# Alphasmart



## Marie Long (Jan 11, 2014)

Mine came in the mail the other day. I have these constant urges to write now. It's hard to believe Alphasmarts are 10 years old. Why does old technology have to be so... intriguing?


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

Sometime simpler is better.  I love my Neo. I was at a cafe a couple weeks ago writing on the Neo and the young kids with their tablets were giving me confused looks. A couple came over and asked what I was working on and they were both totally befuddled that I couldn't access the internet at all on it.


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## Diane Patterson (Jun 17, 2012)

Jim Johnson said:


> Sometime simpler is better.  I love my Neo. I was at a cafe a couple weeks ago writing on the Neo and the young kids with their tablets were giving me confused looks. A couple came over and asked what I was working on and they were both totally befuddled that I couldn't access the internet at all on it.


"If the Internet isn't there...do we still exist?"

One thing I really like about the Alphasmart is the old-fashioned keyboard. Much closer to the feel of typewriter keys than the current flat "chiclet" keys.


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## Randy M. (Aug 8, 2011)

My Alphasmart Neo arrived in the mail three days ago, and I've been using it daily since. I love to write outdoors, and the Alphasmart allows me to do that without the glare of a laptop or tablet. To top it off, adding the text to my WIP on my PC is as easy as hitting the send key.


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## RussLee74 (Oct 12, 2011)

I wanted to like the AlphaSmart so badly, but I need to see more of what I've typed than the two lines I could see on the readout.

I'm glad it works for some of you, though. In theory, it's a perfect machine for getting undistracted writing done.


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## ER Pierce (Jun 4, 2013)

I LOVE MINE!  

and convinced two friends to each buy one too


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## schweinsty (Jul 14, 2014)

I just got mine in the mail yesterday, and I sat down and pounded out 2k that easily. I usually struggle to make my 1k/1.5k goal, so I am in love w/ my alphasmart.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

I've had mine for several months. Things to love: No internet distractions (if I need to look something up, I just make a note all in caps), no outdoor glare, lightweight, AA batteries that last a year, hit the send key and walk away while it uploads my work.

There seems to be an endless supply of them on ebay but I may get a second one for backup just in case.


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## Gina Black (Mar 15, 2011)

I wish I liked mine, but it has never worked for me. I'd rather write longhand or on my laptop. :sigh:


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> I've had mine for several months. Things to love: No internet distractions (if I need to look something up, I just make a note all in caps), no outdoor glare, lightweight, AA batteries that last a year, hit the send key and walk away while it uploads my work.


In case it's of value, you could download their file management software and use that to pull files off the Neo if you don't have time to wait for it to complete the 'send' text dump. I've found the software really handy when I want to get at those files and paste them into Scrivener.


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## AJStewart (May 10, 2014)

I carried an Alphasmart Dana around Mexico, and it got knocked around in ways that would have damaged most laptops and killed every tablet I've ever seen. They are hardy little beggars. And the ability to write distraction free is so cool.


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## LoriP (Jun 2, 2014)

I love mine to get my ideas out quickly or if I want to write outside, but I usually have a LOT more edits to do on those files. It is a mixed blessing...


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## MyraScott (Jul 18, 2014)

I got mine a few days ago but I haven't given it a good workout yet. The smaller keyboard has reminded me my nails need to be shorter! 

I'm a checker/re-reader so letting go of that and just writing is a foreign feeling.


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## Chrissy (Mar 31, 2014)

removed


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Jim Johnson said:


> In case it's of value, you could download their file management software and use that to pull files off the Neo if you don't have time to wait for it to complete the 'send' text dump. I've found the software really handy when I want to get at those files and paste them into Scrivener.


Interesting. I have the 3000. Will it work with that? Usually, I just let it run while I'm doing something else.



LorrainePaton said:


> I love mine to get my ideas out quickly or if I want to write outside, but I usually have a LOT more edits to do on those files. It is a mixed blessing...


Same problem. The touch is very heavy and there are a lot of missing letters and words. I find the newest version of Word does a pretty good grammar/spell check and I run that to catch most of the errors.


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## SanMarine (Nov 27, 2013)

I love my NEO too and use it for all my drafting. The limited viewing window is really disconcerting at first - especially if you're like to edit as you go. But if you're looking to speed up your drafting process, the Alphasmart is the way to go. I learned to pick a point on the wall or out the window to look at and just type out a conscious stream of thought. Productivity goes WAY up when you shut off that internal editor.


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## Marie Long (Jan 11, 2014)

I found a Flickr group of people posting pics of their Alphasmarts in different places. Didn't realize how serious this was! https://www.flickr.com/groups/alphasmart/


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## Aero (Jan 17, 2014)

Used my neo2 in a library today. I love it for pantsing my short stories.


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## Lisa Grace (Jul 3, 2011)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> I've had mine for several months. Things to love: No internet distractions (if I need to look something up, I just make a note all in caps), no outdoor glare, lightweight, AA batteries that last a year, hit the send key and walk away while it uploads my work.
> 
> There seems to be an endless supply of them on ebay but I may get a second one for backup just in case.


I'm thinking I might get a back up too, because I love mine <3.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

JRHenderson said:


> Off topic: I get _exactly_ the same reaction when people see my cell-phone...


What are those little button-looking things with all the numbers on them?


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## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

Some of the ones being sold on Ebay don't have the cable included, which I assume is necessary to move the data back and forth.

For those that have one, is the cable a normal USB printer cable like this:










Thanks.


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## Marie Long (Jan 11, 2014)

The Neo I have has infared. Are computers these days capable of infared??


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## penrefe (Nov 30, 2011)

I ordered a Dana off eBay yesterday (there are none on UK eBay; all international only, with the shipping prices bumping up the price significantly!). I already have an AlphaSmart 3000, but it doesn't communicate with my PC at all (PC just doesn't detect it being plugged in--iirc, it uses one of those old-style keyboard-esque cables, the purple ones, and I think with my entirely un-technical brain that that's something to do with it), which kind of defeats its purpose. 

Hopefully the Dana with a USB cable will work, and I'll be in business, because I did manage to get a lot of writing done on the 3000 for the brief time I used it.


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## Chrissy (Mar 31, 2014)




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## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

Chrissy said:


> Yes, it is.


Thanks! Might be worth looking into then.

If I do get one, and people ask me what it is, I'll say it's an Alphasm Art.


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## 10105 (Feb 16, 2010)

I have a Dana. It needs good overhead light. The backlighting feature is a joke. I love the keyboard. The machine is perfect for writing chapters at the beach.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

swolf said:


> Thanks! Might be worth looking into then.
> 
> If I do get one, and people ask me what it is, I'll say it's an Alphasm Art.


People will ask, that's for sure.


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## Andie (Jan 24, 2014)

Just bought a couple extra Neos because I got nervous about mine dying someday. My precious...


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## Renata F. Barcelos (Jun 28, 2012)

I had to google it, I had never heard about it before, and now I WANT IT so badly I want to cry! Where can I buy it?? (I'm not in the US, so Amazon shipment and my country taxes kind of makes it a distant dream...) 

I will certainly dream of it tonight!


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## penrefe (Nov 30, 2011)

Renata F. Barcelos said:


> I had to google it, I had never heard about it before, and now I WANT IT so badly I want to cry! Where can I buy it?? (I'm not in the US, so Amazon shipment and my country taxes kind of makes it a distant dream...)
> 
> I will certainly dream of it tonight!


Where are you? The eBay shipping fees aren't otherworldly, but expect to pay _at least_ the price of the unit double to get it shipped. Mine came to $56.42 to ship to the UK, with import charges included. If you shop around, you might be able to find even better.


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## Lisa Grace (Jul 3, 2011)

JRHenderson said:


> Off topic: I get _exactly_ the same reaction when people see my cell-phone...


Lol, I used my first Nokia phone for seven years... I ran into a phone rep who took a look at it and said..."You know you get a new one for free every two years?" That was ten years ago...I have now succumbed and have a smart phone.
I do now have a smart phone. 
About ten years ago though, my hubby and I were too cheap to pay for cable. We had an antenna on the roof and rabbit ears on our set, and sometimes we added foil. 
My nephew came over and said, "What's that?"


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## Renata F. Barcelos (Jun 28, 2012)

penrefe said:


> Where are you? The eBay shipping fees aren't otherworldly, but expect to pay _at least_ the price of the unit double to get it shipped. Mine came to $56.42 to ship to the UK, with import charges included. If you shop around, you might be able to find even better.


I'm in Brazil, and the shipping will certainly be the same or more, but what really kills to import here are the taxes... On electronics especially we pay 60% over the price + shipment, and then 18% over that as my state tax. I swear that is true...!  Oh, and then there's another tax just for using the credit card internationally. And let's not forget that it can be extra taxed when it arrives, just because.

But I'm searching Ebay for it anyway, because apparently I now have a new "need".


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## penrefe (Nov 30, 2011)

Renata F. Barcelos said:


> I'm in Brazil, and the shipping will certainly be the same or more, but what really kills to import here are the taxes... On electronics especially we pay 60% over the price + shipment, and then 18% over that as my state tax. I swear that is true...!  Oh, and then there's another tax just for using the credit card internationally. And let's not forget that it can be extra taxed when it arrives, just because.
> 
> But I'm searching Ebay for it anyway, because apparently I now have a new "need".


That's the spirit, haha! ^_^


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## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

Renata F. Barcelos said:


> I'm in Brazil, and the shipping will certainly be the same or more, but what really kills to import here are the taxes... On electronics especially we pay 60% over the price + shipment, and then 18% over that as my state tax. I swear that is true...!  Oh, and then there's another tax just for using the credit card internationally. And let's not forget that it can be extra taxed when it arrives, just because.


Damn!

Isn't Brazil a democracy? Why aren't the people voting out those thieves?

You have my empathy.


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## Ty Johnston (Jun 19, 2009)

I've been looking at the Neo2, and I'm curious.

Besides the USB cord and batteries, is anything else needed? Software discs? An owner's manual?


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## Lisa Grace (Jul 3, 2011)

Renata F. Barcelos said:


> I'm in Brazil, and the shipping will certainly be the same or more, but what really kills to import here are the taxes... On electronics especially we pay 60% over the price + shipment, and then 18% over that as my state tax. I swear that is true...!  Oh, and then there's another tax just for using the credit card internationally. And let's not forget that it can be extra taxed when it arrives, just because.
> 
> But I'm searching Ebay for it anyway, because apparently I now have a new "need".


Brazil is as bad as NYC.



Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> People will ask, that's for sure.


When people ask what it is, look around furtively and say, "It's a secure government communication device." 
Point to the name (if it's a Neo) and say, "I should have taken the blue pill." 
Then discreetly rub the back of your neck.


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## Renata F. Barcelos (Jun 28, 2012)

penrefe said:


> That's the spirit, haha! ^_^






swolf said:


> d*mn!
> 
> Isn't Brazil a democracy? Why aren't the people voting out those thieves?
> 
> You have my empathy.


Thanks! So now you see why I plan to leave as soon as possible... It is a democracy, but a very young one, and people definitely don't know how to vote yet. It's extremely frustrating. :/



LisaGraceBooks said:


> Brazil is as bad as NYC.
> 
> When people ask what it is, look around furtively and say, "It's a secure government communication device."
> Point to the name (if it's a Neo) and say, "I should have taken the blue pill."
> Then discreetly rub the back of your neck.


Really? That much of taxes in NYC too? 

And about the blue pill... Hahahahaha I can't wait to have mine and do this!


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## Marie Long (Jan 11, 2014)

Ty Johnston said:


> I've been looking at the Neo2, and I'm curious.
> 
> Besides the USB cord and batteries, is anything else needed? Software discs? An owner's manual?


I don't think the physical discs are necessary. You can download the software and manuals from the main website: http://www.renaissance.com/customer-center/neo-downloads


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## Peter Julier (Jun 16, 2012)

I first heard about the Alphasmart about a week ago here and purchased the Neo from Ebay. I just got it today and love it! So light and portable. It really beats the heck out of carrying my laptop around. This little device will without a doubt increase my writing productivity. Thanks to you all for mentioning it.

                              Pete


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## Lisa Grace (Jul 3, 2011)

Peter Julier said:


> I first heard about the Alphasmart about a week ago here and purchased the Neo from Ebay. I just got it today and love it! So light and portable. It really beats the heck out of carrying my laptop around. This little device will without a doubt increase my writing productivity. Thanks to you all for mentioning it.
> 
> Pete


I take mine out on the dock, and places I would be afraid to take my laptop.


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## Marie Long (Jan 11, 2014)

I have a question, everyone. I didn't turn my Alphasmart on in about 2 days, and when I tried turning it on today, it wouldn't turn on. I had to plug it in and turn it on that way. But the battery was already full. When I took the plug out, it turned on just fine. Is this a normal thing with the device? Has anyone else had this problem? I'm using the Neo2, and it has a rechargeable battery, which works fine. I store the device in a laptop bag and I make sure nothing is on top of it so it doesn't accidentally turn on (because it's very easy for it to accidentally turn on). So I'm wondering if you don't use it for a while, does the device not turn on with the battery, even if the battery is fully charged?


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

I have the 3000. When it didn't turn on, I took the batteries out and reinstalled them. Turned on just fine after that.


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## Aero (Jan 17, 2014)

Nothing else needed. Hit power and select a storage area (1- and write... when ready you turn the device on, go to the storage area you want to send to your computer, then plug the device in and hit the send button when in the word processor of your choice. I personally use it with scrivener.

There is software that you can use to pull a text file from the device or send text to the device over usb. I just haven't had the need to do that.

Other than that, I mostly hit CTRL + W to get my current word count then ESC to back out of the summary screen



LisaGraceBooks said:


> Brazil is as bad as NYC.
> 
> 
> Ty Johnston said:
> ...


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Thanks, Aero. I didn't know about CTRL W. That's very helpful.


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## Ty Johnston (Jun 19, 2009)

Okay, I broke down and bought a Neo. The Neo2 didn't have anything really helpful to me, and this particular Neo looked in god shape and is only a hundred or so miles away, which means it should arrive by Monday at the latest (I'm guessing).


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## CASD57 (May 3, 2014)

It's a printer cord..at least it's just like the cords I've had on my HP printers.. No hard to find
Oh yea I got my NEO the other day and downloaded the NEO manager today.. Love it! 
I've adjusted it so it shows 5 lines instead of 4, tried the 6 line setting but the letters were to small for me..
Also got mine for $27 delivered  off Ebay..Thinking of buying another for a backup or maybe the Dana
But I see this as a great writing tool ..the computer just is too distracting..


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

It's an A B Cable. I bought one for my AS 3000 and then a few months later, I found I had two of them. That'll teach me to clean out the garage more often.


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

Micki23 said:


> Someone told me the rechargeable batteries don't hold a charge very well, plus don't rechargeables lose the ability to charge after many years? My Neo didn't come with the adapter or rechargeable battery pack. I just use regular Duracell batteries, and they last a long time.


I've had my Neo with rechargeable battery for some 9 years now, and I've had zero problems with the battery holding a charge.


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## Perro Callejero (Dec 23, 2013)

I've got a 3000. I love it! Probably the best $20 I've ever spent (and that included shipping!). I've only had it for a month, and I've already written more than 30K words on it.

Someday, if I actually start earning money with my writing, I'll consider upgrading to the Neo.

*UPDATE:* Thanks to a generous offer from a fellow kboarder, I now have a NEO. Thanks!


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## CASD57 (May 3, 2014)

Just got back from the pool, after a little swimming with my daughter I sat down and wrote about 600 words while my wife sunbath and the daughter splashed around.. It was nice to be about do this and I could see the NEO's screen perfectly in the sun..
Nice way to write.. Oh I also ordered off ebay a  Dana for the heck of it..


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## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

Ordered a Neo from Ebay.  $35 including shipping.


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## Chinese Writer (Mar 25, 2014)

With all this talk, I'm thinking about getting a Neo for my upcoming vacation at the beach. I notice most of the listings on ebay doesn't include a usb cable. Do you need this cable to download the text to your laptop? And does it work with a Mac?


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## CASD57 (May 3, 2014)

yea it's the easiest way.. the cable is a printer USB cable someone here called it a A/B cable probably get one at the Dollar store or any other place that carries electronics it's  real common


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## Chinese Writer (Mar 25, 2014)

Thanks for the replies. I have an old USB printer cable. I think this would fit my needs.


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## CASD57 (May 3, 2014)

Here are couple of things I found very helpful using the Alphasmart...
First of it's great for added in lines/paragraphs..
So your writing your story in the Alphasmart... and then downloading into your favorite word processor or novel software...
Your using File 1  for the story
File 2-8 can be for revisions or additions throughout the story
Like I wanted to add a little more info in the middle of the story so I used File 2  and then I decided I wanted to revise another area I used File 3  
And when it came time to add in the lines I just place the cursor in the correct spot and hit send.. Works like a charm..
You only add one File at a time (in each send).. So you never add extra stuff where it doesn't belong..

Nice writers tool.....


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

CASD57 said:


> Here are couple of things I found very helpful using the Alphasmart...
> First of it's great for added in lines/paragraphs..
> So your writing your story in the Alphasmart... and then downloading into your favorite word processor or novel software...
> Your using File 1 for the story
> ...


Good tip.


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## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

The Neo arrived today. Looks clean, despite being used.

I have a question for the Neo experts. When I go to change the spellcheck settings, I get this screen:










I've tried all the obvious passwords, 'password', 'master', '1234', no password, etc. Is there something obvious I'm missing?

Or am I going to have to contact the seller?

Thanks.


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

Does this help?

http://support.renlearn.com/techkb/techkb/5096628e.asp


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## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

Jim Johnson said:


> Does this help?
> 
> http://support.renlearn.com/techkb/techkb/5096628e.asp


Oh yeah, perfect! That worked. Thanks so much!

Damn, now everyone knows my password.


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

swolf said:


> Oh yeah, perfect! That worked. Thanks so much!
> 
> d*mn, now everyone knows my password.


Rock. Glad it helped. 

Now if you could just hook your 'smart to the 'net, I'll haxxors it...

Oh wait.

It's an Alphasmart. No interwebs. Keep calm and write on!


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## Ty Johnston (Jun 19, 2009)

Got mine this morning. It works like a dream. Wish I'd had one 30 years ago.

Speaking of which, there is almost a quaint 80s-era technology feel about the Alphasmart Neo.


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## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

Ty Johnston said:


> Got mine this morning. It works like a dream. Wish I'd had one 30 years ago.
> 
> Speaking of which, there is almost a quaint 80s-era technology feel about the Alphasmart Neo.


It's father was a Timex Sinclair:










And it's mother was a Speak & Spell:


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## Andie (Jan 24, 2014)

My husband has nicknamed mine the Speak & Spell. I don't think he's being complimentary.  It's okay though, I know how awesome it is.


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## Ty Johnston (Jun 19, 2009)

swolf said:


> It's father was a Timex Sinclair:


Noooooo! Not a membrane keyboard!


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## Kassidia (Sep 14, 2012)

I was able to find some data on the Alphasmart online, but was wondering if the Neo had an AC adapter, or just the battery pack/AA batteries.

Thanks for any info you can share!


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## Ty Johnston (Jun 19, 2009)

Kassidia said:


> I was able to find some data on the Alphasmart online, but was wondering if the Neo had an AC adapter, or just the battery pack/AA batteries.


My Neo has a spot for plugging in an adapter, but I don't actually have one. Might buy one eventually, but AA batteries are working just fine so far.


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## CASD57 (May 3, 2014)

Anyone know how to turn on the back light on the Dana ?


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## Writerly Writer (Jul 19, 2012)

This thread wins the internet. I'm now convinced to buy one for summer... I live in a tropical place, and it's depressing with the beach merely 100 meters from my door, yet I have to sit in my house and watch the world go by. 

How do they deal with direct sunlight? Heat? Etc.


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## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

CASD57 said:


> Anyone know how to turn on the back light on the Dana ?





> Use the backlight to illuminate the screen in low-light conditions. When
> Dana is on, hold down the on/off key for about two seconds to turn the
> backlight on and off.


Found that here:

https://www.hcps.org/departments/instructionalsupport/specialeducation/Instructional/TIPSSoftwareSites/usersguides/Dana%20User's%20Guide.pdf


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## Aero (Jan 17, 2014)

Just think of it as an oversized calculator. It'll be fine.



KJCOLT said:


> This thread wins the internet. I'm now convinced to buy one for summer... I live in a tropical place, and it's depressing with the beach merely 100 meters from my door, yet I have to sit in my house and watch the world go by.
> 
> How do they deal with direct sunlight? Heat? Etc.


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## Marie Long (Jan 11, 2014)

Btw, if you guys are looking for accessories for your Alphasmarts (including rechargeable batteries), you can get them here: https://www.renaissance.com/store/storeitemlist.asp?id=3247&c=1


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## CASD57 (May 3, 2014)

You know I searched the internet for this  lol THANKS !



swolf said:


> Found that here:
> 
> https://www.hcps.org/departments/instructionalsupport/specialeducation/Instructional/TIPSSoftwareSites/usersguides/Dana%20User's%20Guide.pdf


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## Charmaine (Jul 20, 2012)

TattooedWriter said:


> At least there's no danger of Alphasmarts becoming sentient and destroying humanity.


Yes. We'll be the ones laughing when the Rise of the Machines comes at last.



