AlphaSmart has a new mobile word processing device that's been turning some heads and digital grandparents out there who like to write should take a look. My laptop weighs as close to a ton as a laptop should and I tried this portable AlphaSmart NEO to
see if, as a writer, I could benefit. What I found was that AlphaSmart is an excellent tool for writers and for students – high school or college level. It's compatible with Macs and Windows-based computers.
Write Anywhere
I found that the AlphaSmart NEO had an extraordinarily long battery life –
about 600 hours per three disposable AA batteries. It has features like a built-in
calculator, "applets" for cool classroom functions, and a relatively small
footprint, coupled with a vision-friendly keyboard (large, easy-to-read key
labels) that should appeal to seniors.
During a recent trial with the AlphaSmart NEO, I tucked it into my knapsack (not sure what knapsacks are called now, but
they're really popular) and went off to the pier on our Gulf Coast to do some
writing, away from my office. It was fun.
There was a little bit of a balancing act to deal with since
the AlphaSmart NEO feels like a small keyboard with no heft behind it to
balance it on your knee. In other words, if I typed fast, the thing would jiggle
all over and jostle right to the ground if I wasn't careful. But I decided it
wasn't made to be used at the beach.
In a couple of hours I had written about as much as I would have in the
office -- making allowances for a couple of undisciplined daydreams as dolphins
and pelicans distracted me.
The AlphaSmart NEO can't count words, jump to the end or beginning of a page or line. It
doesn't format text, insert anything or create tables. Technology is so complex
these days it was odd for me to think in terms of straight text, but I enjoyed
the freedom of working outside the house for a while. I always think I'll pack
up the laptop and do the same, but short battery life and weighty equipment,
plus the heat the freakin' thing generates put me off.
Works for Me
I think NEO would probably be an awesome gadget in a classroom setting --
and so many of us boomers are back in the classroom for one reason or another.
We teach, we take classes, we audit courses. NEO lets teachers monitor
assignments within a group of students, upload finished work to her computer for
review, add comments and send it back. The teacher can design quizzes,
distribute them and reclaim results. If I still taught, I'd lobby for this system
in my classroom.
For our portable, mobile generation, it's always fun to find tools that move
with us. My NEO has nearly a hundred docs on it now – I have to upload them to
my computer to finish, polish and publish them.
Writing is my business. I do a lot of it. So the extra steps are cumbersome, but again, I like the freedom. For
journaling, writing personal snail mail for frequent corresponders, or for taking
notes at meetings and so forth, I can groove on AlphaSmart's portable word processor.