Is anyone here using a Freewrite device, such as an Alpha, a Traveler, or a Smart Typewriter? I’d be very interested in your thoughts about your device!

Thanks,

Ron

@Ron I’d be interested to see how this develops. I always fancied trying the Cambridge Z88 for that purpose.

@Ron My wife wrote the first drafts of her two forthcoming books from Delacorte Press on a Smart Typewriter. Her output astonished us both. A typical day yielded ~3,000 words. If you have further questions, I can answer on her behalf or ask her.

@paulcraig901 Wow that's amazing. Does the writer need to be a touch typist? I am not.

@Ron Do they use a lot of abbreviations for words, like typing in shorthand?

paulcraig901 Is there a really long learning curve to learn how to use the device for such high productivity?

@paulcraig901 So she zooms along grabbing her thoughts and ideas with the device, then up loads it to a file which goes into a computer to be edited into a book?

@Ron No. I'm not one and neither is she. I generally use four fingers and my right thumb for the space bar.

@Ron Learning curve? No. It's a tiny e-ink screen and keys.

@Ron All Freewrites are built for drafting. She collects thoughts ideas in notebooks long before she ever starts on the Freewrite. The text is loaded into a web app called Postbox where she then moves it into MS Word for editing. When using the Freewrite, she does not stop, she does not edit, and she does not delete or make corrections. She fixes those issues in Word. The Freewrite is used to get the first draft down. That's the first goal: Get the first draft DONE.

@paulcraig901 Thanks for all the info, Paul. I'm gonna go ahead and get an Alpha to try out when we get home from our trip.

@Ron The Alpha is based on the original Alphasmart. Bringing it back at its price point was a no-brainer. I hope you enjoy it and the words flow forth like a whitewater rapids.

@paulcraig901 Love that image about the words flowing. I hope it does that for me. It sounds fun!

@paulcraig901 I just read the history on that earlier device, very interesting. Yes, it has a great price, that influenced my thinking.

@Ron I know several people who still use the original Alphasmarts and were waiting for Freewrite to launch their Alpha. If Freewrite retained the durability and reliability, it will live a long and hopefully productive life.

@paulcraig901 @Ron I have a couple of AlphaSmarts and use them all the time. Cheap and durable. I've been tempted by Freewrite over the years (as a mech keyboard person) but never bothered to pull the trigger.

@clorgie @Ron Technology as it should be. Durable, cheap and intuitive.

@Ron I don't know how I missed this!

I don't use any of their devices but I am saving up for one. The thought of a dedicated, limited device just for writing has such an appeal to me.