Marie Long said:


> Btw, if you guys are looking for accessories for your Alphasmarts (including rechargeable batteries), you can get them here: https://www.renaissance.com/store/storeitemlist.asp?id=3247&c=1


Thank you so much for this! I have to admit I chuckled when I saw the case for sale.
I'm pretty sure anything short of throwing my neo out a speeding car won't even damage it


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## Al Dente (Sep 3, 2012)

I just grabbed an Alphasmart Dana! It should be here on August 12, but I don't want to wait that long! Here's a listing I found if anyone wants one on the cheap.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/0S83B-AlphaSmart-Dana-Wireless-Portable-Keyboard-Word-Processor-K2VDANA002-Used-/201143173548


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

Kassidia said:


> I was able to find some data on the Alphasmart online, but was wondering if the Neo had an AC adapter, or just the battery pack/AA batteries.
> 
> Thanks for any info you can share!


You can use AA batteries, a rechargeable battery pack, or an AC adapter. There's one available on the store linked above, but I think any standard adapter that fits should work. I'll have to check my adapter for the proper volt/amps/whatevers.


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## Marie Long (Jan 11, 2014)

Charmaine said:


> Thank you so much for this! I have to admit I chuckled when I saw the case for sale.
> I'm pretty sure anything short of throwing my neo out a speeding car won't even damage it


I actually bought the black neoprene sleeve for mine. I love it.


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

I have the neoprene sleeve and love it. I'm tempted to pick up a backpack or a carrying case. Anyone have one they'd like to mention as loving or hating? My old messenger bag is on its last legs and I think it's time to replace it.


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## Kal (Jan 22, 2013)

swolf said:


> Found that here:
> 
> https://www.hcps.org/departments/instructionalsupport/specialeducation/Instructional/TIPSSoftwareSites/usersguides/Dana%20User's%20Guide.pdf


There's also a Dana Software 1.5 Addendum:

http://www.manualslib.com/manual/207860/Alphasmart-Dana.html

The main thing for me was the Two-Button On Setting. You can set it so that pressing the Enter key and hitting the On button will turn it on. No more switching it on accidentally in your bag.

(I had been thinking about getting an AlphaSmart for years, and this thread made me finally pull the trigger. Got a Dana last night from a guy on Craigslist. Loving it!)


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## Chinese Writer (Mar 25, 2014)

I haven't quite yet pulled the trigger. What is the difference between a Neo and Dana? I know the Neo is the latest model and the Dana is a touch screen. How many lines are shown on the Dana?


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## Writerly Writer (Jul 19, 2012)

Guess what... they are not available in Australia. Not even on ebay or Gumtree (which is our version of Craigslist). And I definitely won't be paying for American shipping costs for one. 

*sadface*


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## Barbara Bartholomew (Nov 13, 2010)

I'd never heard of this device. Now have one and am very pleased with it. Thanks!


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## CASD57 (May 3, 2014)

Just got my Dana the other day..Wrote 2100 words on it today 
I got the Neo first  and I really it
Figured I'd buy a back up but instead of a NEO I decided to try the Dana
Really like it too, at a 13 size font you can see 9 lines  
If you want to see the screen better...14size in bold  gives you 8 lines ..
The Dana came with a battery pack and it seems to take a charge...nice

Remember if you write using the Dana's memory  you could lose your work if you let the batteries go dead.  Not so in the NEO
How to fix this in the Dana is to use a memory card in the Dana and save to it.. It takes a SD card, less then 1 GB  I used an old 512mb I had lying around.

Which do I like best... Time will tell


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## Chinese Writer (Mar 25, 2014)

How many lines do you get with the Neo?


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## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

artan said:


> How many lines do you get with the Neo?


You can vary it from 2 to 6. Default is 4.


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## CDForness (Nov 25, 2013)

Jim Johnson said:


> I have the neoprene sleeve and love it. I'm tempted to pick up a backpack or a carrying case. Anyone have one they'd like to mention as loving or hating? My old messenger bag is on its last legs and I think it's time to replace it.


I have the bag...man purse, if you will. It's handy when I go to the coffee shop and want to travel lean, without packing distractions. It has an inside pocket for pens and a small notebook. Pretty basic. Don't love it or hate it. It's useful.


----------



## Chinese Writer (Mar 25, 2014)

I submitted an offer for a Dana (much cheaper than a Neo). I like the bigger screen, hopefully it's not that much heavier. But I plan to leave it in the car for those times when I'm waiting to pick up the kiddos.


----------



## BillSmithBooksDotCom (Nov 4, 2012)

CASD57 said:


> Just got my Dana the other day..Wrote 2100 words on it today
> I got the Neo first and I really it
> Figured I'd buy a back up but instead of a NEO I decided to try the Dana
> Really like it too, at a 13 size font you can see 9 lines
> ...


YES, ALWAYS save your work to a memory card (1 GB or less).

I also use a widescreen version of CardTXT. It is much more limited than AlphaWord, but you can open and save plain text (.txt) files to the memory card, so you can easily move files back and forth just by plugging the card into a card reader on your PC and moving it back to the Dana (not messing around with special software) -- this method works great for Linux and PC.

Downside of CardTXT is no spell check, no word count function (although you can approximate based on file size) and very limited cut and past options.

Big upside though is that you can write and edit plain text files on any device and move back and forth. You can also put the CardTXT program (.prc) on your memory card and launch it directly from the memory card so even if your Dana's batteries go dry, you can permanently store the program and your files on the memory card.

Here is a link for the widescreen version of CardTXT:

www.technfun.com/software/cardtxt-dana.prc


----------



## Ty Johnston (Jun 19, 2009)

Jim Johnson said:


> Anyone have one they'd like to mention as loving or hating? My old messenger bag is on its last legs and I think it's time to replace it.


I've got the carrying case. It's your typical, cheap freebie bag. It'll get the job done for a while, but if you need it often, I'd suggest purchasing another messenger bag. And there's not a lot of room for extras, like books, a tablet, etc.


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Jim Johnson said:


> I have the neoprene sleeve and love it. I'm tempted to pick up a backpack or a carrying case. Anyone have one they'd like to mention as loving or hating? My old messenger bag is on its last legs and I think it's time to replace it.


I just use a canvas tote bag. Pretty roomy.


----------



## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

JRHenderson said:


> American shipping costs? Brisbane isn't _that_ far away from you, Kylie...
> 
> http://www.spectronics.com.au/catalogue/alphasmart


Unfortunately, it says on this page the Neo and Neo are no longer available:

http://www.spectronics.com.au/product/neo-family

I checked the shipping for a first class box from the U.S. to Australia, and it's about $24 U.S. Maybe she has a friend here who can buy it on Ebay and then ship it to her.


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

I have the 3000 which predates the neo and the dana. It does just fine for me. I write, I upload and that's all I need it for.


----------



## Marie Long (Jan 11, 2014)

Jim Johnson said:


> I have the neoprene sleeve and love it. I'm tempted to pick up a backpack or a carrying case. Anyone have one they'd like to mention as loving or hating? My old messenger bag is on its last legs and I think it's time to replace it.


The one I bought off ebay came with this bag:








It's very small but fits the device (even while it's in the Neoprene sleeve) and all the accessories perfectly.

Looks like you can get that case from here: http://www.secrest.ca/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=1_12_15&zenid=4f8f4b9c1ab4dfb5afbf811477adc70e


----------



## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

Nice, thanks for the bag insights, folks. I think I'll be better off going to the store and getting some hands-on investigation going. I'd like a padded space for the Neo and lots of pockets and organizing spaces.


----------



## penrefe (Nov 30, 2011)

Mine's still in transit.

/cry


----------



## NoBlackHats (Oct 17, 2012)

Okay, you convinced me.  Mine's on its way (and I'm thinking this thing should have an affiliate program, from all the fans it has!)


----------



## Al Dente (Sep 3, 2012)

penrefe said:


> Mine's still in transit.
> 
> /cry


Mine too! I've got 4 more days to wait.


----------



## CDForness (Nov 25, 2013)

I have a pair of alphasmart Neo's and love them but am even more excited about my typewriter that is in transit. Olympia S3, color Burgundy. Manufactured in the early 1950's in West Berlin. There's an eBay seller that only deals in typewriters and he does a tremendous job in only buying/cleaning up/reselling exquisite models. Don.typewriter is his name. I think he's in Germany but sells in the US EBay store. Note, I haven't received the typewriter yet but between  the pictures and the video he posts of the actual typewriter working, I have high confidence that he is a person who cares about quality. Picked up this model for $129 though it does cost $69 to ship to me in the US. Typewriters are a weeeee bit heavier than Neo's, even the portable ones. I think it shipped at 24 lbs. 

Anyway, back to our regularly scheduled programming...


----------



## AngryGames (Jul 28, 2013)

because of you assholes, I have a 3000 being delivered today or Monday.


----------



## Al Dente (Sep 3, 2012)

I was expecting my Dana to come in on the 12th, but it arrived today! The seller said that he couldn't give his word that the rechargeable batteries in his units worked because some of them wouldn't hold a charge, so I went out and bought some Energizer rechargeable batteries. Turns out, my Dana's battery works just fine and it's charging as we speak! The first thing I noticed was how much the keyboard rocks. This is a wonderful machine!


----------



## Aya Ling (Nov 21, 2012)

I love mine! I usually do everything on my netbook, but sometimes the screen and the glow is too straining. I used to wish for an e-ink computer, but Neo comes pretty close


----------



## CASD57 (May 3, 2014)

Al Dente said:


> I was expecting my Dana to come in on the 12th, but it arrived today! The seller said that he couldn't give his word that the rechargeable batteries in his units worked because some of them wouldn't hold a charge, so I went out and bought some Energizer rechargeable batteries. Turns out, my Dana's battery works just fine and it's charging as we speak! The first thing I noticed was how much the keyboard rocks. This is a wonderful machine!


Here is a web site I found for the Dana:
http://blog.katmellon.com/2014/05/an-overview-of-alphasmart-dana.html


----------



## Al Dente (Sep 3, 2012)

CASD57 said:


> Here is a web site I found for the Dana:
> http://blog.katmellon.com/2014/05/an-overview-of-alphasmart-dana.html


Great find! Thanks!


----------



## myebooknow (Jun 12, 2014)

Here on this Flickr group you enviable owners of an AlphaSmart can find interesting things:
https://www.flickr.com/groups/alphasmart/discuss/

...But this is one I find very interesting (I'm biased as a fonts-lover) that I want to highlight because looks like it could be very useful for the Neo owners:

*Neo Alternative Display Fonts (and Font Editor!)*
https://www.flickr.com/groups/alphasmart/discuss/72157594184501348/
http://www.tsoniq.com/software/legacy/neo-fonts/
http://www.tsoniq.com/software/legacy/neo-font-editor/

You will find these fonts:



> *Solo*
> A bold-face font that uses a narrow typeface (roughly equivalent
> to the Neo's standard 'Small' font, but which shows only a single
> line on screen. This is handy for suppressing sudden urges to
> ...


Now to maximize the number of displayed characters and still write comfortably, someone could design a sleek holder for a magnifying sheet, matching the Neo shape, ready to be 3d-printed and used with the Atto font


----------



## Al Dente (Sep 3, 2012)

I am so impressed with my Dana. I just wrote 500 words on it in about 30 minutes, which is no small thing for me. This is really going to keep me from being distracted so much.


----------



## Al Dente (Sep 3, 2012)

I just followed a tutorial from the previously posted Flickr group to build a new rechargeable battery pack from the old one. Mine still worked, but I figured it was 10 years old so I was better off with a new one. I used Energizer Recharge brand batteries and it's working perfectly.

Here's the link if anyone else wants to try:

http://www.wikihow.com/Refurbish-an-Alphasmart-Dana-Battery-Pack


----------



## AngryGames (Jul 28, 2013)

Right. So. Just got my 3000 about an hour ago. 

Turned it on, everything seemed to work... except the keyboard. I mean, it worked, but half the keys did nothing, and the other half gave me weird characters. Some were Greek chars, but others were the 'registered' symbol (r with circle around it, like a trademark symbol), the symbol for Japan's currency, etc. I mean, they could be Greek chars, as I'm not Greek, but whatever. The backspace key wouldn't even do anything. 

So I spent half an hour reading the manual and some websites, but this problem apparently has never come up to where someone would discuss it (or they'd put the answer in the manual). 

The beautiful thing is that I called the toll-free support number, got immediately routed to a nice lady named Stephanie, and we spent about 30 minutes trying a few different tricks and commands. Nothing. Then she had me hold for a minute while she I guess talked to one of the engineers or ultra-nerds, came back, and had me remove the right Option key. The instant the key cover came off, everything started working properly!

So, to make a short story long, after pulling the lower left option key and putting it back on, everything now works. Apparently holding that key down is what makes the unit suddenly switch to some strange character map. Just in case anyone gets one (I got mine for $19+$5 shipping from Amazon) and has this exact problem and sort of goes apeshit trying to figure out wtf is wrong with it. 

Kudos to Stephanie for keeping her cool too haha. Not that anyone would rage and bring an AK-47 to work over a simple problem like this, but I could tell she was frustrated too (not at me, because she'd never seen this problem before and told me it almost never takes more than 2-3 minutes to help a customer fix their unit). 

Also, she was surprised that these items are suddenly popular again. I told her to come here or send some bosses here to check out this thread as a ton of us seem to be scooping these up. She said the reason they stopped making them was they seemed to be already obsolete thanks to mobile phones and tablets by the time they started hitting the market. Since they were aimed at schools/education, and schools have all been switching to iPads and other digital devices, I can see why they maybe wouldn't be so popular. 

Maybe someone from the company will stop by and yell at us. Anyway, I'm actually kind of curious now about the Neo and the Dana. I looked at them quite a bit before I ordered this 3000, but the 3k was $19 and the neo and dana started at $45+ ($68 for the neo was the cheapest I saw for a working one). 

Okay. STFU, Travis. Gonna go type dirty limericks on my 3000 and then IR them to my wife's computer (her school laptop hahahaha).


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Glad you got it all sorted out, Travis. Happy writing.


----------



## Andie (Jan 24, 2014)

So nice that they're willing to provide support for a product they no longer make, and an older version of it besides. Very cool.


----------



## Ty Johnston (Jun 19, 2009)

AngryGames said:


> Maybe someone from the company will stop by and yell at us.


Actually, considering a number of government agencies across the globe (most noticeably Germany) are switching back to non-connected technology (in some cases actual typewriters) for security purposes, there could very well be a larger audience for something similar to an Alphasmart, an easy to use, portable word processor without a lot of bells and whistles ... just a port for plugging into a computer when needed.

Keep the price reasonable, and I could see such gaining more ground among writers. This thread alone shows the potential for these devices.


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Ty Johnston said:


> Actually, considering a number of government agencies across the globe (most noticeably Germany) are switching back to non-connected technology (in some cases actual typewriters) for security purposes, there could very well be a larger audience for something similar to an Alphasmart, an easy to use, portable word processor without a lot of bells and whistles ... just a port for plugging into a computer when needed.
> 
> Keep the price reasonable, and I could see such gaining more ground among writers. This thread alone shows the potential for these devices.


Yes. Not being connected definitely has its advantages for people like us. I used to do 1K/hour on my netbook. On the AS, I can nearly double my output.


----------



## Al Dente (Sep 3, 2012)

I hope someone does stop by and talk to us. I'd be happy to let them know how many of these I'd buy if they started making them again. I've gotten so much work done on my Dana (I can't believe I got a Dana Wireless for $24!) that I might never write on a connected device again.

Also, that battery pack hack I posted a few days ago is still going strong. In fact, I haven't charged my Dana since I built the new rechargeable pack and it's still showing a full charge.


----------



## Mandy (Dec 27, 2009)

What exactly do you use the AlphaSmarts for? We use these in my kindergarten class so the students can practice writing high frequency words and learn the very basics of typing and spacing words.


----------



## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

Some observations after having the Neo a week:

I'm not concerned with any rechargeable batteries or AC adapters.  Put fresh batteries in a week ago, and they're only down to 98%.  That's after typing about 20k of words on it.  So it looks like the battery life is measured in many months. 

Tried the six-line font, and while it's not too small, the bottom line hugs close to the bottom of the screen, and keyboard curves down to it, so if you're not at the right angle, the curve blocks part of the lower line.  Which is where practically all of the typing occurs. 

If you download and install Neo Manager, you have two options for retrieving the text you've typed.  You can do it the normal way, where the Neo emulates the PC's keyboard and types into your editor, or with Neo Manager, you can download it all at once, and copy and paste into your editor.  The copy and paste is (much) faster, but with Word, it will autocorrect if you use the emulator. 

Also, Neo Manager allows you to upload text to the Neo.  Which is great if you're in the middle of something, and you want to continue writing it on the Neo. 

And Neo Manager allows you to remove some of the Applets you don't use, which I presume frees up more memory for typing.  Could be wrong about that though.

The only thing I really miss compared to Word is a built-in Thesaurus.  I use that frequently, so with the Neo I just have to make a note and pick the right word later. 

I've found it's easier to ignore spelling mistakes while using the Neo. Especially if they're a couple lines up.  You can fix them quicker when you get back to your computer, especially if you have an editor that highlights errors.


----------



## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

Mandy said:


> What exactly do you use the AlphaSmarts for? We use these in my kindergarten class so the students can practice writing high frequency words and learn the very basics of typing and spacing words.


They're for those of us with no willpower, and can't ignore all the distractions a computer provides while writing.


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

swolf said:


> They're for those of us with no willpower, and can't ignore all the distractions a computer provides while writing.


Yes, and it's lightweight and the AA batteries last up to a year. Plus, with the small amount of text on the screen, there's very little temptation to constantly edit. I just keep on writing, although now that I know how to check my wordage, I find I'm using that excuse to "take a break."


----------



## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> although now that I know how to check my wordage, I find I'm using that excuse to "take a break."


Please share!


----------



## Writerly Writer (Jul 19, 2012)

JRHenderson said:


> American shipping costs? Brisbane isn't _that_ far away from you, Kylie...
> 
> http://www.spectronics.com.au/catalogue/alphasmart


You are now my favourite!!!!!


----------



## Al Dente (Sep 3, 2012)

The Dana doesn't get anywhere near that kind of battery life, so I'm thankful I was able to get a fresh rechargeable pack installed. I may have to invest in a Neo later on just based on the longer life between charges. Still, since I replaced the pack in mine, I haven't had to charge it yet. Today my Dana moved a whole notch down to 99 percent.


----------



## Writerly Writer (Jul 19, 2012)

swolf said:


> Unfortunately, it says on this page the Neo and Neo are no longer available:
> 
> http://www.spectronics.com.au/product/neo-family
> 
> I checked the shipping for a first class box from the U.S. to Australia, and it's about $24 U.S. Maybe she has a friend here who can buy it on Ebay and then ship it to her.


*sadface again*

The $24 shipping is about what I'd pay on ebay. Maybe when Amazon pays me out next month I'll consider it. Or, I could just sit inside all summer and use that money on putting out more books


----------



## Lehane (Apr 7, 2014)

Oof, well, I didn't exactly have $30 to spend, but then the eBay seller accepted my lower offer on a Neo, so...I guess I'll be on team retro soon. I desperately need to eliminate distractions in my writing life.

I think it was the blog CASD57 posted up thread. That same blog has a post of people who painted their Alphasmarts (http://blog.katmellon.com/2014/05/painted-alphasmart-round-up.html). I am DYING to make mine a bright, fancy color. Can't wait to play with it!


----------



## Writerly Writer (Jul 19, 2012)

Nawww...

"Hi K.J.

Thank you for your email.

Unfortunately Spectronics no longer supplies any of the AlphaSmart devices and I am unaware of any other Australian resellers. I do however recommend for you to contact the manufacturer of this device, Renaissance Learning for further information and support.
I have attached below a direct link to their website where you will find all further contact details.

(website was inserted here)

Kind regards
Trelise"


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

swolf said:


> Please share!


CTRL W. Also gives you paragraphs and page count. ESC to get out of it.


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Lehane said:


> Oof, well, I didn't exactly have $30 to spend, but then the eBay seller accepted my lower offer on a Neo, so...I guess I'll be on team retro soon. I desperately need to eliminate distractions in my writing life.
> 
> I think it was the blog CASD57 posted up thread. That same blog has a post of people who painted their Alphasmarts (http://blog.katmellon.com/2014/05/painted-alphasmart-round-up.html). I am DYING to make mine a bright, fancy color. Can't wait to play with it!


Oooh, Shiney. I wonder what kind of paint they used?


----------



## Lehane (Apr 7, 2014)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Oooh, Shiney. I wonder what kind of paint they used?


It's vinyl spray paint, usually used on car interiors. I think Rustoleum Plastic Paint could work just as well?

Here's the blog from the first guy who did it, I think. That red is sliiiiick! http://vancefry.com/projects/red-neo/


----------



## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> CTRL W. Also gives you paragraphs and page count. ESC to get out of it.


Sweet! Thanks!


----------



## Marie Long (Jan 11, 2014)

Lehane said:


> Oof, well, I didn't exactly have $30 to spend, but then the eBay seller accepted my lower offer on a Neo, so...I guess I'll be on team retro soon. I desperately need to eliminate distractions in my writing life.
> 
> I think it was the blog CASD57 posted up thread. That same blog has a post of people who painted their Alphasmarts (http://blog.katmellon.com/2014/05/painted-alphasmart-round-up.html). I am DYING to make mine a bright, fancy color. Can't wait to play with it!


