I'm very excited by the delivery of my new writing Gizmo - it came a couple of weeks ago but I've only just had time to use it in the past week. There are some pics so you can see it from several angles. It's an AlphaSmart Neo - great name isn't it? Sounds like something out of The Matrix! It's actually just a word processor - sounds very retro but it is perfect for what I need. I go to Australia at least once - usually twice a year and each time I lug my laptop and get very precious and worried about its safety! All I really want it for is to write because I only check emails maybe once a week and can use family/friends computers or pop into the local library.
I read about this on a few websites and a couple of writers magazines and it sparked my interest. It was £179 so a lot cheaper than a laptop as well. It stores everything to the hard drive automatically and runs off double A batteries - I think there are 3 in there and they are meant to last for 600hours and from all the reviews I've read - they do! It can hold the equivalent of a thick novel and you can have 6 files. You just plug it into your USB on your computer and hit send and it sends your files straight to your computer. It is a full size keyboard and you see up to 6 lines of type on the screen.
I'm a bit in love with it! It's really light as well. I don't write into a notebook as I like to type, think and write so its perfect for my needs. I am actually looking forward to 22hours in an economy seat when I fly to Oz next week - and that's a first!!!! All that time to write on this little device - very exciting!!!!! I shall stop gushing and do some writing!
8 comments:
I've left a comment on the Novel Racers but I love mine too, sad isn't it?! It's brilliant for holidays, I took mine in my hand luggage when we flew so I could use it on the plane and I'm not afraid to take it on the boat when we go sailing. The batteries do last for ages.
Oh I'm glad I'm not the only saddo about it then chrish - I'm so excited about taking mine to Oz next week - I will never be bored again or berefit because I have nothing to write on!!! Good news about the batteries - thanks for letting me know - love the idea of writing whilst sailing!
Hurray! Let's be saddos together! Enjoy your trip to Oz and I hope you get your bestseller written on the journey!
That would be my dream and a great story to tell when I feature on RIchard & Judy - I can just see me saying 'Well actually Richard I wrote this whilst trapped in an economy seat for 22 hours next to a drooling, snoring man!!!!'
You gotta dream haven't you?????
I had to pop back again because I'm so thrilled to find someone who doesn't sneer at alphies! I think everyone thinks you need something whizzy with wireless connections but what I love about my alphie is its simplicity - just write, that's all you need to do with it.
Keep the dream and get me on the guestlist when you do 'Richard and Judy' - I'll be the one waving my alphie at you!
I WANT ONE!!! I am now insanely jealous of you two and shall stalk your blogs muttering imprecations until I get one of these. (I have a small laptop that I bought a year ago especially because of its long battery life. Eight hours. Yes, go ahead, fall about laughing. And it was much more expensive than this. Grrrr!)
Oh Zinnia come and join our alphie club!!! I too splurged on a new laptop last year - which I do love - but I do feel a bit precious about taking it out and about - the Neo is perfect for outings as it is so robust.
There'll be no sneering on my blog chrish! Nearly bowled poor husband over last night when he came in from work and I was gushing about how I could now send stuff from laptop to 'alphie' - think he was ready to have me comitted but also secretly releived that I had found someone else to share my joy with and won't have to bore him to death with 'alpha chat' any longer!
I'm with you - I love it because it is so simple. I have wireless nd a laptop and a PDA and all manners of gadgets but I love this because it really is designed with just writing in mind! Wonderful.
Ha! In the days before we all had computers had home, I was very modern and had something that looked just like this. It was an Amstrad Notepad, and I used it for writing fiction. I think it was about £200 in the late 1980s, and I've just found one on eBay for £14.99. Ouch. Sadly, I have no idea what happened to it.
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