can do it; you just transfer the text from your computer to the Neo and away you go. But I agree that the final edits are best done on a PC. Sometimes you need to step back from the page and see what the text looks like at a glance, to see how one paragraph flows into the next, to check it for overall balance.

Is it worth the $249.00 asking price? I read a comment somewhere that you'd be better off putting it towards a laptop, or even the AlphaSmart Dana, which is a bigger sister of the Neo. It has more features and a big color screen, plus internet capabilities. But the point is that I don't need more capabilities. I'm the sort of guy who will buy the cheaper mobile phone because I don't feel a need to pay a little more to receive emails on it. If I want to check email I'll use my computer. Likewise, if I want the internet, a bigger screen, and less battery life, then I'll get the Dana or just stick with my laptop. The question is: What do you want it for? If you're a writer or journalist interested only in something reliable to bang out a first draft without worrying about batteries, the Neo might be just the thing.

I look forward to when I next take a flight to England to visit my parents. Eight hours on a plane... only this time I can spend the journey writing. Joy!