Those are some sweet looking NEOs


----------



## Perro Callejero (Dec 23, 2013)

Lehane said:


> the eBay seller accepted my lower offer on a Neo, so...I guess I'll be on team retro soon.


Hooray for Team Retro!


----------



## Ty Johnston (Jun 19, 2009)

Lehane said:


> It's vinyl spray paint, usually used on car interiors. I think Rustoleum Plastic Paint could work just as well?


I was just getting ready to ask.


----------



## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

Those colored Neos are very cool.  I'm being tempted. 

I'm thinking a nice bright yellow.


----------



## Ty Johnston (Jun 19, 2009)

swolf said:


> I'm thinking a nice bright yellow.


I was thinking all black. Except for the Batman logo.


----------



## Lehane (Apr 7, 2014)

I wonder how hard popping off the keys and painting them would be? Obviously you would need to put stickers on, but...but..._neon keyboard_.


----------



## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

It looks like Advance Auto Parts carries the paint for a reasonable price.

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/brands/SEM+Paints

And from they way they're describing it, Rustoleum paint wouldn't work the same. Seems to be more of a dye than a paint.


----------



## Lehane (Apr 7, 2014)

swolf said:


> It looks like Advance Auto Parts carries the paint for a reasonable price.
> 
> http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/brands/SEM+Paints
> 
> And from they way they're describing it, Rustoleum paint wouldn't work the same. Seems to be more of a dye than a paint.


I believe you're right. But I don't seem to see the SEM paints in bright colors, aside from the red. The Pacific Blue is tempting.


----------



## CASD57 (May 3, 2014)

Al Dente said:


> The Dana doesn't get anywhere near that kind of battery life, so I'm thankful I was able to get a fresh rechargeable pack installed. I may have to invest in a Neo later on just based on the longer life between charges. Still, since I replaced the pack in mine, I haven't had to charge it yet. Today my Dana moved a whole notch down to 99 percent.


I got a battery pack with mine and it seems to be doing great.. also the power supply on my Cannon Calculator on my Desk seems to work on the Dana and charges it.. SO charging is no problem for me..But I've got a Neo too..just in case


----------



## Lydniz (May 2, 2013)

My Neo is a sparkly green. They sent me what I'm pretty sure was a refurbished one as a replacement when mine died. Does that mean someone has already pimped it? I assumed they must come in several colours.


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

You can get plastic paint at the craft store. It comes in small bottles so you'd probably need several. I think I'd rather go that way than use spray paint on my baby.

Question? Should I spend time searching out paint and then spiffing up my AS or should I be writing? Sadly, the latter answer is going to win out. <sigh>

But, there's always stickers!!!


----------



## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

Mandy said:


> What exactly do you use the AlphaSmarts for? We use these in my kindergarten class so the students can practice writing high frequency words and learn the very basics of typing and spacing words.


I use mine for powering out first drafts of manuscripts. No distractions, no editing, no internet. Just writing as fast as I can out of my brain, through the fingers, and onto the Neo. Once the chapters or scenes are done, I dump them into Scrivener for tweaking and fixing.

Protip for those who need it--I found that the little rubber feet on the bottom of my neo had worn down to the point where if I was typing on a smooth surface, the Neo would slide around. So I bought a four-pack of cheap rubber furniture leg caps and stuck them to the bottom of my Neo. No more sliding.


----------



## Lydniz (May 2, 2013)

Jim Johnson said:


> Protip for those who need it--I found that the little rubber feet on the bottom of my neo had worn down to the point where if I was typing on a smooth surface, the Neo would slide around. So I bought a four-pack of cheap rubber furniture leg caps and stuck them to the bottom of my Neo. No more sliding.


Now that's a good tip. My (presumably) refurbished one has one worn rubber thingy and it wobbles when I type on a flat surface, which drives me bonkers.


----------



## Lehane (Apr 7, 2014)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> You can get plastic paint at the craft store. It comes in small bottles so you'd probably need several. I think I'd rather go that way than use spray paint on my baby.
> 
> Question? Should I spend time searching out paint and then spiffing up my AS or should I be writing? Sadly, the latter answer is going to win out. <sigh>
> 
> But, there's always stickers!!!


It's not really spray paint -- it's a dye that leaves a finish as smooth as the original, because of some sort of science magic that makes it bind with the surface (as far as I can tell, that is). So it's not sticky like paint or spray paint would be, nor textured from brush strokes and overspray. You take the thing apart so it doesn't suffer. ;P

That said, I am intimidated! We'll see what ends up happening.

In other news, eBay glitched and resubmitted my offer. Gahhhh, I don't need two Neos! I didn't mean to get in this deep...hopefully I can fix it with the seller. Otherwise, uh. Does someone need one?


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Lehane said:


> It's not really spray paint -- it's a dye that leaves a finish as smooth as the original, because of some sort of science magic that makes it bind with the surface (as far as I can tell, that is). So it's not sticky like paint or spray paint would be, nor textured from brush strokes and overspray. You take the thing apart so it doesn't suffer. ;P
> 
> That said, I am intimidated! We'll see what ends up happening.
> 
> In other news, eBay glitched and resubmitted my offer. Gahhhh, I don't need two Neos! I didn't mean to get in this deep...hopefully I can fix it with the seller. Otherwise, uh. Does someone need one?


Take it apart?


----------



## penrefe (Nov 30, 2011)

Lehane said:


> In other news, eBay glitched and resubmitted my offer. Gahhhh, I don't need two Neos! I didn't mean to get in this deep...hopefully I can fix it with the seller. Otherwise, uh. Does someone need one?


If you end up with an extra, just put it back on eBay. With the amount of people on the basis of this thread alone (myself included) who've gone and bought one, I'm sure you'll shift the extra unit in no time!


----------



## Lehane (Apr 7, 2014)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Take it apart?


  It's not scary! I promise!


----------



## CASD57 (May 3, 2014)

I saw somewhere someone wanted their Alphsmart to tilt for easier typing and screen viewing.. And they used those 3m self sticking Hooks you can buy at any store and stuck a couple on the bottom


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Lehane said:


> It's not scary! I promise!


I'll stick with stickers, thank you very much.


----------



## AngryGames (Jul 28, 2013)

So... this 3000 is possibly a revolutionary tool for me. In the same sense that Scrivener and Kboards completely changed the way I went about the business (and art) of writing, the 3000 has frightened me. 

You see, I live in a big house (we're not rich, we beat the previous owners with aluminum bats until they agreed to leave), and in every room of the house, there's a spiral notebook. Most of them look like they've been through the jungles of Vietnam during the war, and all of them are 50%+ filled with lots and lots of scribbling and ideas and concepts and me drawing penis pictures to embarrass my wife. Then she embarrasses me by drawing WAY BETTER pics than me. 

*ahem*

Anyway, I need a notebook in every room. Well, I did. For the last day since this thing arrived and I got it working, I've been carrying it around the house everywhere I go. The best part is I could sit on my back porch and watch the world go by (we don't have neighbors behind us!) while writing a bit. 

Then about two hours later, I realized I'd written two full chapters of one WiP, a chapter in another, and even wrote 1 1/2 chapters of something I just totally came up with out of the blue (some time travel shit where the main char is on the run from his future self who is trying to kill him). The entertaining part wasn't writing it, but plugging it into Word and watching the text crawl across the page haha. I can maybe speed it up, but I don't actually care about that part. 

First thing after waking up, I grabbed the 3000, my cup of coffee, and sat on the porch again, writing this post. Of course, I have to move this over to a PC then copy-paste into this reply box, but that's just me being nerdy. I LOVE THIS THING!

Okay, so... there's one huge ultra mega super monster hyper big-big flaw with this thing: no backlit screen. Unless I'm stupid and can't find it, but the manual didn't say anything about it. Since I only paid $19, and I absolutely love it, it's not that bad of a flaw. Or maybe it is. I'm a graveyard shift writer, and I love to sit out on the porch at night, but I hate using lamps because of the bugs. So I think I'm going to look for a couple of things to mod my 3000:

1. An attachable LED pen light of sorts with an adjustable neck. I can take the housing of the 3000 apart so I can anchor the LED with some screws or such, as there's no real place to just clip one on. 

2. A full mod where I drill small holes around the screen, insert low-light LEDs, and wire them down to another batter (there's plenty of room inside for a single AAA or AA). I'd hood the LEDs a bit so they don't shine into my eyes (I want them lighting up the screen), and again, they'd be low-light ones to both save batteries and to keep from getting glare on the screen. 

3. Buy a Neo/Dana? Do the Neo units have a backlit screen? I'm still gonna mod this thing, but now that I know what these units are, I'm really thinking of getting a Neo or Dana as well (Neo if it has backlit screen). 

I love my Zebra F-301 pen (I wrote a huge, funny review for the ink refills heh) and my notebooks. But I type far faster than I can write, and when my hands get sweaty the paper curls, or smudges, or all manner of negative things. 

I apologize for wall of gushing text, but seriously... this is a complete game changer for me. Not that I wasn't prolific with jotting down words before, but this... If I could somehow equate it to masturbation without being gross, I totally would. But I don't think that's possible, and now everyone else is grossed out. Which is a secondary plan that came to fruition haha. 

Find one of these units. Buy it (make sure it works). Try it. 


PS: If someone merged an e-ink screen with a full keyboard like this, gave it Paperwhite-type backlighting, and an SD card slot for memory... it would probably cost $200 (Stephanie told me the 3000's were $300+ brand new), but I would buy one. Laptops are not comfortable for me sitting down in any chair to write for long periods, and I can only sit in my main computer chair(s) for so long before my back starts screaming. I hate typing on my Xoom tablet even though I'm almost as good as I am with a real keyboard, but it's the tactile sensation, the click of the keys that I have to have. 

Okay, for reals, I'm shutting up. Going to try and transfer straight to Scrivener instead of Word, as if it works, I'll be pleased as punch (the punch served at Jonestown).


----------



## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

AngryGames said:


> 3. Buy a Neo/Dana? Do the Neo units have a backlit screen? I'm still gonna mod this thing, but now that I know what these units are, I'm really thinking of getting a Neo or Dana as well (Neo if it has backlit screen).


Neo's don't have a backlit screen, but from what others are saying, Dana's do.


----------



## Ty Johnston (Jun 19, 2009)

AngryGames said:


> 1. An attachable LED pen light of sorts with an adjustable neck. I can take the housing of the 3000 apart so I can anchor the LED with some screws or such, as there's no real place to just clip one on.


Does the 3000 happen to have a USB port?

I'm guessing not, but if it does, there are lights just like you described that can plug into a USB.

For example: http://www.lightinthebox.com/Adjustable-USB-LED-Keyboard-Light_p109542.html


----------



## Chrissy (Mar 31, 2014)

removed


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Chrissy said:


> Here's a creative soul who backlit his Alphasmart 3000.
> 
> http://www.imagitronics.org/projects/alphasmart-lcd-mod/


I solved that little problem by buying a bedside lamp for $5.


----------



## AngryGames (Jul 28, 2013)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> I solved that little problem by buying a bedside lamp for $5.


I have a lamp, but it isn't very portable 

Thanks for the links to the light and to the mod!


----------



## Lehane (Apr 7, 2014)

Re: a light -- I was thinking of getting a book light, but you make a good point about no place to clip it. I was thinking something like this:










It's an M-Edge book light, for use with their e-reader cases that have a little pocket where the flat part slides in. I'm not sure how sturdy/tall (ETA: this unit is around 7.5 inches tall, which should clear the depth of a Neo?) they are, but mounting that seems like it'd be much easier than trying to fenangle with a clip or modify another book light. Just a couple of short support screws to attach it to the bottom of the unit, with the light coming up over the back. At least, that's what my non-engineer brain is thinking.

You could even fashion a little pocket or clip for the base, so you could take the light on and off for travel or when it's not necessary...or to use it with your e-reader case, I suppose.


----------



## Al Dente (Sep 3, 2012)

The Danas indeed have a backlight. I think the eBay seller I bought mine from still has a few up for $24. I posted the link a few pages back.


----------



## Lydniz (May 2, 2013)

Surely the whole point of it is to be plain and boring so you get some writing done instead of getting distracted by the pretty pictures all over it?


----------



## Lehane (Apr 7, 2014)

Lydniz said:


> Surely the whole point of it is to be plain and boring so you get some writing done instead of getting distracted by the pretty pictures all over it?


Shhhh. I'm procrastinating over here! 

ETA: Drew, inspired by your post, I googled "decoupage keyboard" and was not disappointed. A comic book themed one! Eeeeee. THAT may be exactly what I do with mine.


----------



## AngryGames (Jul 28, 2013)

The ultra-nerd in my is reaaaaally itching to pull the trigger on a backlit LCD. For the price of it, I guess I could get a Dana, and just use the 3000 in the daytime. Either way, I'm getting a new toy. I might get a backlit LCD anyway. I spent quite a long time modifying computer cases (and the hardware itself) because I'm just that geeky.


----------



## AngryGames (Jul 28, 2013)

Also... what's the deal with the Dana and Windows 7? Does it work with a USB cable?


----------



## Lehane (Apr 7, 2014)

kward said:


> To make that light mod extra sexy all you have to do is have some kind of hinge at the base of the light pole so when not in use you just pull the light down so it rests at the Alphasmart's side - kinda like the chrome antenna on the old school boom box. That way the light is always there if/when you need it and easily out of the way if/when you don't.


It took me a second, because I had imagined the light mounted back and center behind the screen, but you just blew my mind.


----------



## AngryGames (Jul 28, 2013)

A nerd friend of mine was telling me today about LED strips. Can just cut them to size, solder them to the battery leads (or to toggle / on-off switch then to battery) and mount them over the screen at an angle that also gives the keyboard itself some light. We're going to take a few days to think about this one lol. If I break it, well, I saw 5x (sold as a single lot) of the 3000's for $25 on ebay.

I ordered a Dana from the link back on page 4 or so, and I ordered a new rechargeable + AC adaptor from Renaissance. I also canceled an order for a laptop at Amazon as it still hasn't arrived to the warehouse, and won't for another two weeks. I don't think I need it now (I was buying it as a main writing/gaming laptop since my wife's died and was going to give her my Lenovo).

But I definitely would still like some kind of light for my 3000. With the huge amount of room inside the casing, it won't be hard to mount something (and with the room inside, it looks to be easy to add in a device that requires another battery holder). I think I even read that a rechargeable battery holder can be mounted inside for whatever purpose, and it can be charged via the USB slot with some selective geekery. However, I might have been intoxicated when I 'remembered' (and wrote) this.

Anyway, no one asked, but it works in Scrivener (maybe someone mentioned that it does, my mind is a bit fuzzy lately).





(some weird story about superhero/villain henchmen I'm writing for this new KU thing)

I'm actually writing more than normal with this, though I had to set up in a room with good lighting after dark. I think I'll keep the 3000 for the back porch/travel, and the Dana as my main nighttime unit.


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

I'm getting a package of clear, printable stickers. I'll print out my book covers and decorate my AS with them. Inspirational, not procrastinational, right?

Now that I'm looking at my AS 3000, there's not a lot of room for stickers so they'll have to be small.


----------



## CASD57 (May 3, 2014)

AngryGames said:


> Also... what's the deal with the Dana and Windows 7? Does it work with a USB cable?


I've got a Neo and Dana..
Neo no back light
Dana yes after starting hold down the on/off button turns it on and off

Both units works on my Win 8 so I would say it would work on Win 7


----------



## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

Been doing a little research into the painting thing, and here's what I've found out.

Since SEM Color Coat (the recommended paint) is meant for car interiors, it's extremely limited in what colors are available. Here's the pdf color chart:

http://www.semproducts.com/wp-content/uploads/assets/color_cards/color_coat_aerosols_web.pdf

Not very exciting. The reds are ok, the blues are a little too dark for my taste, and there's no way I'm painting it tan or gray.

However, in all the descriptions for SEM Color Coat, none of them call it a dye. It's a paint. And it has to be applied like paint, in multiple thin layers. That leads me to believe that any paint intended for plastic will work. And that would explain some of those colorful pictures posted previously in this thread.


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

swolf said:


> Been doing a little research into the painting thing, and here's what I've found out.
> 
> Since SEM Color Coat (the recommended paint) is meant for car interiors, it's extremely limited in what colors are available. Here's the pdf color chart:
> 
> ...


Yes. Plastic paint is available in small bottles in craft stores like Michael's or A.C. Moore. I still wouldn't take it apart to spray paint it.

I'm getting the clear sticker paper for my Ink Jet printer and when I stick all my book covers on it, it'll be like a walking advertisement.


----------



## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Yes. Plastic paint is available in small bottles in craft stores like Michael's or A.C. Moore. I still wouldn't take it apart to spray paint it.
> 
> I'm getting the clear sticker paper for my Ink Jet printer and when I stick all my book covers on it, it'll be like a walking advertisement.


I guess you could also go to a model store or a Games Workshop store and pick up paint too. GW especially has all sorts of colors for their various miniatures lines.


----------



## Lydniz (May 2, 2013)

Jim Johnson said:


> I guess you could also go to a model store or a Games Workshop store and pick up paint too. GW especially has all sorts of colors for their various miniatures lines.


"Yes, sir, you can have any colour you like as long as it's Mithril Silver."


----------



## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Yes. Plastic paint is available in small bottles in craft stores like Michael's or A.C. Moore. I still wouldn't take it apart to spray paint it.


The problem with that is you're not going to get a smooth finish unless you spray it on.


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

swolf said:


> The problem with that is you're not going to get a smooth finish unless you spray it on.


Not if I'm doing the spraying. 

Gertie "The Drip Queen"


----------



## Andie (Jan 24, 2014)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Not if I'm doing the spraying.
> 
> Gertie "The Drip Queen"


Hey now, don't steal my painting style.


----------



## Becca Fanning (May 17, 2014)

You've all convinced me.  My Dana should arrive tomorrow.


----------



## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

Micki23 said:


> I've been told by the resident paint expert that if we use plastic primer first, I can have my Neo any paint color I want. http://www.krylon.com/products/colormaster-plastic-primer/


There's also this, which doesn't need a primer coat. Still not unlimited colors, but I found the ones I like in there.

http://www.krylon.com/products/fusion-for-plastic/


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## penrefe (Nov 30, 2011)

Ahh! Ahh!










I don't think I was this excited when I was waiting for my new phone!

Now I need to find an excuse to write something new, since I'm supposed to be editing now.

AAAAAAHHHHH!


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

penrefe said:


> Ahh! Ahh!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Better than Kindle Watch?


----------



## penrefe (Nov 30, 2011)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Better than Kindle Watch?


Ohhhh, that's a toughie! I've had 2 Kindles, and each time I practically sat like a dog behind the letterbox.

Also, it arrived! Haven't got much opportunity to play with it just now as I'm in work (very busy, obviously), but I got the basics down:










=D


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## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

Sweet!


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Very nice. I like the look of it.


----------



## Lehane (Apr 7, 2014)

My Neo is out for the delivery.

Patience is not my virtue.


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## shadowfox (Jun 22, 2012)

My new secondhand NEO has arrived. I've already owned an NEO but it died, so it's fun to be back at the LED screen.

No internet browsing during writing for me :/

Tried it out with a 2,200 word story. Works well.


----------



## Lehane (Apr 7, 2014)

IT'S HERE.

I kind of like the ugly weird swamp green. I was worried I would hate it. I think a decoupage might be just what this calls for, keeping the keyboard as-is.

I'm going to have to get used to the dense keyboard, as my "chiclet" laptop is much wider. But the keys! They are so clackey! I'm delighted.

So is the delivery cable just a standard printer cable?


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## penrefe (Nov 30, 2011)

Lehane said:


> IT'S HERE.
> 
> I kind of like the ugly weird swamp green. I was worried I would hate it. I think a decoupage might be just what this calls for, keeping the keyboard as-is.
> 
> ...


High five!

I think they're the same as printer cables, yeah. Definitely same port.


----------



## Lehane (Apr 7, 2014)

penrefe said:


> High five!
> 
> I think they're the same as printer cables, yeah. Definitely same port.


Shortly after asking, I dug around all to old printers/scanners we don't use and found about three, hah.

I'm coveting your new Dana, by the way. I just love that big screen! Convincing myself that I don't need two...

Once I shoot off some job applications I'm gonna play with my Neo more. It looks like it might've been an old classroom model, based on the extra applets. Time to sully it with some paranormal romance.


----------



## Lydniz (May 2, 2013)

My neoprene sleeve arrived today. Maybe we should start a fanclub.


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## Al Dente (Sep 3, 2012)

Just wrote 600 words in 25 minutes on my Dana. I love it! I'm even thinking about ordering more of them as backup units.


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

Just wanted to say that this thread makes me ridiculously happy to read everyone having fun and being productive with their Alphasmarts.


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## Lehane (Apr 7, 2014)

Jim Johnson said:


> Just wanted to say that this thread makes me ridiculously happy to read everyone having fun and being productive with their Alphasmarts.


It is like the dorkiest, happiest clubhouse on KBoards. I love it.


----------



## penrefe (Nov 30, 2011)

Lehane, Micki...you know, two is better than one ;p

I'd totally join that fanclub, Lydniz!

I kind of feel like I've joined a cult.


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

Some Alphasmart pr0n for your day. This was taken on national donut day. I've since painted this room and moved, but hey...Alphasmart and donuts. What more do you need?


