Alphasmart Neo

[donov 0]

I write my columns on computers. I also use computers for entertainment and leisure. I also happen to be one of the foremost procrastinators on the planet. See a problem here? When I say I'm sitting down to "work", I may actually be sitting down to "check email, read the Web, play games, and do anything besides work".?So the image above is incorrect. I'm not typing this on a laptop. The Neo is a compact keyboard with a small display attached. It behaves like a simple word processor with perks. The perks are being able to save and work with multiple text files, run special programs (called "applets"), and send and receive information to computer via USB or infrared (the computer can be a Windows PC, a Mac, or even a Palm-compatible device).?The AlphaSmart Neo is small. Still big enough to have a keyboard with full-sized keys, its footprint is roughly the size of an 8.5x11 sheet of paper. It's light and portable (containing mostly plastic and three AA batteries).?It's not for everyone. If you don't need work processing or specialized text-based software, the AlphaSmart Neo is not for you. But a wonderful target audience is writers. You could be a student taking notes, a writer working on a screenplay, an author writing on the next bestseller, the Neo is great for those who need to simply write. It's not a laptop, but gives you full word-processing capability in a compact form any time you need it. For me, there's a very important perk: Unlike working on my laptop, the AlphaSmart Neo gives me a keyboard, screen, and nothing more. I can focus and write. Nothing gets between me and the text I'm writing. No distractions (apart from the bagel I'm about to purchase).I love this device, and really hate to criticize anything about it. But, there are two things I'd make available if I were a designer:More memory: By default, the AlphaSmart Neo's memory capacity is pretty small: It comes with 512KB. I could fit roughly 130,000 words in memory before running out of space. (That's 805,000 characters including spaces.) A generic novel might average 100,000 words, so this isn't going to affect most people. However, memory is CHEAP, particularly in the sizes the Neo works with. But the unit has what I feel is a small amount of available memory, and isn't expandable. Note that a primary focus of the Neo is for schools and teaching situations. If you want expandability and memory storage (as well as other features like wireless capability and PalmOS compatibility)Independence from a PC: If you compose text on your Neo, you will need a PC in order to save your work. You'll also use a PC to manage your Neo's installed programs. I'd like to see the Neo be more PC independent. For example, have a slot for a memory card, with the capability to perform a full system backup to that card. True, the Neo itself can print to USB printers or beam files to other devices, but the memory limitation above still ensures that information at some point will need to be saved back on a PC. The Neo is an incredibly simple device to use, and so becomes more reliable and stable. Giving the unit more independence will add to the simplicity of use.It should be said these "problems" are really just things I'd like to change if I were an AlphaSmart Neo designer. Truly, I'm very impressed with the unit, and would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone. It's a brilliantly-designed portable word processor with plenty of educational software. I like it, and frankly, am jealous of those who get to use one on a regular basis.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ??