My suggestion is to get the last-of-the-line Neo or Neo2 (no difference for writers). They’ve got enough memory to hold an entire, 200-page book. There’s no need to pay more for one with rechargeable batteries. Since the Neo get 700+ hours of use from 3 ordinary AA batteries, it’s not worth the bother.
Keep in mind that they’re great for rough drafts, since there are no distractions. The few lines on the small screen makes editing a bit less enjoyable but is still workable. When you’re happy with the results, you connect it to your computer and hit the Send button. It’ll enter what you’ve written into an app like Scrivener just like it was being typed.
It’s great for on-the-go writing and far less worrisome, fragile and expensive that almost any other digital gadget. And unlike the others, the LCD screen is easily readable in bright sunlight. A tiny reading light like those used for books will even let you writing in bed with the lights out.
–Mike Perry, author of Senior Nurse Mentor: Curing What Ails Hospital Nursing Morale.
Thanks for posting this interesting read on the history of the Alphasmart. I was unaware of the Apple connection (slight though it may be). I still use my Neo for nearly all writing on the go. I even have a couple of “backup” Neos that are shrink-wrapped in storage, which I consider to be a life-time supply. I’ve probably written millions of words on these things. I’ve tried many other arrangements and tools, all of that fancy stuff like iOS tablets with (nearly always horrible quality) keyboards, etc. Nothing like that sticks to my ribs, they are nearly all over-complicated, fragile and too expensive to take everywhere you go.
When I get home, I plug it in and download everything into Scrivener. That’s all I really need of a portable writing tool. It’s possible to dump text onto a Neo using the Manager software and work with it, but I very rarely do that. My writing process is strictly one-way, from pen and paper to digital text to Scrivener.
By the way I recently found a shoulder bag that works great with the Neo: the Timbuk2 Classic Messenger (small). It has enough space for the Neo, several notebooks, a novel or two, a mid-sized camera, a water bottle and diverse accessories. I was surprised by how much I could pack into it. It also has a padded laptop sleeve that fits a MacBook Air sized computer—so it doubles as a work bag for me.
Morning Ioa,
Just read your post from last night, and at first reading I mistook:
for:
sorry, bit early in t’morning … only on my second cuppa tea.
Just had a quick shufty on google zappos.com/timbuk2-classic-m … -bag-small and noticed under the price, on the right of the screen, that apparently, they are giving away ships and boats … gratis! Must be some kind of philanthropic organisation. Good luck to 'em.
After the demise of my Livescribe Echo pen this year, I’ve been looking around for an alternative. It’s not really practical for me to lug around a laptop (too heavy and too hard to get power to charge it on long trips), so I’ve just lashed out and bought a Neo.
Best. Thing. Ever.
I wish I’d got one years ago - and much better than the Echo pen - no crappy handwriting recognition. So easy to import the text into Scrivener (or editor of choice) Brilliant!
Thanks for the post about these great little gadgets, Mike.
If your budget is tight, try thrift stores for an Alphasmart or Neo bag. Some tablet bags will work, as will those for the cheap and little laptops that were a fad about seven or eight years ago. If you are used to lugging about a big laptop bag, finding one that is just right for a smaller gadget is marvelous. No more back strain.
A tip for those shopping thrift stores for bags or protective cases. Mark out the size of your Neo, iPad, or whatever on a sheet of paper and carry it in your wallet or purse. When you find a possibility, see if it fits. For the frugal, it’s frustrating to spend $5 on a bag that retails for $50, get it home, and find that it’s a half-inch too small for your favorite gadget. Wasted money!
At least with Goodwill stores, items generally get sold near where they are donated. So if you’re looking for reasonably recent high-technology items, it might pay to visit a Goodwill in an upscale neighborhood. You won’t believe what rich people throw away.
Occasionally, you can get a Neo at a thrift store. I found my Neo for $10 at one in Seattle. But you’ll probably save time just picking one up on eBay, where they typically go for $30 or so. If you’re going to use it, the saved time is worth the added cost.
AmberV, you are amazing. I’d have never thought of keeping a life-time supply of Neos carefully stored away. I do tell busy writers that, even if they won’t use a Neo normally, they might want to have one for disaster situations such as blizzards, hurricanes, and earthquakes, where the power can be out of a week or more. With a Neo, three little AA batteries will keep you writing away for up to 700 hours. That is time not lost.
Mike, you are seriously on my Christmas card list for introducing this topic. The Neo is the biz. So much so that following Ioa’s example, I bought another one as a spare. Because I can.
The second one came with a whole bunch of kid’s essays which was a lovely bonus
For those who’re toying with the idea of getting an Alphasmart Neo, now might be a good time to take the plunge. Someone on ebay has almost 300 of them available for a mere $16.92 each plus shipping from Houston.
That’s the best price I have seen. Most are $30 are up. The seller has 99.4% positive selling record.
The Neo is probably the best of the line for writers, particularly given the five (or is it six) line screen and the 700 hours it can run off three cheap AA batteries. The Neo 2 is virtually identical, with just a few tweaks only useful for teaching in schools.
You will need a cable to connect it to your computer to transfer the files into Scrivener. But it’s the very common USB cable typically used to connect computers to printers. That is the one that has the normal rectangular USB connector on one end and a square connector on the other. I believe they call that the A-B cable.
I hesitated to mention this, since the Alphasmart Neo and Neo2 sell so cheaply on ebay, typically $25 to $30. But some may find it’s not quite what they want and may be willing to pay around $200 for its equivalent in something new. If so, you might want to check out Amazon for a line of devices that function much like an Alphasmart. All seem to have Pomera in their name and DM model numbers. Here they are, with the most Alphasmart-like one first:
You can read the reviews to get a better overview than anything I could say. The manual may be in Japanese, but you can probably figure out most of the features. Mac users are likely to be disappointed with the keyboard. One nice feature of the Alphasmarts is that they use many of the same special keys as Macs.
There is, however, one feature that some Scrivener fans may find highly valuable. This product was designed for the Japanese market, so you can write in either Japanese or English, with a single keystroke shifting between the two.
Almost forgot. The DM100 functions as a Blutetooth keyboard, so it should be able to send data to smartphones and tablets that use a Bluetooth keyboard.
sorry, bit early in t’morning … only on my second cuppa tea.