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## Chinese Writer (Mar 25, 2014)

Mine is suppose to be here Sat or Mon at the latest. I can't wait. Since I start keeping track of my time, I realized that I almost 7,000 words a week on forums or critiques and less than 2,000 on my WIPs. Yikes! I would write for about 15 - 20 minutes and then decide there is something more urgent to check on the Internet like my sale stats.


----------



## Andie (Jan 24, 2014)

artan said:


> Mine is suppose to be here Sat or Mon at the latest. I can't wait. Since I start keeping track of my time, I realized that I almost 7,000 words a week on forums or critiques and less than 2,000 on my WIPs. Yikes! I would write for about 15 - 20 minutes and then decide there is something more urgent to check on the Internet like my sale stats.


This is exactly why I love mine so much.


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

I was working on my AlphaSmart at McD's tonight and somebody actually knew what it was.



Lehane said:


> IT'S HERE.
> 
> I kind of like the ugly weird swamp green. I was worried I would hate it. I think a decoupage might be just what this calls for, keeping the keyboard as-is.
> 
> ...


Yeah, the "clackey" keyboard makes it sound like an old-fashioned typewriter. Pretty cool!


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## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

Well, I now know how to take a Neo apart. 

Tomorrow we'll see if I can put it back together.


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## Becca Fanning (May 17, 2014)

artan said:


> I would write for about 15 - 20 minutes and then decide there is something more urgent to check on the Internet like my *sale stats*.


Yeah, you'd think you couldn't spend hours just refreshing a line graph, but I'm proof that you can :/.


----------



## Lehane (Apr 7, 2014)

swolf said:


> Well, I now know how to take a Neo apart.
> 
> Tomorrow we'll see if I can put it back together.


Didja paint it? Or just experimenting?


----------



## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

Lehane said:


> Didja paint it? Or just experimenting?


First color is on. Second goes on tomorrow morning.


----------



## Lehane (Apr 7, 2014)

swolf said:


> First color is on. Second goes on tomorrow morning.


Yeah!! Can't wait to see the finished project.

I just got my first prolonged exposure to my Neo. Dragged it with me to bed and got out just shy of 1,000 words in about 45 minutes. I'm gobsmacked. It's amazing what no distractions and a too-tricky-to-backtrack interface can do. I just had to soldier on, something I have always struggled with extensively. I will have to edit -- not even sure if these words will make a ton of sense down the road -- but man. That sure beats doing nothing!

I did, a few times, lift my hand to use a touchpad so I could move the cursor. My hands will have to learn that there is not a touchpad, not even a mouse, in sight!


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

swolf said:


> First color is on. Second goes on tomorrow morning.


We'll look forward to photos.


----------



## Charmaine (Jul 20, 2012)

Lehane said:


> I just got my first prolonged exposure to my Neo. Dragged it with me to bed and got out just shy of 1,000 words in about 45 minutes. I'm gobsmacked.


This is what I noticed with my neo too! It usually takes me an hour for 1000 words, but now only 45 minutes. 
I've also started doing the pomodoro technique, but in 15 minute segments instead of 30, as well.
I'm more of a sprinter, so the shorter time might have more to do with it


----------



## seia_lit (Aug 15, 2014)

First post here, but I saw this thread and wanted to comment.

I had a Neo, which I loved until I used it for a while. It was awesome to use, but because of the age it had a few things that held me back.

The PA software wouldn't work well on my Win7 pc,  the memory cards for it are rare because they have to be I think 8MB or less to be recognized, which now cost more than 8MB cards. Since I didn't have the card, I had to sync it with my computer via USB to Notepad (where it retype it, which was weird), and if the batteries died before I could sync it would erase the temp memory that my docs were stored on.

It was a dream to use besides all that. At least until my toddler pulled all the keys off, which breaks the plastic.

I haven't tried the Dana yet, but I really wish someone would make an Android device with decent specs and GDocs syncing.

Considering the very cheap cost of the Neo on eBay and such (about $30 US last I checked) it's definitely worth a try for people who are curious.

(Also, it works as a USB keyboard to your PC if you can figure out how to turn that ability on.)


----------



## MyraScott (Jul 18, 2014)

Headed to Walmart at lunchtime to buy some Fusion plastic paint.  And maybe some glitter.  Clear.  I don't want to be tacky or anything.


----------



## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

MyraScott said:


> Headed to Walmart at lunchtime to buy some Fusion plastic paint. And maybe some glitter. Clear.  I don't want to be tacky or anything.


That's the spirit!


----------



## penrefe (Nov 30, 2011)

Got a couple of question for you experts!

So this Dana of mine doesn't seem to hold its charge. I've taken out the rechargeable battery (had to cut it out, probably shouldn't have, but it works okay with regular AA's), and it comes on fine now so...I'm good!

I've ordered a 512MB SD card (smallest size I could get at the most reasonable price--wouldn't read an 8GB, which is all I have otherwise), but until it arrives the words are only stored inside the unit.

Q1, Any idea how long a set of batteries will last, if I'm using it say 4-6 hours a day for the next few days? Will it see a week, or at least until this card arrives?

Q2, If the batteries die, and I replace them quickly, will the contents be saved? I haven't really used it to type anything substantial yet, but while it wasn't holding its charge, I used it plugged into the PC, and when I unplugged it, it went dead almost immediately and then had wiped when I plugged it in again. Just a little worried about losing whatever I put onto it before the card arrives.

Oh, and I want to see pictures of everyone's painted units, like, now! =D


----------



## Al Dente (Sep 3, 2012)

penrefe said:


> Got a couple of question for you experts!
> 
> So this Dana of mine doesn't seem to hold its charge. I've taken out the rechargeable battery (had to cut it out, probably shouldn't have, but it works okay with regular AA's), and it comes on fine now so...I'm good!
> 
> ...


I'd be careful with it until your SD card arrives. How long it will last with regular batteries depends on the brand you're using. I used some of the wiring from my old rechargeable battery pack to build a new pack with a set of Energizer rechargeable AA's that are much more powerful than the original pack was. Mine has gone almost a week and only lost a few percent. If I had to guess, I'd say that my Dana could go roughly a month (or perhaps 3 weeks if I had to give a low estimate) between charging after the battery upgrade. With typical AA batteries, I've heard the Dana lasts about 25 - 30 hours, and that's counting when it's not in use. Using the backlight might reduce that.


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

MyraScott said:


> Headed to Walmart at lunchtime to buy some Fusion plastic paint. And maybe some glitter. Clear. I don't want to be tacky or anything.


----------



## Lydniz (May 2, 2013)

penrefe said:


> Q2, If the batteries die, and I replace them quickly, will the contents be saved?


I vaguely remember when I was looking at Danas the answer to that being no.


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

The AAs in the 3000 are supposed to last about a year. I'll probably changed them every six months just to be safe.


----------



## BillSmithBooksDotCom (Nov 4, 2012)

penrefe said:


> Got a couple of question for you experts!
> 
> So this Dana of mine doesn't seem to hold its charge. I've taken out the rechargeable battery (had to cut it out, probably shouldn't have, but it works okay with regular AA's), and it comes on fine now so...I'm good!
> 
> ...


1) Rule of thumb is 25-30 hours. I have found this to be generally accurate.

2) If you don't have the batteries in the Dana, you can lose your data VERY quickly. Have never tested it, but I would assume almost immediately.

ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS save your data to the memory card. Your data is permanently stored on the memory card and won't be lost even if the batteries go dead.

If you don't have a memory card, I would either ensure you always have well charged batteries in the unit or plug it into its AC charger to ensure you don't lose the charge.


----------



## Kassidia (Sep 14, 2012)

Got it, used it, loved it!  Now just have to figure out what all the functions are for this Neo....


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Kassidia said:


> Got it, used it, loved it! Now just have to figure out what all the functions are for this Neo....


I've had my 3000 for several months and haven't even looked at the applets.


----------



## AngryGames (Jul 28, 2013)

So... a few days of owning this 3000, and I've written close to 20k words on it already. Half the fun is watching it spit out words to Scrivener heh. 

I'd probably write a little more, but at night, it's impossible to see the screen. My Dana should be here on Monday, and I ordered a new battery + charger from the mfg (though no confirmation on that yet for some reason). And looky here, a 32MB big ol' SD card just sitting around, not being used...


----------



## MyraScott (Jul 18, 2014)

kward said:


> Clear glitter? I didn't even know there was such a thing!


----------



## Lehane (Apr 7, 2014)

MyraScott said:


>


I was in a sorority for four years and just looking at this photo made me feel like I had it stuck to my hands, bottoms of my feet, my hair, the carpet, the walls....

Glitter is forever (or as much as anything can be). Godspeed!


----------



## Nikki Hicks (Mar 5, 2014)

I'm convinced.    Just ordered the Dana today off ebay.  Now I won't have to drag around 2 laptops at the airport when I travel for work.


----------



## Ty Johnston (Jun 19, 2009)

This has officially become my favorite thread on kboards.


----------



## penrefe (Nov 30, 2011)

Thanks for the heads up on the battery situation, folks. I'm going to keep it very close to the laptop until the memory card arrives, try not to write too much in one go, transfer often, and hope for the best!

More people for the cult!

I honestly do getting this little machine is close to as important to my little writing "career" as discovering Scrivener.


----------



## Lydniz (May 2, 2013)

Has anyone else got one this colour? My first one was grey but this is the replacement they sent me. Is it a standard colour, does anyone know? It's very sparkly.


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Lydniz said:


> Has anyone else got one this colour? My first one was grey but this is the replacement they sent me. Is it a standard colour, does anyone know? It's very sparkly.


WOW!!! I've seen blue ones, but never one that color. Some previous owner might have painted it.


----------



## Andie (Jan 24, 2014)

Hah! That was definitely painted.


----------



## Lydniz (May 2, 2013)

If it is, then I could maybe get a bit annoyed that I paid the company for a new one which fried, and the replacement they sent me was a second-hand one.


----------



## shadowfox (Jun 22, 2012)

I wrote 10k words today on my new alphasmart.

It's cool when you start with a fresh file, and the alphasmart tells you you've run out of memory and have to go onto the next file...


----------



## Andie (Jan 24, 2014)

Lydniz said:


> If it is, then I could maybe get a bit annoyed that I paid the company for a new one which fried, and the replacement they sent me was a second-hand one.


I think it would be worth inquiring about. I don't think that's a stock color, and it's very telling that the keys are the normal color.


----------



## Lydniz (May 2, 2013)

Andie said:


> I think it would be worth inquiring about. I don't think that's a stock color, and it's very telling that the keys are the normal color.


It's a bit late now as it happened months ago and they don't have any new ones left. It was the official supplier though.


----------



## Andie (Jan 24, 2014)

Lydniz said:


> It's a bit late now as it happened months ago and they don't have any new ones left. It was the official supplier though.


As long as its working and you don't mind the color, hopefully not a big deal. I think it looks nice.


----------



## Lydniz (May 2, 2013)

No, I don't mind it. If it is a paint job then it's well done. Not a drip anywhere.


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

I didn't think there were any new ones available.


----------



## AngryGames (Jul 28, 2013)

Don't get me wrong, I love my old notebooks, as I still very much enjoy writing with a Zebra-301 pen. Truly, truly love it.

But I can type about 5x faster than I can write. And it's really annoying when I need to remember a story or idea, and have to run around the house digging through each damn notebook, only to find out I didn't write it in the notebook, I wrote it on the computer somewhere and then have to run around the house looking at each computer to see if it's the one I wrote it on but didn't stick it in the dropbox folder...

No, a 3000 + a Dana = a Travis that never STFU now. I can't be stopped. I can't be reasoned with. I can't be tamed. I WILL WRITE UNTIL YOU ARE ALL MY SLAVE-MINION-HENCHMEN (or Henchwomen, I'm an equal opportunity mind controller).

*whew* I'm thinking these little devices have some kind of radio transmitter or something in them because they make me all crazy whenever I'm around them. I had to stick my 3000 in the cupboard just to get it out of my head, but even now, I can hear its muffled, beckoning siren's call.

(written on my 3000, other than the amazon link I inserted)


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

I was looking on the Amazon Marketplace to pick up a spare 3000 and found this review.

There's a secondary CR2032 button-cell battery inside., May 9, 2011
By 
N. K. Whiton "Ken"
This review is from: Alphasmart Alpha Smart 3000 Word Processing Computer Mac PC
Important word of caution: If you are buying a used AlphaSmart, replace the internal CR2032 battery immediately. This is the battery that saves the memory. If it dies you will lose everything. Because of this possibility, the manufacturer recommends that the user download important files often. I bought a spare battery which I keep taped inside the machine. I change this battery once a year.


----------



## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

The paint job is complete, and the Neo is reassembled and working. 

Unfortunately, my boot drive on my PC is failing, so I can't upload the photos to my FTP site. Anyone know how to post pictures on here from an iPhone?


----------



## Lehane (Apr 7, 2014)

swolf said:


> The paint job is complete, and the Neo is reassembled and working.
> 
> Unfortunately, my boot drive on my PC is failing, so I can't upload the photos to my FTP site. Anyone know how to post pictures on here from an iPhone?


I usually upload them to imgur.com, then grab either the BB code from there or use the direct .jpg URL to stick it in the code myself. I can't wait to see!


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## geekgrrl (Oct 14, 2013)

Lydniz said:


> Has anyone else got one this colour? My first one was grey but this is the replacement they sent me. Is it a standard colour, does anyone know? It's very sparkly.


I don't believe that was painted by another owner. The logo is intact and clearly silk screened over the paint job. That tells me this is a color produced by the company themselves, albeit unusual.


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## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

My son fixed my boot drive, and I'm back in action. Woohoo!

The pics: (Just realized I forgot to put the rubber feet back in.)


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Beautiful. Nero Wolfe's favorite color scheme.


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

I don't know if it's all that helpful, but for the folks mentioning that they're having spiral notebook overload and related concerns, I had the same 'problem' where I hand-wrote all my notes and scribblings in spirals, looseleaf paper, 3x5 cards, post-its, whatever I had to jot it down.

Gradually, I switched all my note-writing to my Neo and got into the habit of pulling the files off regularly. Once I added Scrivener to my toolkit, I've started pulling the neo files of scribblings and note ideas into a scrivener project file. The notes that are for specific projects go into the specific project file, but the random bits and bobs that are as yet unconnected go into a general purpose project file. This has added more value to my Neo and has cut way down on the amount of paper I use.

I've dabbled some with Evernote, but I don't love it much more than as a quick list making tool.


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## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Beautiful. Nero Wolfe's favorite color scheme.


Didn't know that. Coincidence?


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

swolf said:


> Didn't know that. Coincidence?


Channeling Rex Stout, maybe?


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## Andie (Jan 24, 2014)

Nice, Swolf!


----------



## Lehane (Apr 7, 2014)

That is SLICK, Swolf! I love it. You'll be all the rage at coffee shops.


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

Love the color scheme, Swolf. Very Washington Redskins ish.


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## Lehane (Apr 7, 2014)

What I love about the Alphasmart cult is that it's not just a matter of long-time users being fiercely loyal. Lots of us are newbie users, but the passion is evident whether you've been using one for days or years.

Who knew I could love an ugly little retro word processor so much?


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## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

Thanks everyone. Jim, that wasn't intentional. The red on the paint lid looked more cherry than the shade it turned out to be. I'll just have to keep it in the house when the Steelers play the Redskins.


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## AngryGames (Jul 28, 2013)

Lehane said:


> What I love about the Alphasmart cult is that it's not just a matter of long-time users being fiercely loyal. Lots of us are newbie users, but the passion is evident whether you've been using one for days or years.
> 
> Who knew I could love an ugly little retro word processor so much?


Hey now, careful what/who you callin' ugly 

I happen to think my new pals are pretty sexy. The 3000 is boxy-round, like a curvy girl, and my Dana is like a elfin ninja assassin.

Got my Dana this afternoon. Ordered AC adapter and another battery from the mfg, but still no confirmation on that order. Took me a bit to figure out how to turn the backlight on. Only disappointment so far is that the backlight is not anywhere near as bright as I'd hoped (and from what I thought I'd seen in other pics).

I checked out that wipebook, and it's totally what I want... except from what I have read, the quality of it isn't up to par yet. I've got it bookmarked, and when there's a revision2 or such, I'll look back into it. But I TOTALLY want it. Seriously. Right now, I'm having to either keep my crappy Windows phone handy for notes (I use Scrivener's Project Notes column for all my char and place names, etc), or drag my Xoom tablet (or my paper notebooks) around still.

However, now that I have a Dana, I might be able to come up with a good solution. But I seriously want a wipebook. Just not one that is kind of crappy and cheap and falls apart and soaks up humidity and all that. As a tech industry veteran, the golden rule is NEVER BUY FIRST-GENERATION PRODUCTS. And it's all-caps for a reason.

Okay, here's a question... any chance we can get all the useful links in the very first post of this thread? Having to dig through eleven pages to find a post that has a link to an app that can use the SD card, or to what kind of paint works great, etc. is annoying. Maybe a 'best of' links in the first post?

I canceled an order for a brand new laptop because of these Alphasmarts...


----------



## CASD57 (May 3, 2014)

Not sure where to post this.. but I picked up a "lot" of Dana's after I check them out I'll have them for sale for $25 delivered in the states..
in about a week..


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## Lehane (Apr 7, 2014)

AngryGames said:


> Hey now, careful what/who you callin' ugly


It is said with love, I assure you! It's form follows it's function beautifully. I am painfully fond of my Neo. But next to my sleek laptop, it's definitely...unique. 

I love it a lot more than my laptop in terms of writing, though, for small reasons I didn't expect. It doesn't get hot no matter where I put it. The on-off speed is like nothing else. And so lightweight! I can't wait to take it on the town and get confused looks.


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## Lydniz (May 2, 2013)

That paint job is beautiful. I'm jealous.


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## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

Thanks again. And Drew, I get the same vibe. Although the inspiration for the color combination came from earlier in the thread:


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## Lehane (Apr 7, 2014)

Drew Gideon said:


> If anyone else is considering getting a Neo, this fellow has them in PAIRS for $40. That includes shipping.
> He's got 15 pairs left. No cables, just two working Neos shipped for $40.
> I checked his feedback and other customers who bought Alphasmarts from him are all very happy.
> 
> ...


This is the same company I got my Neo from! They also have a listing for just one Neo, $30 plus $5 shipping. I submitted an offer for $25 and they accepted it, so it was $30 total. You may be able to even gun for less. Not as cheap as $40 for two, but useful if you only want one!


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

I did 2500 words this morning at McD's. I would have done more except I was eating breakfast at the same time. 

And I had to leave because this woman asked me about my AS and was training covetous eyes on it. She wouldn't leave my table, so for the safety and well-being of my AS, I shut my baby down and left.


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## beccaprice (Oct 1, 2011)

Thanks to you guys I've just ordered a nice almost-new Neo2. It apparently comes with all the cords, charger, CD and instructions. it should arrive in about 2 weeks.


----------



## Andie (Jan 24, 2014)

Drew Gideon said:


> Murphy's Law.
> All the reading I've been doing says the keyboard on the 3000 is stiff and you have to type pretty hard, but the Neo/Dana keyboards are nicer, so maybe it was divine intervention instead.


That was my experience. So I gave my 3000 to a relative and bought a couple of backup Neos. Banging the keys too much seems to tire my wrists out faster, so the Neo works better for me.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Drew Gideon said:


> Murphy's Law.
> All the reading I've been doing says the keyboard on the 3000 is stiff and you have to type pretty hard, but the Neo/Dana keyboards are nicer, so maybe it was divine intervention instead.


Yes, that's true, but I look on it as wrist exercise. Besides, I to type on a manual typewriter, so it's not too much of an adjustment for me.


----------



## Al Dente (Sep 3, 2012)

I went out and bought a spray paint that's supposed to bond to plastic, but low and behold, it's not doing as well as I'd hoped. That's okay. It still looks decent. I'll post up pics of my Dana when it's finished with its satin white / satin sea glass green paint job.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Al Dente said:


> I went out and bought a spray paint that's supposed to bond to plastic, but low and behold, it's not doing as well as I'd hoped. That's okay. It still looks decent. I'll post up pics of my Dana when it's finished with its satin white / satin sea glass green paint job.


Sounds lovely.


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

JRHenderson said:


> Well Jim, this post convinced me. So I logged into eBay to grab the 3000 that was selling 5 miles away from me...
> 
> ...and it had gone.
> 
> I don't know if there was any connection between my mention of it yesterday and it selling shortly afterwards---but next time, I'll keep my mouth shut and just buy the darn thing.


Awesome. Good luck finding one. I hope you do find one and I hope that it proves to be a lovely tool for you. I love my Neo so much I'm tempted to get a second as a backup, just in case for some reason the original one fails (though I've as yet had zero problems with it in nearly 10 years...).


----------



## Ty Johnston (Jun 19, 2009)

This thread begs the question ...

If someone created and marketed an Alphasmart Neo 3, or something quite similar, would you purchase it?

And what would be your price limit? What bells and whistle would you want, or is part of the charm the simplicity?


----------



## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

Ty Johnston said:


> This thread begs the question ...
> 
> If someone created and marketed an Alphasmart Neo 3, or something quite similar, would you purchase it?
> 
> And what would be your price limit? What bells and whistle would you want, or is part of the charm the simplicity?


