ALPHASMART NEO 2 Portable Word Processor

My son wanted to be able to write his schoolwork on something that was guaranteed not to harvest anything for marketing or AI after the old laptop from the basement he set up with Linux had a hard drive failure. We have a more current laptop, but it's too heavy and uncomfortable to actually use on your lap and you can't trust Windows not to change your settings during an update. It also has a lot of options for distractions on it. Bonus: no one can accuse him of using a GPT to do his work because this thing doesn't even connect to the internet. You plug it into a computer when you're done and it types out your file in whatever text app you're using, so he can still use it with a Linux virtual machine without the distractions of a Linux virtual machine. The only AI it has is a spell checker (technically a form of AI) from 2007, and you can't play Doom on it. Yet. That said, the one he received literally looked brand new and works great. No sticky keys, no corrosion in the battery compartment. It was a good investment.

I use the Neo 2 for distraction free writing, and for that, it literally cannot get any better. The machine boots up in seconds so you can easily get to work. The screen has good contrast, about the same as a TI calculator. I have pretty terrible sight, and the standard font size is big enough to see clearly, though it can be made bigger or smaller depending on your preference. The keyboard has good tactile feedback, but it may be too loud for some. There are 8 file slots, with each able to hold more or less 10,0000 words. If you use for extended periods of time this may be a problem, but as I transfer my work weekly this has not been a huge issue for me. The best feature for me is the godly battery life. In the months I have owned the neo 2 I am still trucking along, though just in case, I'll plan to change the 4AA batteries once a year so I'm not tempting fate. I also have an alphasmart Dana, and I much prefer the neo for this reason alone. The Dana has a backlight, a sort of touch screen, and a bigger screen with more features, but the battery life is only about ten or so hours. Between the neo and the neo 2, there is not much functional difference, save that there are more classroom features you probably will not use, and the neo 2 is a nicer charcoal color as compared to the inexplicably army green of the neo. The main interface may take a while to get used to since we are so used to our GUIs, but you technically do no need to even use the interface, and the keyboard shortcut functions are printed on the back for easy reference. Overall, this is an invaluable tool for writing, and if I had to name one downside, it would be having to constantly explain to friends, family, and curious onlookers what it is when I use whip it out. I usually say its a digital typewriter, though if I'm feeling cheeky, I'll just say it's a giant calculator. Helpful accessories to the neo are a booklight so you can type in the dark (I use a mighty bright), and for traveling, a 13.3 inch laptop sleeve fits perfectly.

I've been searching for a good distraction-free writing device for a while, something that's built around just crafting a first draft and maximizing word count, and I feel like I've finally found it with this retro little device! One of the big reasons it's so good is because of all the things it can't do. It can't go on the internet, can't play any games, and editing on it is cumbersome. In other words, it's the perfect thing for cranking out that first draft. The keyboard was made back when the focus was on feel and use instead of slim form factor, so it's a joy to type on. Once you press the on button, you can basically start writing instantly. There's no boot-up or shut-down, and every keystroke is saved automatically. This device can save about 80,000 words spread across 8 separate files, and once you're ready to put your work on your main computer to edit, you just plug this into your computer's USB port, open up your document, and press send. That's it. It's so old school that it runs on three AA batteries, and I've heard of writers getting heavy use out of this thing for an entire year before having to switch the batteries out. Also, the thing is built like an old Nokia phone, so you can just drop it in your backpack and go. I could honestly go on and on about how great this thing is for drafting. My word count has shot up dramatically thanks to this. If you're a writer, definitely consider getting one of these. It was worth every penny.