I first learned about the AlphaSmart NEO at a travel writing workshop at the Santa Barbara Writers Conference. It’s a great tool for writing in the field, I was told, running for 700 hours on one set of batteries. Once back home, I noticed that the company prominently advertises in Writer’s Digest.
A few months later, I scheduled a ten-day research trip through the Sabuyan Sea in the Philippines, organized by my friend Bruce Curran, owner of Banca Safaris. Our plan: travel from remote island to remote island — there are 7000 to choose from in the Philippines — on the banca Buri Princess, seeking out lodging only upon arrival at the day’s destination, or sleeping on the banca if necessary. There would be no reliable power for hours at a time, perhaps even for 2-3 days. Time to buy a NEO, I thought.
The purpose of my voyage through Philippine waters was to follow the track of the Manila galleons, which play a major role in the book I’m writing. I wanted to get a sense of the seas, the profiles of the islands, the appearance of approaching squalls, the activity of sealife, the smells, the look of the puffy clouds huddled over land masses. And I needed to write down those impressions immediately, as the banca plowed through the waves. The NEO was a perfect match to the task.
What I did not anticipate was my fuller love affair with the NEO. It literally opened up the doors of creativity for me. The most important features of the handy word processor are held in the keys across the top. The off/on feature, for example, works instantly. Get an idea? Push the button and start writing. With my laptop, I have to wait for long minutes for everything to boot up. I discovered the lure of instant word processing the very day that I bought the NEO, while sitting on the floor at the Los Angeles airport. Out flowed a story I’ve been meaning to write for several years, but had never gotten around to. Once on the 17-hour flight, another story poured out, the first time I’ve ever been able to write on an airplane. Laptops, as you probably know, are useless in the economy section of international flights, with no room for an open screen.
The NEO can store conveniently eight separate files, each immediately available via the appropriate key across the top of the keyboard. Additional files can be stored away on the NEO, if necessary. The screen is small, but the type can be set at various sizes, ideal for my aging eyes. One does need access to a computer from time to time to transfer the files out of the NEO in order to free up file space for future writing. In my ten-day research, full of writing and note-taking, I still had one empty file button, and the transfer back onto my laptop when I returned home was simple.
With its ease of use, convenient size and light weight, I carry the NEO around with me a lot. It has a habit of inviting words to spill out in unexpected places.
The machine comes in several configurations. I got the simple, less-expensive version, figuring I would not need the internet connectivity of the more expensive versions. One suggestion: check the prominent full-page ad in Writer’s Digest. If you do so, you will likely qualify for a free carrying case. The NEO is difficult to find in stores, but it is easy to purchase online via the AlphaSmart website. I can think of no gift more appropriate for a writer. If no one else will give it you, just give it to yourself. You deserve it.
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Comment by
C. Mac
28 Nov 2007
Another convert! I don’t use my Neo as much as I should, but I wouldn’t give it up for anything. I remember seeing the ads in Writer’s Digest many, many years ago, but never bought one until the first year I signed up for NaNoWriMo. All the enthusiasts on the forums convinced me it was a good idea. I started out with the 3000, and upgraded to the Neo fairly quickly.
Comment by
MJ
28 Nov 2007
I’m also a huge fan of the AlphaSmart Neo.
Buying it online at alphasmart.com was a breeze. The only difficult part was convincing myself I really wanted the Neo, which cost about half what an inexpensive laptop costs.
But four of Neo’s features make it preferable over a laptop: 1) its instant-on, instant-off function (and I mean instant … 1 second); 2) its power source of AA batteries, which I change once a year whether they need it or not; 3) its tiny screen encourages drafting; editing comes later, on a computer, after I’ve synced the Neo with my PC (a very simple process); and 4) it’s nearly as portable as a pad of paper.
Comment by
Tom Colvin
28 Nov 2007
Thanks to both of you for your insights. I’ve visited your blogs [by clicking on your names], both of which are really, really nice. Your comments and blogs have even inspired a new post on my own blog, which should show up within a few hours.
Comment by
Linda M Au
17 Mar 2008
Hi Tom! Welcome to the wonderful world of AlphaSmarts and writing! There is a terrific community of AS lovers who moved from the AS web forum (once AS closed that down) to Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/groups/alphasmart
I’ve never asked an AS-related question that hasn’t found an answer there. And the people are witty, fun, and courteous. Your trip looks like it was amazing. Glad you had a Neo to keep you company. They are certainly addictive, but in a good way.
Comment by
Chet
17 Mar 2008
Excellent write-up and plug for the AlphaSmart Neo! This post is featured in a discussion thread over at our Flickr AlphaSmart group. Please join us!
http://www.flickr.com/groups/alphasmart/