I think the problem would be the price. It's popular here because we're buying them for around $30 each. Didn't they sell new for between $100 and $200? That would be too pricey for me.

But if I could pick one improvement, it would be a bigger screen.


----------



## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

Ty Johnston said:


> This thread begs the question ...
> 
> If someone created and marketed an Alphasmart Neo 3, or something quite similar, would you purchase it?
> 
> And what would be your price limit? What bells and whistle would you want, or is part of the charm the simplicity?


The only thing I could think of to improve the Neo is maybe a backlit screen, though I know that would likely eat into the battery charge longevity. Can't think of anything else I'd change, other than maybe figure out some way to wirelessly transfer files from the Neo to the desktop. I'd probably pay upwards of $200 for a Neo3 with such features. Call me crazy.


----------



## Chinese Writer (Mar 25, 2014)

Ty Johnston said:


> This thread begs the question ...
> 
> If someone created and marketed an Alphasmart Neo 3, or something quite similar, would you purchase it?
> 
> And what would be your price limit? What bells and whistle would you want, or is part of the charm the simplicity?


I would also pay $200 for a bigger screen and backlit brand new. I would love one with the paperwhite e-ink. Looking at a reflective screen all day at work strains my eyes so sometimes wouldn't even write when I get home.


----------



## Lehane (Apr 7, 2014)

artan said:


> I would also pay $200 for a bigger screen and backlit brand new. I would love one with the paperwhite e-ink. Looking at a reflective screen all day at work strains my eyes so sometimes wouldn't even write when I get home.


This, 100%. I'm a cheap-o at the moment, but theoretically a $100-$200 price point would make perfect sense. A bigger screen. I'd even be interested in some sort of folding/sliding scenario, where it's like an e-ink laptop word processor. An articulated screen in general would be great. The same keyboard.

A backlit e-ink would be the biggest thing, though. That would be amazing.

Oh, I forgot -- some sort of wireless with enough sophistication to send your files to an email address. Or even a direct link with Dropbox, Google Docs, etc...something. Could be proprietary. Hey, Google. Get in on this!


----------



## Ty Johnston (Jun 19, 2009)

Lehane said:


> Oh, I forgot -- some sort of wireless with enough sophistication to send your files to an email address. Or even a direct link with Dropbox, Google Docs, etc...something. Could be proprietary. Hey, Google. Get in on this!


My only concern about this would be that I'd want the destination to be open ended, user's choice. I'd want to send my files to where _I_ want them to go, and not be forced into having to sign up for yet one more site.


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## Al Dente (Sep 3, 2012)

That paint job we attempted went very, very wrong. My wife, being an art major, took one look at the disaster (and the big frown on my face), grabbed a scraper and went to town on it. My Dana now has a "distressed" look, like someone went 100 years into the future and dug one out of a barn. It's pretty interesting.


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## AngryGames (Jul 28, 2013)

Give me a backlit screen like my Paperwhite has, and that's all I need. Take out the networking junk, the printer junk, strip it down for writing and give it a robust set of tools for writers (word processing program, calculator, ability to save in multiple formats within reason, but at least RTF by default), rechargeable battery + AC adapter, and maybe an Android OS (so many more writing / text editing apps available, as are the number of programmers). I don't need touchscreen, but if it has it, that's cool. Keep it light, portable, and maximized for battery life (with the backlight on). 

No tablet screen, give me the backlit e-ink type screen. I don't need graphics or icons or any of that. I need writing tools to write with. 

And no wireless (I'm enjoying my Alphasmart time being disconnected from the net, and if I really need to look something up, I have a phone and a Xoom tablet with me most of the time). 

Make it a writing machine first and everything else second. I don't need an internet device. My laptop and tablet and even phone already does it better than any writing device like an "Alphasmart 4000" or whatever could (especially considering screen size).


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## AngryGames (Jul 28, 2013)

Drew Gideon said:


> You know, what you guys are asking for can be done with an Android tablet and a bluetooth keyboard.
> Put the tablet into airplane mode (turn off wi-fi). All you're missing is the e-ink screen.


For me, the e-ink screen is the most important feature out of all others. The reason I love my Kindle so much is nothing else comes close to looking like real ink + paper (even if it's on a gray-ish screen). Oh, and I can stand outside in 100F blistering sun and read the screen perfectly. The e-ink type of screen is a deal-breaker for me.

Already nailed 2200 words on the Dana tonight. REALLY loving it, and definitely a lot easier to press the keys than the 3000 (though I've got guitarist hands/fingers, so it's not really noticeable other than the E key on the 3000 seems to be made of immobile marble).


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## penrefe (Nov 30, 2011)

Al Dente said:


> That paint job we attempted went very, very wrong. My wife, being an art major, took one look at the disaster (and the big frown on my face), grabbed a scraper and went to town on it. My Dana now has a "distressed" look, like someone went 100 years into the future and dug one out of a barn. It's pretty interesting.


Picture! Picture!

I was in bed last night, and I got this sudden brainwave just before I fell asleep. So I rolled over, turned on the lamp, rolled the other way, picked up the Dana. Wrote for an hour. It's _magical_.

Still getting paranoid around the battery life, even though it's barely gone down to 95%--when I was done, I got up and went to the computer to transfer the file. Want that SD Card nao!


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## Al Dente (Sep 3, 2012)

penrefe said:


> Picture! Picture!


It's still a work in progress, but here's where we're at so far. We want to add a bronzing effect and use a light sandpaper on the machine to make the scraped paint look more antique.










_Edited to shrink image to accommodate those using mobile devices or older monitors. Thanks for understanding. --Betsy_


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## Lydniz (May 2, 2013)

That could come out quite well with a bit of attention.


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## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

Al Dente said:


> It's still a work in progress, but here's where we're at so far. We want to add a bronzing effect and use a light sandpaper on the machine to make the scraped paint look more antique.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Sweet! Looks like it went through the apocalypse.

At least we know the cockroaches will have something to type on when we blow the world up.


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

Drew Gideon said:


> You know, what you guys are asking for can be done with an Android tablet and a bluetooth keyboard.
> Put the tablet into airplane mode (turn off wi-fi). All you're missing is the e-ink screen.


The difference, though, is that the Neo just doesn't have any sort of distraction to tempt me away from writing. If I used a tablet with the geegaws you mentioned, it'd be far too easy to click, click and then I'm on the internet.


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## Lehane (Apr 7, 2014)

Drew Gideon said:


> You know, what you guys are asking for can be done with an Android tablet and a bluetooth keyboard.
> Put the tablet into airplane mode (turn off wi-fi). All you're missing is the e-ink screen.


Yeah, the e-ink screen (or even the LCD, awesomely TI-83-esque screen of the Alphasmarts) is the big difference. Same with the lack of doodads. I can totally write on my laptop, but I don't nearly as much, because...internet! Websites! Video games!

The Neo cuts out the crap and tells me it's time to get to work.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Al Dente said:


> It's still a work in progress, but here's where we're at so far. We want to add a bronzing effect and use a light sandpaper on the machine to make the scraped paint look more antique.


I actually like it. I'm sure your artist/wife can do wonders with that.



Ty Johnston said:


> This thread begs the question ...
> 
> If someone created and marketed an Alphasmart Neo 3, or something quite similar, would you purchase it?
> 
> And what would be your price limit? What bells and whistle would you want, or is part of the charm the simplicity?


Happy with my 3000 the way it is. Bells and whistles are what distract me from writing. A softer touch might be nice because some of my words are missing letters, but spell check takes care of that.

Sat outside this morning and wrote over 2K words and only stopped because it got too hot. I have the perfect writing chair on my screened patio, but I think I'm going to have to put a fan out there. I can see myself when it goes down to 40 degrees (okay, okay, I'm a southerner) sitting outside wrapped in a blanket, gloved hands pounding on the keyboard. Wait, I have a recliner in my bedroom. Haven't tried that yet.


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## Al Dente (Sep 3, 2012)

My wife added some kind of liquid copper leafing and here's the result as of a few hours ago. Next, she wants to go the steampunk route and glue some gears on it.










_Edited to shrink image to accommodate those using mobile devices or older monitors. Thanks for understanding. --Betsy_


----------



## Chinese Writer (Mar 25, 2014)

Got my neo today. 45 minutes, 1,100 words. Wow! I guess when you there's nothing else to do but write, you really do write. I'm a convert. And watching it "write" on Scrivener is totally cool. Makes me feel even more productive to see the words pour into my laptop.


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## penrefe (Nov 30, 2011)

Looking good, Al Dente!

For those mentioning the e-ink writing machine, I remember at some point last year, I bought a Nook Simple Touch with the intention of doing just that.

I followed this http://www.macintosh-hd.co.uk/mobile/root-nook-simple-touch/, but ultimately, it didn't work, and I ended up giving the Nook away (I didn't "brick" it, the root just didn't work, and I ran out of patience). I was hoping to get that working and then plug in a USB keyboard, http://forum.xda-developers.com/wiki/BN_Nook_Simple_Touch/USB_host_mode, which would've been just lovely, because then I'd have had an ereader with a writing function built into the same device.

Alas, I wasn't the one to complete the challenge, but I mention this in case anyone else with more patience and greater technical ability wants to consider it.


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Very cool, Al. It has a sort of WW II vibe.

Congrats, Artan. On the Neo and the wordage.

When I turn on my 3000, I get just a flash of the battery indicator and it looked low. Sure enough, I got a low battery warning after about 1K words. I downloaded my work immediately then changed the batteries. 

Surprise, surprise, the AS kept all my work in memory and I didn't lose anything. I guess that's the CR2032 battery at work. I keep them around anyway because that's the size my tea lights use. I bought them in the $ store and at Christmas, I have the tea lights flickering all the time. None of the batteries have worn down yet, so I guess they have a pretty long life.


----------



## BillSmithBooksDotCom (Nov 4, 2012)

Ty Johnston said:


> This thread begs the question ...
> 
> If someone created and marketed an Alphasmart Neo 3, or something quite similar, would you purchase it?
> 
> And what would be your price limit? What bells and whistle would you want, or is part of the charm the simplicity?


Absolutely I would, with a price point of $150-ish (same price as a new Neo). I think technologically this would be doable at this prince point but I believe it is just too much of a niche market to be worth pursuing.

Start with the Neo's legendary durability, awesome keyboard and amazing battery life. All I want added is:

Bigger screen (comparable to Dana). Still LCD is fine.
Optional backlight
Add a memory card slot for cards (increase capacity to 4-16 GB since it is hard to find 1 GB cards anymore)
Ability to open/write/edit/save files in .txt (plain text) format so you can load files from outside sources on the card and plug it into the Neo3

Note that such a device would also make an excellent, truly durable ebook reader for plaintext ebooks.

This has been a subject of much discussion on Flickr's Alphasmart board...sadly it seems unlikely to happen since Ren Learning (the parent company) seems to have abandoned the Alphasmart products.


----------



## AngryGames (Jul 28, 2013)

Sweet. Got my brand new AC adapter and rechargeable battery today from Ren. The battery in my Dana seems to hold a charge very nicely, so I have an extra battery just in case!


----------



## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

BillSmithBooksDotCom said:


> Ability to open/write/edit/save files in .txt (plain text) format so you can load files from outside sources on the card and plug it into the Neo3


Bill, I think I'm confused by this...I use the Neo Manager software to pull files off the Neo as txt files or to load txt files onto the Neo.

It's here if you don't have it: http://www.renaissance.com/Customer-Center/neo-downloads


----------



## Lehane (Apr 7, 2014)

I just spent a bit of time plotting on my Neo. I thought it might not work for this purpose, as I tend to play fast and loose with brainstorming, but it was PERFECT. I simplified to a bulleted list and it was great. I love this little machine.


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## Al Dente (Sep 3, 2012)

I just bought another Dana for $24.99 with free shipping from the same eBay seller. I thought it would be a good idea to have two around just in case.


----------



## Chinese Writer (Mar 25, 2014)

I convinced another writer friend of mine to give the Neo a shot, but she's from Canada. After the conversion rate and international shipping, it cost almost $60 to get it from ebay. Does anyone know if there is a cheap place to get a Neo or Dana in Canada at a lower price point?

2,300 words on my Neo in between naptimes and when the baby is rolling around the floor. Loving this.


----------



## Lydniz (May 2, 2013)

Lehane said:


> I just spent a bit of time plotting on my Neo. I thought it might not work for this purpose, as I tend to play fast and loose with brainstorming, but it was PERFECT. I simplified to a bulleted list and it was great. I love this little machine.


I prefer it for note taking rather than actual writing, since I tend to polish as I go along which isn't that easy on the Neo. Also I can't write on the Neo for very long as I am riddled with RSI and it gives me pins and needles in my wrists and a bad back from looking downwards if I spend too long on it.


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## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

Wrote 1500 words in bed last night before sleep.  Also moved my story idea file onto the Neo so it's always available in case I want to start something new.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

artan said:


> I convinced another writer friend of mine to give the Neo a shot, but she's from Canada. After the conversion rate and international shipping, it cost almost $60 to get it from ebay. Does anyone know if there is a cheap place to get a Neo or Dana in Canada at a lower price point?
> 
> 2,300 words on my Neo in between naptimes and when the baby is rolling around the floor. Loving this.


Does the Canadian site have an Amazon Marketplace?


----------



## Chinese Writer (Mar 25, 2014)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Does the Canadian site have an Amazon Marketplace?


She checked amazon.ca too. More expensive than eBay. I just thought there might be some kind of local site that she could check.


----------



## beccaprice (Oct 1, 2011)

I got my Neo 2 from Amazon - it cost more than getting one from ebay, but I haven't had much luck with ebay, and this one comes with all the accessories, so it seemed worth the extra money. I can hardly wait to get it!


----------



## Jae Author (Aug 20, 2014)

I heard about the Alphasmart Neo a while ago, but then forgot about it again. But it sounds as if it can really do wonders for productivity, especially for someone who's easily distracted by shiny objects online. 

I should look into whether they're available in Germany too. 

Thanks for all the posts!


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## MyraScott (Jul 18, 2014)

I decided against the glitter and went for a more subtle look. I love it.

From this:









To this- crimson top and hammered brass base: 
















Taking it apart wasn't hard at all.


----------



## beccaprice (Oct 1, 2011)

I just got my Neo - it was supposed to be a Neo 2, but it just says Neo on it. It came with a cord, batteries, and a cd... just in time for my writer's group on Saturday! Even though the screen window isn't backlit, it's easily readable in half-light. I'll have to play with font sizes, and getting files onto and off of it. It looks brand new, even though it was advertised as having slight wear, and the keyboard has a nice feel to it.

It'll take some playing with to learn how best to use it, but right now I'm very pleased with my new toy production device.


----------



## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

MyraScott said:


> I decided against the glitter and went for a more subtle look. I love it.
> 
> From this:
> 
> ...


Very nice! I love it!

Wish the photos were larger.

The only trouble I had taking it apart was the ribbon cables and the keyboard. I wasn't sure how the ribbon cables detached from the circuit board, and I didn't realize you had to bend the keyboard up in the center to get the tabs out of the slots.


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## MyraScott (Jul 18, 2014)

I can make 'em larger. 



















I used Krylon's Fusion paint; the bottom is the hammered effect. It went on beautifully. On the top, the Neo logo still showed through the first layer, but I had to do a second layer of paint when cat hair floated into the wet surface.

I'm tempted to go back and mask off the curves on the sides and give them a shot of bronze like you did with the yellow on yours, but I'm afraid I'll mess it up.

I have named it Quill.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Gorgeous shade of crimson, Myra.



artan said:


> I convinced another writer friend of mine to give the Neo a shot, but she's from Canada. After the conversion rate and international shipping, it cost almost $60 to get it from ebay. Does anyone know if there is a cheap place to get a Neo or Dana in Canada at a lower price point?
> 
> 2,300 words on my Neo in between naptimes and when the baby is rolling around the floor. Loving this.


Here's a Canadian site that has them, but they're way more expensive.

http://www.secrest.ca/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=3#.U_T202NuX3A

Your friend might contact them about used or refurbs.


----------



## Janelle (Apr 12, 2014)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Gorgeous shade of crimson, Myra.
> 
> Here's a Canadian site that has them, but they're way more expensive.
> 
> ...


I wouldn't order from there, I've tried contacting them via phone and multiple emails since Monday. Emails have bounced back and no-one is answering the phone.


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

MyraScott said:


> I used Krylon's Fusion paint; the bottom is the hammered effect. It went on beautifully. On the top, the Neo logo still showed through the first layer, but I had to do a second layer of paint when cat hair floated into the wet surface.


Looks great! How did you mask off the Neo information sticker on the back?


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## beccaprice (Oct 1, 2011)

Jim Johnson said:


> Bill, I think I'm confused by this...I use the Neo Manager software to pull files off the Neo as txt files or to load txt files onto the Neo.
> 
> It's here if you don't have it: http://www.renaissance.com/Customer-Center/neo-downloads


thank you for this! I got a cd with my neo that had all the operator's manuals on it, and a bunch of other stuff, but didn't include the neo Manager software. I wrote to the company that I bought it from, asking for the cd with the Manager and the promised video users guides, but if I can download them, that will be better.


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## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

MyraScott said:


> I can make 'em larger.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Sweet! And Quill - I like it!

Yeah, I had a few cat hairs myself, and I screwed up by using a magazine page to screen off existing paint, and the ink from the page got into the paint. So I tried to cover it up and the paint pooled into lumps. So I had to wait a day for it to dry, then sanded down the lumps and then recovered it with a few more light layers of paint.

The gold would look cool, but it looks great the way it is.


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## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

Jim Johnson said:


> Looks great! How did you mask off the Neo information sticker on the back?


For mine, I used Frog painter's tape for the edges, and a piece of paper cut to fill the middle part. You can see it in this photo:










Unfortunately, I must not have pressed the tape down hard enough on one side, because a bit of yellow overspray got on the sticker, as you can see in my other photos.


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

Got it; thanks for the info, swolf! I'm tempted to paint my Neo, but I'd be terrified of pulling it apart and risk damaging something important.


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## BillSmithBooksDotCom (Nov 4, 2012)

Jim Johnson said:


> Bill, I think I'm confused by this...I use the Neo Manager software to pull files off the Neo as txt files or to load txt files onto the Neo.
> 
> It's here if you don't have it: http://www.renaissance.com/Customer-Center/neo-downloads


I prefer a "braindead" system that requires no special software and works in a universal open format, so I would like write to .txt

(That's how I handle my files on Dana, using CardTXT)

The advantage of using .txt is that you are not dependent upon software that may or may not be available in the future, may or may not run on future versions of Windows, allows you to use Mac or Linux or Android or whatever OS you want without being dependent upon an application that may not be ported to your OS, etc.


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## MyraScott (Jul 18, 2014)

Jim Johnson said:


> Looks great! How did you mask off the Neo information sticker on the back?


Masking tape, trimmed with a razor knife right inside the raised edge. Really, it wasn't that bad.

Oh, I love the pearly metallic red too. Very nice! The reds seem to work well with the original olive green keyboard.

Taking it apart... just take your time and put all the tiny screws on a strip of tape so they don't disappear. Seems scary, but once you open it up, it makes sense.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Micki23 said:


> Waiting for my Neo to dry so the resident paint expert can spray the clear-coat. We used the plastic primer, automotive paint in raspberry pearl metallic, and Krylon clear. It's going to look really cool outside in the sun.


Beautiful, Micki.


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## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

Micki23 said:


> Waiting for my Neo to dry so the resident paint expert can spray the clear-coat. We used the plastic primer, automotive paint in raspberry pearl metallic, and Krylon clear. It's going to look really cool outside in the sun.


Very nice.


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## Lehane (Apr 7, 2014)

Micki23 said:


> Waiting for my Neo to dry so the resident paint expert can spray the clear-coat. We used the plastic primer, automotive paint in raspberry pearl metallic, and Krylon clear. It's going to look really cool outside in the sun.


Just curious -- what is the finish on this like, once you get the clear coat on it? Is it still soft-plasticky feeling like the Neo, or kind of slick and squeaky like a car? Something about the tactile nature of cars (especially accidentally scratching/rubbing on them) gives me nails-on-chalkboard twitches, but car paint is so beautiful.

Sorry, that was really weird to explain...


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## Lydniz (May 2, 2013)

I'm getting the feeling some of you are turning this into a massive displacement activity...


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## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

Micki23 said:


> It feels smooth and soft, like a freshly painted car. Here's the updated pics.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Showroom quality! Sweet!


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## Marie Long (Jan 11, 2014)

These are amazing!!
I am so afraid to take my Alphasmart apart to paint @[email protected]


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Micki23 said:


> It feels smooth and soft, like a freshly painted car. Here's the updated pics.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


It looks like a piece of candy. Just beautiful.


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## penrefe (Nov 30, 2011)

I am loving these custom colour jobs.



Lydniz said:


> I'm getting the feeling some of you are turning this into a massive displacement activity...


I agree.

I want to do it, too!

How difficult is it to remove the case?


----------



## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

penrefe said:


> How difficult is it to remove the case?


Here's the basic steps:

1) Remove the battery cover and the batteries.
2) Remove the screws on the back holding the shells together. There are two different sizes, and they're torx screws, so Phillips won't work. Most of those screwdrivers with changeable heads have torx. All of the screws are fairly small, so make sure you put them somewhere so they don't get lost.
3) Separate the two shells. The bottom is empty and the top contains the guts. 
4) Remove the small clear plastic doo-hickey that connects the circuit board to the hole in the shell. This thing transfers light from the board to the outside. It's not held down and comes out easily.
5) There are two ribbon cables connected to the main circuit board. One is from the keyboard, and the other is from the screen, which sits below the circuit board. To remove the cables, you have to pull the black portion of the ribbon connector towards the ribbon to loosen it. There are small tabs on each end to make this easier. Once the ribbon connector is loosened, the ribbon cable can easily be pulled out. If you have to tug on it to get it out, it's not loosened correctly. 
6) Using needle-nosed pliers, pull the battery connectors out of their plastic slots.
7) Remove the screws from the circuit board. It should then lift right off. 
8 ) Remove the screws from the screen. The screen should then come right out.
9) Remove the keyboard. There are three tabs along the bottom edge that you have to pop out. To do this, press your finger through the back of the shell to cause the keyboard to bend slightly in the middle. Work from one end, popping out each tab. Be careful not to pop any of the keys off of the keyboard. Once the three tabs are out of their slots, you can pull the keyboard off by carefully pulling the ribbon cable out through its slot.
10) Remove the rubber feet from the bottom shell. Just pull them out of their indentations.
11) Remove the small black plastic IR cover from the back of the top shell. It just snaps out.

Working from memory, but I'm pretty sure that's it. Maybe someone else can fill in anything I missed.

(Edited to add step 11)


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## Speaker-To-Animals (Feb 21, 2012)

That just looks amazing. I took it apart enough to change the internal battery and that was more than enough for me. I'm convinced every time I open up a laptop that I'm going to break some plastic tidbit and it won't go back together again.


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## CASD57 (May 3, 2014)

If anyone is looking for a used Dana I've got 3 for sale all tested..
$25 each delivered in the states..  You can find them in the For sale corner


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## Al Dente (Sep 3, 2012)

I got my 2nd Dana in today from the same seller. Again, he couldn't promise me a working battery, but it's holding a charge just fine. I'm not doing any mods on this one. I want it to look fresh from the factory. My wife has claimed my other one as a personal art project. I told her she could do whatever she wanted as long as it still works when she's finished. I think when she's finished "steampunking" it, I'll use it for my fantasy, sci-fi, and horror projects.


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

Drew Gideon said:


> You know, I'm kinda digging the military green. Spec-Ops Neo.


That green has grown on me too. I love the painted neo pics here and I've thought about painting mine, but I've had that green for nearly 10 years and it's hard to let it go.

Besides, any new color won't match the keys, and I suspect painting all the keys and then adding new letter stickers will be a pain.


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## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

Drew Gideon said:


> For anyone who isn't aware (like me), you can have more files on the Neo than just the 8 ones accessed by the quick keys at the top.
> I was just reading through the manual online and found this:
> Just tested it, and it works like a charm.
> I suspect the folks who are loading text files onto it from their computers are accessing them this way also? (Ctrl-O?)


Nice. I wasn't aware of that. Thanks for sharing.

Did some research, and also found another way to do it:



> 1. Press the file key for the file number you want to work in.
> 2. Press ctrl-N.
> 3. AlphaWord Plus will ask whether you want to keep the text that's already
> in this file:
> ...


Now, I'm wondering how we delete these saved files. Can't find anything about that.

Edit: Found the delete:



> Deleting a File from a List of Files
> 1. From within any file, press ctrl-D. A list of files appears.
> 2. Move the cursor next to the file you want to delete.
> 3. Press enter.
> ...


----------



## beccaprice (Oct 1, 2011)

You know, I almost passed up this thread. I've got a nice computer on my desk, and a good android tablet with a bluetooth keyboard (although I haven't found a good writing app for it yet) - but listening to the productivity gains people make with the alphasmart, and noticing how often my research sucks me down a black hole of cross references, I picked up a Neo, and I love it.

I doubt I'll paint it, although some of the paint jobs look really cool, but the dark green is good enough for me.

Thank you to whoever discovered this use for the Alphasmart, and for the OP telling me about it.


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## Ty Johnston (Jun 19, 2009)

beccaprice said:


> ... but listening to the productivity gains people make with the alphasmart, and noticing how often my research sucks me down a black hole of cross references, I picked up a Neo, and I love it.


Mwahahaha. Another joins the fold.


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## Gone 9/21/18 (Dec 11, 2008)

I hope I feel the same way so many of you guys do about one of these machines. I purchased one of CASD57's Danas and it should arrive early next week. I have so many carpal tunnel and RSI problems I can't sit at a desk and type for long. I've been using my laptop in a recliner and am beginning to have problems with that too. Am hoping something even lighter will alleviate the problems I'm having there. I don't see myself painting the thing even if I love it, but you never know.


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## dianasg (Jan 8, 2010)

I've been following this thread since it started -- I've had my Alphasmart Neo for a while and LOVE it, but I hate the color. This thread was the kick in the pants I needed to take it apart and paint it. Swolf's disassembly instructions were perfect - thanks!! I used Krylon Fusion paint in White as a primer, then Krylon Colormaster Indoor/Outdoor paint in Sea Glass and Watermelon for the two halves. the keys are also white. I used the Fusion paint as a primer because I wasn't sure if Colormaster was okay to use directly on the plastic. I also used Krylon Colormaster Acrylic Clear in Satin as a top coat.

I'll be using water-soluble/water-slide decals to put the letters back on the keys! Found inkjet printable decal paper at Hobby Lobby.

Pics: 


















The finish is not as glossy as Micki's -- it's softer to the touch, much like the original green, but maybe smoother/less rough. I love it!


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## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

DianaGabriel said:


> I've been following this thread since it started -- I've had my Alphasmart Neo for a while and LOVE it, but I hate the color. This thread was the kick in the pants I needed to take it apart and paint it. Swolf's disassembly instructions were perfect - thanks!! I used Krylon Fusion paint in White as a primer, then Krylon Colormaster Indoor/Outdoor paint in Sea Glass and Watermelon for the two halves. the keys are also white. I used the Fusion paint as a primer because I wasn't sure if Colormaster was okay to use directly on the plastic. I also used Krylon Colormaster Acrylic Clear in Satin as a top coat.
> 
> I'll be using water-soluble/water-slide decals to put the letters back on the keys! Found inkjet printable decal paper at Hobby Lobby.
> 
> ...


Excellent!

Looking forward to the assembled photos.

Also, fingers can be pretty rough on keys, and I'm wondering how durable decals will be. Maybe spray some clear-coat on them after applying? Or maybe even some clear nail-polish?


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## ekedstrom (Dec 30, 2011)

I thought I'd pipe in about my fondness for "old greenie". I realized recently that I can use all my TextExpander abbreviations when I use it because when it "types" in my text to Scrivener TextExpander sees them and expands them for me. Pretty cool.

The other trick I use is to use markdown for italics, since as far as I can figure the Alphasmart doesn't support them. 

Any other tips or tricks?


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## dianasg (Jan 8, 2010)

swolf said:


> Excellent!
> 
> Looking forward to the assembled photos.
> 
> Also, fingers can be pretty rough on keys, and I'm wondering how durable decals will be. Maybe spray some clear-coat on them after applying? Or maybe even some clear nail-polish?


Yep! I plan on putting another few layers of clear coat over the keys once the decals are on. I stole the decal idea from here: http://pulsingadverbs.wordpress.com/2008/10/16/finally-finished/ I thought about nail polish, but the brush strokes would probably bother me, and nail polish isn't too durable either.

Thanks again for those disassembly instructions!


----------



## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

DianaGabriel said:


> Thanks again for those disassembly instructions!


You're welcome.

I've run into a small problem with my Neo, and I'm wondering if anyone has the answer. Up until recently, when I turned it on, it would bring up the file that I'd been working on. But now, it's coming up to a menu where I can select which app to run. If I select Alphasmart Plus, then it takes me to the file I'd been working on. It's no big deal, since it's only one extra keypress, but I'm wondering what changed. I don't recall changing anything, except playing around with saving and deleting files the other day.


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Gosh, everyone has picked beautiful color combinations. 

Picked up my clear stickers today. I'll be printing up stickers of all my books covers and putting them on the AS. Hopefully, I'll get them on straight.


----------



## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

Micki23 said:


> Hey swolf, try this. https://www.flickr.com/groups/alphasmart/discuss/72157633376065260/


Worked perfectly!

Thanks!


----------



## Andie (Jan 24, 2014)

Fun idea, Gertie!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Gone 9/21/18 (Dec 11, 2008)

The Dana I got from CASD57 (thanks, Chris!) came today. I'm in the middle of revisions on a long novel, so I won't be able to use it for real for a while, but I did take time to play with it. It was DOA until I plugged it into a USB port on my PC. At that point it came to life and claimed it didn't recognize the USB cord, but it continued to work. Had to do all the calibration and setting stuff. It showed the battery as full within an hour, but the manual says it takes 8 hours from a USB port, so my guess is the on board battery won't be much good, but I'll worry about that when I'm ready to really use it.

For now I typed in a little over 500 words of just thoughts about my day for an experiment and then sent it to my PC. Oh, my, no one was exaggerating about the keyboard. It's really lovely. Can't believe how many fewer typos I made in that 500 words than I do in a paragraph on my laptop. Watching it spew all that into Word Perfect on my desktop was a kick. For real use it will need to send to Scrivener on my laptop, but since it was plugged into the desktop at the time, that's what I used for my experiment.

I'm glad I investigated this thread. It was a relatively small investment and looks like it may be a very useful one.


----------



## dianasg (Jan 8, 2010)

Well, here's the finished product! The decals for the keys went on smoothly, once I got the hang of how to apply them. If anyone is doing this and wants the PSD file I used to print the keyboard decals, PM me with your email. One tip: use an exacto knife/blade/razor/etc, rather than scissors, to cut out the letters. I really love this. Much better than the Neo green and well worth the few hours it took me to get this done. It's not perfect -- I managed to chip the paint on a couple of places while reassembling, but they're barely noticeable.


----------



## Chinese Writer (Mar 25, 2014)

These paint jobs are gorgeous.


----------



## Gone 9/21/18 (Dec 11, 2008)

Wow. Those keys look really professional.


----------



## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

DianaGabriel said:


> Well, here's the finished product! The decals for the keys went on smoothly, once I got the hang of how to apply them. If anyone is doing this and wants the PSD file I used to print the keyboard decals, PM me with your email. One tip: use an exacto knife/blade/razor/etc, rather than scissors, to cut out the letters. I really love this. Much better than the Neo green and well worth the few hours it took me to get this done. It's not perfect -- I managed to chip the paint on a couple of places while reassembling, but they're barely noticeable.


Excellent! Those keys turned out perfect.


----------



## Julia Kavan (Feb 6, 2011)

For anyone in the UK interested in getting an Alphasmart Dana, there are some for sale on ebay at the moment (fixed price including free delivery)

http://r.ebay.com/my3puG

Have ordered mine, after missing out on one up for auction a couple of weeks ago


----------



## JRHenderson (Dec 4, 2011)

ellenoc said:


> I have so many carpal tunnel and RSI problems I can't sit at a desk and type for long. I've been using my laptop in a recliner and am beginning to have problems with that too. Am hoping something even lighter will alleviate the problems I'm having there.


Ellen, could I just make the suggestion that I offer to everyone who complains of hand/wrist problems? _Tilt the keyboard slightly *away* from you._ You can do this temporarily by sliding a rolled-up t-shirt under your space bar, or you could modify your keyboard a bit more permanently, as I have done...










(As you can see, I've tried to reduce my own wrist problems even more by using a split keyboard and sawing off the number pad.)

I can't guarantee that tilting the keyboard will help your situation---but it's worth a try!



Julia Kavan said:


> For anyone in the UK interested in getting an Alphasmart Dana, there are some for sale on ebay at the moment (fixed price including free delivery)


Thanks for the link Julia. I wonder if text on the Dana's screen can be increased so that it's the same size as it is on the Neo....


----------



## JRHenderson (Dec 4, 2011)

Micki23 said:


> JRH, tilting the keyboard worked for me as well. I used to have RSI symptoms until I got a split keyboard and propped it up with a Christmas Lifesavers box. I don't know why keyboard manufacturers don't design them that way. It forces your wrists up into proper ergonomic positioning.


I totally agree, Micki. I'm aware of only one keyboard which was designed to tilt away from the user: the Microsoft Natural Ergonomic 4000...


----------



## rosclarke (Jul 12, 2013)

Julia Kavan said:


> For anyone in the UK interested in getting an Alphasmart Dana, there are some for sale on ebay at the moment (fixed price including free delivery)
> 
> http://r.ebay.com/my3puG
> 
> Have ordered mine, after missing out on one up for auction a couple of weeks ago


Hah! I missed out on one too (wonder if it was the same one) but I ordered one from the US instead. It still works out slightly cheaper than the ones on sale now but I have to wait at least another week for it to get here.


----------



## Lehane (Apr 7, 2014)

DianaGabriel said:


> Well, here's the finished product! The decals for the keys went on smoothly, once I got the hang of how to apply them. If anyone is doing this and wants the PSD file I used to print the keyboard decals, PM me with your email. One tip: use an exacto knife/blade/razor/etc, rather than scissors, to cut out the letters. I really love this. Much better than the Neo green and well worth the few hours it took me to get this done. It's not perfect -- I managed to chip the paint on a couple of places while reassembling, but they're barely noticeable.


Wow! This looks AMAZING. Do you have a link to the brand of decal and seal you used? I've wanted to paint mine but I've been very hesitant about that dark green keyboard. Also, how is that finish sticking with the primer? I'd love to get some more color options.


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## Julia Kavan (Feb 6, 2011)

rosclarke said:



> Hah! I missed out on one too (wonder if it was the same one) but I ordered one from the US instead. It still works out slightly cheaper than the ones on sale now but I have to wait at least another week for it to get here.


There was much muttering and swearing at the time...  Mine should arrive Thursday or Friday


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## Lydniz (May 2, 2013)

I never knew anything about tilting keyboards away from you for RSI. I must give it a go.


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## Gone 9/21/18 (Dec 11, 2008)

Thanks, JR, I'll have to try it, although most of my problems are at the back of my neck and shoulders. My neck is so bad if I sit still and turn my head to the left and right, I can hear and feel the crepitus. I have to be in a position where I'm looking down when I type, and if I don't have arm support, the muscles at the back of my shoulder start to burn. What worried me this last go around is the leg that was broken years ago started to bother me after long sessions typing in the recliner. I have to start setting a timer and making myself get up and do other things for short periods every so often.

As to my Dana, the battery must be better than I thought when it arrived and wouldn't turn on until I plugged it in to a USB. I left it unplugged overnight, and it still starts up this morning and the battery icon still shows a full charge. It's in really good condition, only a few scratches around the space bar. You have to wonder how many of these things are still floating around and available.

I did some reading in that Flickr group someone referenced above. For those who are willing to pay hundreds for a new machine, there's something called a Pomoro (? that's from memory) out of Japan. One person posted a good review of the latest incarnation. I must confess $25 for the Dana is part of its charm.


----------



## revolver (Aug 27, 2014)

Longtime lurker, so this is my first post.

But this thread convinced me, and I recently bought an Alphasmart Neo. It takes a little getting used to writing on another platform, but it has at least doubled my writing output. I used to be able to get out a thousand words an hour if I pushed a little. Now I'm getting twice that with ease.

So, thanks everybody here.


----------



## Marie Long (Jan 11, 2014)

swolf said:


> Excellent!
> 
> Looking forward to the assembled photos.
> 
> Also, fingers can be pretty rough on keys, and I'm wondering how durable decals will be. Maybe spray some clear-coat on them after applying? Or maybe even some clear nail-polish?


This is amazing @[email protected] You guys are making me want to color my own, but I'm so scared.
How do you color these devices without getting paint inside the holes where the charger plugs in? Or not getting paint on the green/orange light on the side that lets you know when it's charged/charging? I fear getting paint inside these small places would damage it somehow...


----------



## dianasg (Jan 8, 2010)

Lehane said:


> Wow! This looks AMAZING. Do you have a link to the brand of decal and seal you used? I've wanted to paint mine but I've been very hesitant about that dark green keyboard. Also, how is that finish sticking with the primer? I'd love to get some more color options.


Thanks! The brand of decal and bonder I used was Testors. Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Testor-Corp-9201-Decal-Paper/dp/B000BLI6QS# (admittedly, I didn't really shop around - just got what they had at the craft store). They are half-sheets, not full 8.5x11. I don't _think_ you need decal bonder spray if you have the Krylon Acrylic Clear stuff.

The finish seems to be sticking great! Any imperfections are my own fault, whether from touching too soon or scratching it while reassembling (I had trouble getting the keyboard back in). I didn't like many colors in the plastic-only paint, either. I'm still not sure if I needed that primer layer or not, but I figure better safe than sorry - plus it helped me get in a practice round of paint. 

Hope that helps!



Marie Long said:


> This is amazing @[email protected] You guys are making me want to color my own, but I'm so scared.
> How do you color these devices without getting paint inside the holes where the charger plugs in? Or not getting paint on the green/orange light on the side that lets you know when it's charged/charging? I fear getting paint inside these small places would damage it somehow...


Marie, all of those pieces come out when you disassemble -- swolf posted a good step-by-step upthread.


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## Nic (Nov 17, 2013)

How big does the font display on the screen? Can that be changed?


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## Chrissy (Mar 31, 2014)

Removed


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## Nic (Nov 17, 2013)

Chrissy said:


> Yes, the number of lines displayed on a Alphasmart NEO can be changed. The lines of text range based on font size:
> 
> System [4 lines]
> Small [6 lines]
> ...


Thanks. That makes it interesting indeed.


----------



## Lehane (Apr 7, 2014)

Nic said:


> Thanks. That makes it interesting indeed.


You can also download more fonts! There are some Neo users who created some different fonts. I use one that gives 7 lines, and there's some that go up to 8 and 9.


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## dianasg (Jan 8, 2010)

Lehane said:


> You can also download more fonts! There are some Neo users who created some different fonts. I use one that gives 7 lines, and there's some that go up to 8 and 9.


I would love to do this - do you know of a link that explains how?


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## Lehane (Apr 7, 2014)

DianaGabriel said:


> I would love to do this - do you know of a link that explains how?


This is where I got them! The ReadMe explains things pretty well.

http://tsoniq.com/software/legacy/neo-fonts/


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## Dobby the House Elf (Aug 16, 2014)

For those who live in Australia. Here's the contact of a guy I was sourcing my Neo from.

http://www.batterypoweredcomputers.com/

It turns out someone already bought me one as a surprise!!! Can't wait to get my Dana... it's one of the more advanced models.


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## Lydniz (May 2, 2013)

I can't really spend hours writing on my Neo because of RSI/backache etc, but I did find a good use for it last weekend. We were away visiting family and I took with me a chapter I was having trouble with and tinkered with it on the Neo, and managed to put it right. I also managed to do a little bit of writing in the car (I wasn't driving, by the way). So I'm finding it very useful for little bits and pieces, note taking etc, when I don't have several hours to spare to sit in front of a computer.


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## beccaprice (Oct 1, 2011)

I have to drive my daughter to/from class on Tuesdays and Thursdays afternoon (she doesn't drive), which gives me an hour and a half to sit in a near-by McDonalds and kill time. I figure I'll use that time with my alphasmart and start working on some of the short stories I've got plotted out. (Can't work on The Woods Between, because it's no where near ready for me to start writing it yet.)


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

I made a banner from my latest 12-book series and I already had banners for another one, plus my historicals and the kid's books. I printed them out on transparent stickers, but they were too transparent. Everything showed right through.

I got the Tru-Block stickers and reprinted, so I have three banners across the front.and one across the back. It looks good, but it definitely needs more. I'm not sure yet what I'll add. Maybe some individual book covers. And maybe I'll stagger the book covers across the front so they're not so rigidly centered.

So, back to the drawing board and maybe I'll write a bit while I let the layout stew at the back of my brain for a while.



beccaprice said:


> I have to drive my daughter to/from class on Tuesdays and Thursdays afternoon (she doesn't drive), which gives me an hour and a half to sit in a near-by McDonalds and kill time. I figure I'll use that time with my alphasmart and start working on some of the short stories I've got plotted out. (Can't work on The Woods Between, because it's no where near ready for me to start writing it yet.)


Becca, I get the majority of writing done at McD's. GS has a league in McD's on Thursday nights and I get in a solid two hours.

I used to go every day to one down the street, but it's near a high school and a park that hosts a lot of leagues for kids and middle schoolers. They actually had to tear it down and rebuild it, but the kids wrecked it again within a year. Now, they've covered up most of the plugs so we can't go there anyway. I could with my AS, but there's duck tape all over the seats and the tables are all scarred, and it's not a nice atmosphere.


----------



## rosclarke (Jul 12, 2013)

Julia Kavan said:


> There was much muttering and swearing at the time...  Mine should arrive Thursday or Friday


Mine just arrived! So excited to get using it. Took me forever to find the stylus but other than that, plain sailing.


----------



## Julia Kavan (Feb 6, 2011)

rosclarke said:


> Mine just arrived! So excited to get using it. Took me forever to find the stylus but other than that, plain sailing.


Mine arrived Thursday - in great condition. Getting the hang of it - fewer typos (why?), and I won't have to try and translate my handwriting 3 weeks after jotting down/scrawling an idea in a notebook now, I can just upload it


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Micki23 said:


> Me, too! It was so funny. I was about to email the seller to tell him he forgot to include the stylus when I figured it out.


Stylus?


----------



## rosclarke (Jul 12, 2013)

For the touchscreen.


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

rosclarke said:


> For the touchscreen.





Micki23 said:


> The stylus is just for the Danas. It looks like a button on the right-hand side, but it pops out when you push it up.


Ah. Thanks.

I finished putting the stickers on my 3000 and it looks like a pretty, patchwork quilt. Any way to upload photos here without putting them in photobucket?


----------



## CDForness (Nov 25, 2013)

ellenoc said:


> I did some reading in that Flickr group someone referenced above. For those who are willing to pay hundreds for a new machine, there's something called a Pomoro (? that's from memory) out of Japan. One person posted a good review of the latest incarnation. I must confess $25 for the Dana is part of its charm.


The Pomera. I just ordered the DM100 on Amazon US after reading that thread. Sigh...I'm now a writing gadget nerd.


----------



## rosclarke (Jul 12, 2013)

The battery pack on my Dana isn't holding much of a charge, so I've just put in some ordinary AA batteries and I'm going to look into making a replacement rechargeable pack. But I can't seem to work out how to check the remaining battery life. Is there a way of telling other than looking at the picture of the battery and guessing? Some people seem to have a percentage scale?


----------



## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

rosclarke said:


> The battery pack on my Dana isn't holding much of a charge, so I've just put in some ordinary AA batteries and I'm going to look into making a replacement rechargeable pack. But I can't seem to work out how to check the remaining battery life. Is there a way of telling other than looking at the picture of the battery and guessing? Some people seem to have a percentage scale?


Ctrl-Cmd-B


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## rosclarke (Jul 12, 2013)

Great. Thank you!


----------



## Perro Callejero (Dec 23, 2013)

Maybe somebody should create an Alphasmart Writer badge, like those military-looking sales badges people put in their Kboards signature. I found out about the Alphasmart from Writer's Café, and it's had a positive effect on my writing. A badge might help spread the word, especially if clicking it led to one of the threads talking about the Alphasmart (maybe the one started by Tattooed Writer, which is the first related thread as far as I can tell: http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,163058.0.html).

I'd do it myself... but I'm pretty technically inept.


----------



## Al Dente (Sep 3, 2012)

Ugh. I might have to buy yet another Alphasmart. The most recent one I bought is having a weird issue where it won't start up unless I hit the reset button. The screen just blinks like crazy. Good thing they're cheap. Also, good thing my latest book (that I wrote on my Dana!) is selling well enough that it hit the hot new release charts as of yesterday. I can actually afford to replace it now!


----------



## MyraScott (Jul 18, 2014)

Dip a q-tip in alcohol and use it to clean the contacts.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

MyraScott said:


> Dip a q-tip in alcohol and use it to clean the contacts.


I usually use sandpaper, but I think I'm going to try your way next time.


----------



## Andie (Jan 24, 2014)

If all else fails, Magic Eraser. I swear those things are actually magic.


----------



## suspensefulCJ (Nov 8, 2013)

My Dana came this weekend. I'ts in very good shape and works well...now I just need to figure out how to get it to send to my PC, and need to buy a new stylus. 

I have an Alphasmart 2000, but can't get it to send anything to any of my computers. I think I bought a cord for it a year ago, but of course I can't find it anywhere. But my three year old has claimed the 2000 as her computer, and does 'words' on it...


----------



## MichaelBlackbourn (May 29, 2013)

Very cool thread! I had no idea about the alphasmart.

I don't think I'll get one but it's interesting because I was using IAwriter on ipad and now Calmly Writer on chromebook. Both provide a very typerwriter like experience.

Calmly is very cool and you can use it online if you want, http://www.calmlywriter.com/online/ with choice of normal or monospace font. Put that full screen and you're in business.


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## rosclarke (Jul 12, 2013)

cjbrookes said:


> My Dana came this weekend. I'ts in very good shape and works well...now I just need to figure out how to get it to send to my PC, and need to buy a new stylus.


I use an SD card, mostly. But I do love the magic typing when you connect it directly to a PC.


----------



## . (Sep 19, 2013)

cjbrookes said:


> I have an Alphasmart 2000, but can't get it to send anything to any of my computers. I think I bought a cord for it a year ago, but of course I can't find it anywhere.


Do you have a printer hooked up to your computer with a USB cord? Just unhook the end that's in the printer, stick in the Alphasmart, and Bob's your uncle.

That's, of course, if you can sneak it away from your toddler...


----------



## dianasg (Jan 8, 2010)

JRHenderson said:


> Well, I finally bought a Neo from someone on eBay. However, their ad neglected to mention one little problem...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I always use vinegar and q-tips! It dissolves it away.

(Edit: I think this is because vinegar = acid while battery acid = alkaline.)


----------



## Al Dente (Sep 3, 2012)

I finally fixed the problem with my newest Dana not turning on. The rechargeable battery was shot. I replaced that, and it's great now.


----------



## Alyson (Apr 26, 2012)

I've tried using an Alphasmart recently but I find the keys too stiff for my hands.

I also have a Dana, but when I bought it off ebay (long ago); it came with one of those long batteries but no adapter. I hung onto it, thinking I might hire someone with more electronics knowledge to change whatever needs to be changed to allow me to use three normal-sized batteries...

The manual shows just popping in three AA alkaline batteries, then unclipping the long battery. Could it be that simple?

Have any of you with Danas tried this?

I prefer the simplicity--the primitiveness--of the Alphasmart, but I miss so many letters in the words it's turning my rough drafts into gibberish.

As a fast typist, the touch of a keyboards means a lot to me. When it comes to computer keyboards, I can't get used to the flat chiclet keys, so I just bumped up the RAM in my old Win7 laptop. I'm still in mourning for the feel of a Selectric II typewriter keyboard. (Yes, I'm that old.)


----------



## Gone 9/21/18 (Dec 11, 2008)

Alyson said:


> I also have a Dana, * * * The manual shows just popping in three AA alkaline batteries, then unclipping the long battery. Could it be that simple?


I recently got a Dana from Chris here in this thread. I haven't tried running it on AA batteries because the chargeable one in it still works, but I also downloaded the manual and don't see why it would be misleading you. Why not do what it says and see? I think you could also just plug the Dana in to your PC with a USB cable and try the keyboard that way.

On the Flickr group for the Alphasmarts, there's also a post with instructions about replacing the rechargeable battery with your own battery pack. That would be another solution. Don't know which Neo you have, but I read one of them has a really stiff keyboard (2000?). A decent keyboard is important to me too, and I like the Dana's.


----------



## dianasg (Jan 8, 2010)

Alyson said:


> I've tried using an Alphasmart recently but I find the keys too stiff for my hands.
> 
> I also have a Dana, but when I bought it off ebay (long ago); it came with one of those long batteries but no adapter. I hung onto it, thinking I might hire someone with more electronics knowledge to change whatever needs to be changed to allow me to use three normal-sized batteries...
> 
> ...


Yeah, the 2000 and 3000 have much stiffer keyboards than the Neo or the Dana. Another thing you might look into for your computer is a mechanical keyboard -- they have keys with actual mechanical switches that are very tactile and "clicky," and are meant to emulate the older IBM style keyboards. Mine is a lot of fun, though I'm still getting used to it!


----------



## Chrissy (Mar 31, 2014)

removed


----------



## Marie Long (Jan 11, 2014)

How difficult is it to replace some keys on the NEO 2 keyboard? My spacebar sticks every so often, and I'm wondering if it's worn or just needs to be cleaned underneath. But I don't want to break the key or anything...


----------



## Brevoort (Jan 27, 2014)

Does anyone know whether there is a keyboard command with AlphaWord on a Neo2 to delete the word either directly to the left of a cursor, or the word the cursor is on?

I am running AlphaWord 3.4 and the NEO was firmware upgraded through Neo Manager 3.9.3 on a PC


----------



## dianasg (Jan 8, 2010)

Marie Long said:


> How difficult is it to replace some keys on the NEO 2 keyboard? My spacebar sticks every so often, and I'm wondering if it's worn or just needs to be cleaned underneath. But I don't want to break the key or anything...


For my paint job (which was on a Neo, not a Neo 2, granted), I had to remove all of the keys. It's not hard, once you figure out the little hinge thingy that holds it in. You have to snap in one side, then the other. I'd say it's VERY unlikely that you'll break anything -- at first I was really tentative and afraid I was going to break it, but I honestly had to really smash a couple back in and everything was fine!  For the spacebar key, I think you just lift and unsnap from the bottom. The bigger keys like that one have a little metal rod that fits in a slot, in addition to the plastic hinge thingy underneath. It's hard to explain in writing, sorry. But I wouldn't worry about breaking stuff if you're gentle and have good light to see where everything goes.


----------



## CASD57 (May 3, 2014)

Disconnect the rechargeable ..  tuck in the connector (don't hook it to anything) just tuck it away in the same spot it comes out of..
Put in three AA's and your back in business
All the rechargeable pack is.. 3-AA rechargeable batteries shrink wrapped together ..
If you were going to rebuild it you would slit the pack down the side and keep the connectors +/- (remember which color is +/- Electrical black tape 3 new rechargeable together leaving the ends for last.
Put one end on(oh you did remember which +/- is red/black right)? 
Short tape each end with connector.. After they are on.. A couple of loops around length wise to make sure everything stays together


----------



## Brevoort (Jan 27, 2014)

JRHenderson said:


> You can select the word to the left of the cursor by pressing Shift-Option-Left Arrow, and then delete it either with "Delete" or "Backspace".


Thank you very much. But oddly, both delete and backspace insert a space while taking out the word so it helps to remember to put in a second backspace/delete. It is still a useful command and I appreciate your help


----------



## Dobby the House Elf (Aug 16, 2014)

My Dana alphasmart wireless is missing a battery door (the piece of plastic that keeps in the batteries) any thoughts on where I might locate one?


----------



## CASD57 (May 3, 2014)

I'm pretty sure it's the same one on the NEO  that should help a little in finding one


----------



## Alyson (Apr 26, 2012)

Thank you, CASD57 and ellenoc!

Can't wait to try your suggestions. The Dana is my project for the weekend. (My weekdays are a chaos with Evil Day Job, commuting, etc. etc.)


----------



## KGGiarratano (Aug 14, 2013)

I am utterly new to Kboards and this is my first post but just reading this thread got me all excited to order a Neo and chime in. I might order 2 and paint one. I can't write anymore without checking FB or Twitter or my email incessantly. Hoping this little machine will up my productivity 10 fold.


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## Chrissy (Mar 31, 2014)

Removed


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## Brevoort (Jan 27, 2014)

JRHenderson said:


> I'm wondering whether your double-space problem could be solved by placing the cursor on the _right_-hand side of the space that follows the word you want to delete, before you hit Shift-Option-Left Arrow. Then you would be deleting both the word and the space after it.


Yes, I noticed that as well. It does work, but either way it is a bit fiddly.

However, this is a very minor problem and the only thing it serves is to point out how very well designed the Neo2 is overall. If the only thing I can find to complain about is an inconsequential fault in the delete word function then that is high praise for the machine itself.

Thanks for your help.

Rick Grant
Calgary


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## KGGiarratano (Aug 14, 2013)

Chrissy said:


> I don't know your location but here's a current/pretty good sale on 2 NEOs with free shipping:
> 
> http://www.ebay.com/itm/251529169843


Rats!! That listing was $5 cheaper hours ago. I had seen it but I was waiting because I put in a best offer on another Neo and I have to wait until that expires before ordering this one.


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## CASD57 (May 3, 2014)

I've got one on ebay for $23.97 these cost $8.26 plus depending on location to ship but I'm open to offers it is my last one..



KGGiarratano said:


> Rats!! That listing was $5 cheaper hours ago. I had seen it but I was waiting because I put in a best offer on another Neo and I have to wait until that expires before ordering this one.


----------



## KGGiarratano (Aug 14, 2013)

CASD57 said:


> I've got one on ebay for $23.97 these cost $8.26 plus depending on location to ship but I'm open to offers it is my last one..


Ah! I'm sorry. I went and bought the two. Just in case, I truly love this thing and need it for the next 40 years.


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## 10105 (Feb 16, 2010)

Alyson said:


> I also have a Dana, but when I bought it off ebay (long ago); it came with one of those long batteries but no adapter. I hung onto it, thinking I might hire someone with more electronics knowledge to change whatever needs to be changed to allow me to use three normal-sized batteries...
> 
> The manual shows just popping in three AA alkaline batteries, then unclipping the long battery. Could it be that simple?
> 
> Have any of you with Danas tried this?


Yes, it works. My Dana's rechargeable battery is dead. Disconnect and remove it, and replace it with AAs.


----------



## KGGiarratano (Aug 14, 2013)

I received my Alphas today and they are the green camo color. Not sure what to paint them to match. I don't see myself taking all the keys off.


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## KGGiarratano (Aug 14, 2013)

Oh I know re: the keyboard. I just figured it would be nice not to have a green camo keyboard, but I'll keep it as it for now.
Going to write on my new Neo.


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## Nic (Nov 17, 2013)

So I also just bought an Alphasmart Dana   Waiting impatiently for it now


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Nic said:


> So I also just bought an Alphasmart Dana  Waiting impatiently for it now


When is it due in?


----------



## KGGiarratano (Aug 14, 2013)

Since having the Neo I wrote 2K+ words. I finished drafting my short story. I uploaded it unto Scrivener and now I'm editing there. I love this thing.


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## Nic (Nov 17, 2013)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> When is it due in?


Somewhen between September 29th and October 8th, as I bought on ebay.com. There are currently several offered there.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

KGGiarratano said:


> Since having the Neo I wrote 2K+ words. I finished drafting my short story. I uploaded it unto Scrivener and now I'm editing there. I love this thing.


That's great! I did 2700 words last night and 1800 this morning. Interrupted both times (grrr) or I could have kept going.



Nic said:


> Somewhen between September 29th and October 8th, as I bought on ebay.com. There are currently several offered there.


Bummer. But you'll love it when you get it.


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## Nic (Nov 17, 2013)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Bummer. But you'll love it when you get it.


How do US alphasmarts work here? I mean, can they be changed from 120 V to 240 V, or do the adapters already work fine with 240 V? I don't want to fry the thing.


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Nic said:


> How do US alphasmarts work here? I mean, can they be changed from 120 V to 240 V, or do the adapters already work fine with 240 V? I don't want to fry the thing.


I don't use the adapter. I don't even have one. I just use AA batteries which last about a year.


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## Nic (Nov 17, 2013)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> I don't use the adapter. I don't even have one. I just use AA batteries which last about a year.


A year? Without recharging them? Now, that is really fantastic news!

I bought one which has all the original stuff coming with it that they were sold with. That's why I'm asking.


----------



## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

The battery life on the Neo is just sick. I have one with the rechargeable battery and I swear I don't recharge the thing more than a couple times a year with regular use.


----------



## Lehane (Apr 7, 2014)

Nic said:


> A year? Without recharging them? Now, that is really fantastic news!
> 
> I bought one which has all the original stuff coming with it that they were sold with. That's why I'm asking.


The Dana's batteries won't last like the Neo's (20ish hours vs. 700 hours), but you could just go with AA batteries and replace 'em! Or use rechargeable ones, and just use the charger for your voltage and pop the batteries back in when they're done. That'd probably be the easiest way to go about it.


----------



## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

Alone with my Neo:


----------



## Nic (Nov 17, 2013)

What an absolutely PERFECT writing spot! Congrats!


----------



## Andie (Jan 24, 2014)

I'm jealous! 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

What a great place to write.


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## Perro Callejero (Dec 23, 2013)

Nice one, swolf!

I've posted this pic on kboards once before (on an older thread for Alphasmarts), but I'll throw it onto this thread too. This is one of my frequent writing spots--a park bench in my local park.










And come to think of it, the portability of the alphasmart offers an interesting option: to write on location. I'm working on a murder mystery about a homeless alcoholic who's trying to find out who killed his sponsor, and a lot of the action happens in the park shown in the picture, which is where the protagonist lives most of the time.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

I've been wanting to go to the park to write and it looks like it getting to be cool enough.


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## Nic (Nov 17, 2013)

I added an Alphasmart badge for those who wanted one.


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## Lydniz (May 2, 2013)

Nic said:


> I added an Alphasmart badge for those who wanted one.


Ooh, how do I get that into my sig?


----------



## Nic (Nov 17, 2013)

Put this

[nobbc][/nobbc]

into your signature field. I believe after your last book or own link.


----------



## Lydniz (May 2, 2013)

Cool! Thanks.


----------



## Nic (Nov 17, 2013)




----------



## Andie (Jan 24, 2014)

Neat! 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

I don't know how the badge will work with Harvey's sig tool, but I'll try it.

4200 words in three hours this morning. Maybe three more sessions like that and I'll be finished with the first draft of the wip. It's the roughest first draft I've ever written, but that has nothing to do with the AS.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Never did post the photo of my AS decorated with my book covers.


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## 10105 (Feb 16, 2010)

The Dana is getting a workout. This time of year I do a lot writing from the pool patio. Can't read the laptop in outdoor light. But the brighter it is, the better the Dana looks. I used to use a Tandy WP-2. I still have it, but the Dana is much better.


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## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Never did post the photo of my AS decorated with my book covers.


I'm not seeing the image, Gertie.


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## Perro Callejero (Dec 23, 2013)

Nic said:


> I added an Alphasmart badge for those who wanted one.


Rad! Thanks!


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

swolf said:


> I'm not seeing the image, Gertie.


Hmm, I'm seeing it. I'll try another way.


----------



## Charmaine (Jul 20, 2012)

Micki23 said:


> Now I have badges, too. I get to be one of the cool kids.


Haha That's how I feel too


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## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Hmm, I'm seeing it. I'll try another way.


Sweet! Looks rugged.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

swolf said:


> Sweet! Looks rugged.


It's a mean, green, writing machine.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Micki23 said:


> Very cool! And completely personalized.


Thanks. Inspirational, too. Wrote 3K this morning in two hours. I used to do 1K an hour.


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## Lydniz (May 2, 2013)

Yesterday I had the sudden urge to try my hand (as it were) at a sex scene, which I've never done before, as I always thought I'd find it too hard going (ahem) so I turned my PC off and went upstairs and hammered out (I have no idea where these puns are coming from) 1,000 words of red-hot action* in about an hour and a half, which surprised me, as I didn't expect to find it so easy. More power to the Alphasmart!

*Awkward fumbling. I _am_ British, after all.


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## sunnywriter (Aug 7, 2014)

Just got mine in the mail. What a wonderful little machine. As Micki says, it's also useful for writing things privately and avoiding shoulder readers when writing something spicy.

What is everyone doing for cases? I was thinking of bringing it into the city to write at libraries and such. I would guess a basic laptop case/bag, but wondering if there is anything in particular to use.


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## Lydniz (May 2, 2013)

I bought the neoprene cover. It fits like a glove so then you can just shove the thing in your bag.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

I just use one of my favorite tote bags. I've dropped it twice and nothing has happened. I'll have to look into the neoprene cover, though. The next time I drop it, I might end up breaking it.


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## suspensefulCJ (Nov 8, 2013)

I love my dana, I love my dana, I love my dana...

Only thing is, my rechargeable AA batteries don't seem to be working in it. I have to use regular AAs or an AC cord. 

Is this normal?


----------



## suspensefulCJ (Nov 8, 2013)

They're regular rechargables, not the battery pack. It seems to work fine. I ended up using the AC cord from my electric hole punch instead of buying a new one. It may be the batteries needed a longer charge then I gave them. I'll have to check today.

I managed 5K yesterday on the dana in less than 3 hours. I am verrrryyyy happy with that!


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## 10105 (Feb 16, 2010)

The rechargeable battery pack has a cable and plug for the recharge. I don't think you can just recharge AA batteries with the AC adaptor. Somewhere in this thread is a link to a site that explains how to build a pack. Or you can buy a replacement.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Pounded out 3K words this morning on my 3000, and I do mean pounded. My arms went numb.

I know the 3000 has a heavy touch, but I'm wondering if any of you know if the neo or the dana has a lighter touch. It's great to write that many words in one sitting, but I'd like to save my muscles to work again another day.


----------



## Gone 9/21/18 (Dec 11, 2008)

I have a Dana and don't consider the touch particularly heavy.


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## Andie (Jan 24, 2014)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Pounded out 3K words this morning on my 3000, and I do mean pounded. My arms went numb.
> 
> I know the 3000 has a heavy touch, but I'm wondering if any of you know if the neo or the dana has a lighter touch. It's great to write that many words in one sitting, but I'd like to save my muscles to work again another day.


The Neo has a much lighter touch than the 3000, which is why I bought one. The 3000 was a killer on my wrists, too.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

ellenoc said:


> I have a Dana and don't consider the touch particularly heavy.





Andie said:


> The Neo has a much lighter touch than the 3000, which is why I bought one. The 3000 was a killer on my wrists, too.


Thanks. I think I'm going to have to bite the bullet and go for the Neo or Dana. Off to ebay.


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## beccaprice (Oct 1, 2011)

How do you get an index of saved and named files?

Is there a way to put a file on to the Neo rather than just taking it off?

I printed off the cheat sheets of key commands, but didn't see these two items either there or in the manual (but then, I've never been good at finding things in long PDFs.)

Thank you.


----------



## Lydniz (May 2, 2013)

Becca, I posted this on your other thread, but to put files on your device you need the Neo manager:

http://www.renaissance.com/Customer-Center/neo-downloads


----------



## Jos Van Brussel (Feb 13, 2013)

Thanks for this, Chrissy. I accidentally created a bunch of extra files with an alternative Neo Manager I found somewhere, and didn't know how to delete them.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Won the bid! My new Neo will arrive on Thursday. I sure hope it's a lighter touch than the 3000 because I've been a writing machine lately.


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## beccaprice (Oct 1, 2011)

ah, yes, that's exactly what I needed to know - thank you!


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## beccaprice (Oct 1, 2011)

I didn't really believe the increases in productivity people were reporting, but I sat down for an hour in the B&N cafe and wrote a 1600 word story and got a paragraph or two into another while waiting for the writer's group to start. I'm impressed and very pleased. And, for a rough draft with no editing, the first story turned out to be better than I thought it would be.


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

beccaprice said:


> I didn't really believe the increases in productivity people were reporting, but I sat down for an hour in the B&N cafe and wrote a 1600 word story and got a paragraph or two into another while waiting for the writer's group to start. I'm impressed and very pleased. And, for a rough draft with no editing, the first story turned out to be better than I thought it would be.


It's amazing, isn't it?

My Neo should arrive tomorrow and I hope to be even more productive than with the 3000. Can't wait. Guess I have to decorate the Neo, too. 

And I have to name it. I might just name it Percy (I name all my electronics after the Weasleys) because he's such a hard worker and he made Fred smile at the end, which is what I aim for with all my stories.


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## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

Almost lost my Neo yesterday.  

Went to Walmart to buy some dogfood, and decided to eat at the Subway there.  Had the Neo with me and got some writing in as I ate.  When I was done I pushed the shopping cart out to the parking lot and put the dogfood in the trunk before taking the cart to the cart return.  When I got back to the car, I realized my Neo wasn't with me, so I immediately assumed I'd left it on the table. 

So I ran back inside, but it was nowhere to be found.  I asked the people sitting around, but they didn't see anything.  Went back out the parking lot, thinking I might have put it in the trunk without thinking, and there it was, still sitting in the top section of the shopping cart.  Whew!

Need to get my phone number on it so if it happens again and someone honest finds it, there's a chance of getting it back. 

Also reminded me I need to put passwords on the files.  Depending on the WIP, there's some naughty stuff on there.


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

swolf said:


> Almost lost my Neo yesterday.
> 
> Went to Walmart to buy some dogfood, and decided to eat at the Subway there. Had the Neo with me and got some writing in as I ate. When I was done I pushed the shopping cart out to the parking lot and put the dogfood in the trunk before taking the cart to the cart return. When I got back to the car, I realized my Neo wasn't with me, so I immediately assumed I'd left it on the table.
> 
> ...


Scary!!! Not to mention you would have lost your work. Happy for a good ending.


----------



## CDForness (Nov 25, 2013)

I've got a lot of writing toys, many purchased thanks to mentions on this board.  I hate packing the Neo because the Pomera DM100 is much more compact, as is my MacBook Air.  But I gotta say that my productivity on the Neo is much higher than any of the others.  Snuck in an hour this morning before the kids got up and I got in 1654 words, and I wouldn't consider my typing speed above average.  So I'm sucking it up and taking it everywhere.


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

My Neo arrived a day early and it morphed into a Dana. Fine with me. The touch is fantastic, but the big screen does seem to have more glare. I'll test it out on my patio tomorrow. I'm looking forward to lots more wordage.

And it came with a sleeve. 

Thanks for the instructions on removing the rechargeable batteries and putting in regular AA's.


----------



## Chinese Writer (Mar 25, 2014)

I have some ebay bucks, so I'm thinking of getting the Dana (I already have a Neo). As much as I love my Neo, I tend to do most of my writing in dimly lit rooms. My hubby is starting to get tired of me buying things for "my writing." Is the back light anything like the kindle paperwhite? Does it light up enough not to use a lamp?


----------



## Gone 9/21/18 (Dec 11, 2008)

artan said:


> I have some ebay bucks, so I'm thinking of getting the Dana (I already have a Neo). As much as I love my Neo, I tend to do most of my writing in dimly lit rooms. My hubby is starting to get tired of me buying things for "my writing." Is the back light anything like the kindle paperwhite? Does it light up enough not to use a lamp?


Not IMO. I couldn't use mine without a decent light in the room.


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Whipped out 2K words and now it won't transfer. I'm getting an error message, but the Dana won't let me get out of that, either. Disappointed. Any advice?

Never mind. Finally realized I have to use the stylus to move from one menu item to another. Haven't found the stylus, yet, so I'm using grandson's Pokemon stylus.


----------



## Chinese Writer (Mar 25, 2014)

ellenoc said:


> Not IMO. I couldn't use mine without a decent light in the room.


Thanks. If it's not bright enough than my Neo is good enough.


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Supposedly, you can turn on the backlight by holding down the on/off key for a couple of seconds.


----------



## Gone 9/21/18 (Dec 11, 2008)

The first time I tried to transfer info from my Dana to the PC I got an error message. It said I had the wrong kind of USB cable. I don't remember what I did, but the message went away, it did the transfer (typed into Scrivener via Send) and I've never gotten that message again. I probably just pushed Send again or OK'd the error message, something like than.


----------



## beccaprice (Oct 1, 2011)

even with the Neo Manager, I can't figure out how to transfer a MS Word file to my Neo. Does the file need to be in txt format? I couldn't find an "import" feature in the Manager anyway. can someone help me figure this out?

there were some symbols like cut, copy that were grayed out, I don't know why.


----------



## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

beccaprice said:


> even with the Neo Manager, I can't figure out how to transfer a MS Word file to my Neo. Does the file need to be in txt format? I couldn't find an "import" feature in the Manager anyway. can someone help me figure this out?
> 
> there were some symbols like cut, copy that were grayed out, I don't know why.


In Neo Manager, click on the 'AlphaWordFiles to Send' tab, then select which file slot you want to load into, then paste your text from Word into the box on the right:










Once all that is done, click on the 'Send List' tab and click on 'Send'.










Careful, whatever you have in that file slot on the Neo will be overwritten and lost.

Also, the first time you do this, it will update your applets if they're out of date. This is normal.


----------



## Lydniz (May 2, 2013)

beccaprice said:


> even with the Neo Manager, I can't figure out how to transfer a MS Word file to my Neo. Does the file need to be in txt format? I couldn't find an "import" feature in the Manager anyway. can someone help me figure this out?
> 
> there were some symbols like cut, copy that were grayed out, I don't know why.


Select and copy the text you want to send, then go the "Alphaword Files To Send" tab in the Neo Manager, select a file space on the left and paste the text into the box on the right. Then go to the Send List tab and press the Send button.


----------



## rosclarke (Jul 12, 2013)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Whipped out 2K words and now it won't transfer. I'm getting an error message, but the Dana won't let me get out of that, either. Disappointed. Any advice?
> 
> Never mind. Finally realized I have to use the stylus to move from one menu item to another. Haven't found the stylus, yet, so I'm using grandson's Pokemon stylus.


It took me forever to find the stylus on my Dana too. On the right hand side, there's a couple of ridges that feel like a button. Push up, hard, and the stylus will pop out.


----------



## beccaprice (Oct 1, 2011)

Thanks, all. I got my edited file back onto my Neo. There's still such a lot I have to learn about how to make the best use of my Neo!


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

rosclarke said:


> It took me forever to find the stylus on my Dana too. On the right hand side, there's a couple of ridges that feel like a button. Push up, hard, and the stylus will pop out.


Thanks, found it, but no stylus. I went ahead and ordered one. It's neon green, so I should be able to see it when I put it in the slot.

I really love the look of this Dana. Sleek and Stylish.


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Wow! Did 4K on my Dana today. Small problem with lighting, though. It doesn't do well in sunlight or direct light.


----------



## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Wow! Did 4K on my Dana today. Small problem with lighting, though. It doesn't do well in sunlight or direct light.


Sweet! Sounds like the softer keyboard is working out for you.


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

swolf said:


> Sweet! Sounds like the softer keyboard is working out for you.


Definitely. Very happy I got it.


----------



## Julia Kavan (Feb 6, 2011)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Wow! Did 4K on my Dana today. Small problem with lighting, though. It doesn't do well in sunlight or direct light.


On my Dana I use the 'function' (bottom) + 'contrast' (top) keys, and then the touchscreen to adjust. The backlight also helps sometimes.


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Julia Kavan said:


> On my Dana I use the 'function' (bottom) + 'contrast' (top) keys, and then the touchscreen to adjust. The backlight also helps sometimes.





Drew Gideon said:


> Gertie have you tried adjusting the contrast in the Settings?
> I have a Neo so it's not exactly the same, but I'd think there would be an option in there somewhere for you to do that. (There is on the Neo.)


Thanks. I'll try that. I really enjoyed sitting out on the patio with my 3000 and hoped to do that with my Dana.


----------



## beccaprice (Oct 1, 2011)

My biggest problem with my alphasmart Neo is that, while it's great for first drafts and core dumps, it's much less usable for rewrites and revisions - mostly for the same reason: the small screen makes it difficult to get a whole picture of the story, so moving text back and forth and adding large blocks of text isn't the easiest thing to do. So, I do my first draft on the alphasmart, and my revisions in Word on my PC - which works great, unless I'm somewhere where I can't use my PC, and am stuck on revisions for one story, and not yet ready to write the next one.


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

beccaprice said:


> My biggest problem with my alphasmart Neo is that, while it's great for first drafts and core dumps, it's much less usable for rewrites and revisions - mostly for the same reason: the small screen makes it difficult to get a whole picture of the story, so moving text back and forth and adding large blocks of text isn't the easiest thing to do. So, I do my first draft on the alphasmart, and my revisions in Word on my PC - which works great, unless I'm somewhere where I can't use my PC, and am stuck on revisions for one story, and not yet ready to write the next one.


That's what I do, too. I don't like to do revisions until I've completed the story because too much can get messed up.


----------



## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

Got back from my honeymoon and had to shamelessly share this one. Neo meets Hobbiton.


----------



## Lydniz (May 2, 2013)

You took your Neo on honeymoon? Shame on you, sir.


----------



## rosclarke (Jul 12, 2013)

beccaprice said:


> My biggest problem with my alphasmart Neo is that, while it's great for first drafts and core dumps, it's much less usable for rewrites and revisions - mostly for the same reason: the small screen makes it difficult to get a whole picture of the story, so moving text back and forth and adding large blocks of text isn't the easiest thing to do. So, I do my first draft on the alphasmart, and my revisions in Word on my PC - which works great, unless I'm somewhere where I can't use my PC, and am stuck on revisions for one story, and not yet ready to write the next one.


Yeah, they're not for editing. First drafts only, imo.


----------



## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

Lydniz said:


> You took your Neo on honeymoon? Shame on you, sir.


Heh...I did bring it, but I didn't get all that much writing done, even with the ridiculously long trips on the plane, bus, and train. Mostly just notes about what we did and where we went (and the many foods we tried out).


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Jim Johnson said:


> Got back from my honeymoon and had to shamelessly share this one. Neo meets Hobbiton.


Inspirational!!!!


----------



## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Inspirational!!!!


It really was, though what was even more inspirational was having lunch at the Hau Tree Lanoi cafe on Honolulu and discovering that it was the same cafe (and the same hau trees) that Robert Louis Stevenson wrote under during his travels to Hawaii, and likely where he wrote some of _Treasure Island_ and _The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde_.

I hope some of his mojo rubbed off on me.


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Jim Johnson said:


> It really was, though what was even more inspirational was having lunch at the Hau Tree Lanoi cafe on Honolulu and discovering that it was the same cafe (and the same hau trees) that Robert Louis Stevenson wrote under during his travels to Hawaii, and likely where he wrote some of _Treasure Island_ and _The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde_.
> 
> I hope some of his mojo rubbed off on me.


WOW!!!


----------



## OW (Jul 9, 2014)

Forgive me if this has been asked already as I there are a lot of pages here and although I read through the first few, I skimmed the rest and may have missed it. I'm wondering where these are available to purchase from now please? 

Thanks


----------



## CDForness (Nov 25, 2013)

OW said:


> Forgive me if this has been asked already as I there are a lot of pages here and although I read through the first few, I skimmed the rest and may have missed it. I'm wondering where these are available to purchase from now please?
> 
> Thanks


They aren't being manufactured anymore so eBay is your friend.


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

CDF said:


> They aren't being manufactured anymore so eBay is your friend.


And there are a few available from Amazon Marketplace.


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## GTC (Dec 18, 2013)

Apologies for bumping this thread with a question that may have been answered, but I'm partly lazy and partly impatient to win a neo on ebay  Is a simple USB-USB cable all that's needed to connect the alphasmart to a computer, or is the special alphasmart cable needed? The one I've bid on doesn't include the wireless adapter so if it's a particular cable that's needed I won't increase my bid (I want to be able to use it fully over the christmas break  )


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## MyraScott (Jul 18, 2014)

The are the old printer cables, with a USB on one end and a square connector on the other.  Still cheap and easy to find.  Best of luck with it!


----------



## GTC (Dec 18, 2013)

MyraScott said:


> The are the old printer cables, with a USB on one end and a square connector on the other. Still cheap and easy to find. Best of luck with it!


Aha, they are nice and cheap on Amazon so I'll keep bidding, thank you for answering!


----------



## Robert_V_Frazier (Nov 19, 2014)

If you would like a shiny new Scrivener badge to display with your Alphasmart badge, here you go!










[nobbc]







[/nobbc]


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## Lydniz (May 2, 2013)

Very nice!


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

Robert_V_Frazier said:


> If you would like a shiny new Scrivener badge to display with your Alphasmart badge, here you go!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Aw, dude. Thank you!


----------



## Robert_V_Frazier (Nov 19, 2014)

I was asked to do a badge for Dragon Naturally Speaking, so here it is:










[nobbc]







[/nobbc]

Enjoy.


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## Jac1106 (Jan 13, 2012)

Thank you, Robert.


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## Chrissy (Mar 31, 2014)

Jim Johnson said:


> Aw, dude. Thank you!


Jim (or anyone else with the know-how  ),

In your signature, how do you make the second, third etc. icon go horizontal (on the same line) next to the first icon.

When I tried to add a second icon, they stacked up vertically - 

Thanks


----------



## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

I pasted the img codes so that they're one after another, without a hard return in between them. Just a space between them.

Like this:



>


----------



## Chrissy (Mar 31, 2014)

Jim Johnson said:


> I pasted the img codes so that they're one after another, without a hard return in between them. Just a space between them.
> 
> Like this:


Here's what I have
(url=http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,150985.0.html)
(img]http://i61.tinypic.com/im0xv4.png(/img)
(/url)


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

Try this: cut and paste this into your sig line as is:


```
[IMG]http://i61.tinypic.com/im0xv4.png[/IMG] [IMG]http://tinyurl.com/nbleha6[/IMG]
```


----------



## Chrissy (Mar 31, 2014)

Jim Johnson said:


> Try this: cut and paste this into your sig line as is:
> 
> 
> ```
> ...


It worked!!!! 

Thanks!!!


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## Alyson (Apr 26, 2012)

Hello everyone! Big thanks to all the help I received on using my Alphasmart. I had one ten years ago and a cat peed on it. (The one thing an Alphasmart can't survive!)  

So when I bought a new one, I thought it would be the same. Lo and behold, my ability to type on a stiff keyboard had diminished over the years. I spent more time correcting spelling errors on missed keys than actually writing.

I tried the Dana. Loved the softer keyboard but didn't like having to manage files, etc. 

So I bought a Neo!!  

Third time's the charm, right? Now I'll have to ebay my Dana and two (!) Alphasmart 3000s. (Bought one with the rechargeable battery, one that takes 3 AAs.)

And I'm keeping it well away from the cats.


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

Hope the Neo works for you! Tell us all about it once you've broken it in.


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## MyraScott (Jul 18, 2014)

I drifted away from my Neo... it was tucked into my laptop bag.  Out of sight, out of mind. 

I took it to work with me and instead of spending my lunch aimlessly reading posts and thinking about knocking out another scene, I took the Neo to the lunchroom and made myself stay until lunch hour was over.  

When I got stuck, I didn't wander off to see what the chat was on Quora, or start wikipeiding obscure animals to include as background or stare openmouthed at the trainwreck that is my Facebook feed... I sat there and worked it out.

(I can post now because my lunch hour is over, of course.) 

The power of disconnecting!!  It's huge.


----------



## Jos Van Brussel (Feb 13, 2013)

I thought about getting a Hemingwrite for a bit (I have a Neo) but then decided against it and got myself a Neo2 instead. As back-up and in case eBay ever runs out. It just arrived today and I'm happy as a clam .


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

I'd still like to get a Neo. I only get one session out of the batteries with my Dana. Good thing I have rechargeables.


----------



## Lydniz (May 2, 2013)

I got mine out for the first time in months yesterday and got a load of plotting done.


----------



## BGArcher (Jun 14, 2014)

I was looking at Hemingwrites but realized $400 is waaayyy too rich for my blood... So long story short a neo will be arriving on my door some time next week! Very excited, and definitely going to take it apart and do a custom paint job, like some of the earlier posts in this thread.


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

BGArcher said:


> I was looking at Hemingwrites but realized $400 is waaayyy too rich for my blood... So long story short a neo will be arriving on my door some time next week! Very excited, and defiantly going to take it apart and do a custom paint job, like some of the earlier posts in this thread.


I ordered a Neo and was sent a Dana. Wish I had the Neo. My Dana runs through batteries like crazy. I finally got rechargeable batteries and change them at least once a week.

Let us know how you like the Neo.


----------



## eleanorberesford (Dec 22, 2014)

How big are they? I guess I'm asking, could it balance on my lap along with a toddler?


----------



## suspensefulCJ (Nov 8, 2013)

eleanorberesford said:


> How big are they? I guess I'm asking, could it balance on my lap along with a toddler?


I can 'somewhat' easily balance the Dana on my lap with a slightly smaller than average 4yr old girl. Much easier than my laptop, that's for sure.


----------



## Chrissy (Mar 31, 2014)

eleanorberesford said:


> How big are they? I guess I'm asking, could it balance on my lap along with a toddler?


Sorta of, but with some juggling. The key thing is if your Neo falls it'll will be okay.


----------



## eleanorberesford (Dec 22, 2014)

Thanks, guys. Temptation increasing...


----------



## eleanorberesford (Dec 22, 2014)

...And my brother has ordered me a Neo for my birthday.


----------



## Chrissy (Mar 31, 2014)

eleanorberesford said:


> ...And my brother has ordered me a Neo for my birthday.


He sounds like a great brother. 

I'm sure you'll enjoy your birthday gift.

Happy early birthday wishes & Good Luck!


----------



## eleanorberesford (Dec 22, 2014)

He's a sweetie.  And thank you!


----------



## BGArcher (Jun 14, 2014)

Keep forgetting to post. My Neo arrived and it's just what I wanted and ordered. With shipping $30.00. I put in new batteries and it works like a charm, and I've been using it every day since it arrived. I'll wait a month or two to make sure I'm still using it before I take it apart and paint it like some of the folks in this thread. I still listen to music sometimes when I'm writing with it, but with an iPod shuffle so I'm still very distraction free. Being able to only read four lines at a time really makes it an amazing drafting machine.


----------



## eleanorberesford (Dec 22, 2014)

My Neo was given to me at my birthday dinner tonight, along with some folks I wanted (my brother spoils me). International shipping cost more than the Neo, ha.

I love it already. It makes the hemingwrite awfully tempting... But I have two useless Meteor Kreos smart watches and another gadget that is a year and a half late so far to remind me that for the big price gadgets, it's better to wait until the finished product is out. But I love the Neo, and I do love mechanical keyboards.

Unfortunately my little boy loves the Alphasmart too.


----------



## Chrissy (Mar 31, 2014)

eleanorberesford said:


> My Neo was given to me at my birthday dinner tonight, along with some folks I wanted (my brother spoils me). International shipping cost more than the Neo, ha.
> 
> I love it already. *It makes the hemingwrite awfully tempting*... But I have two useless Meteor Kreos smart watches and another gadget that is a year and a half late so far to remind me that for the big price gadgets, it's better to wait until the finished product is out. But I love the Neo, and I do love mechanical keyboards.
> 
> Unfortunately my little boy loves the Alphasmart too.


I wanted to like the Hemingwrite because I too like mechanical keyboards.

The problem with the Hemingwrite for me was there was no way to move the cursor backwards (without erasing what you typed), up, or down. 

Your only cursor movement choice was forward.


----------



## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

Chrissy said:


> Your only cursor movement choice was forward.


There's a lesson in there somewhere...


----------



## eleanorberesford (Dec 22, 2014)

I'm with Chrissy, enforced non editing is not for me.


----------



## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

eleanorberesford said:


> I'm with Chrissy, enforced non editing is not for me.


I think the Hemingwrite is a long way away from being practical. Just the price and the clickety keyboard are more than enough to turn me off. I'll stick with my trusty Dana although I'm still thinking of adding a Neo to my collection.


----------



## eleanorberesford (Dec 22, 2014)

Clickety is a big draw for me. But I am in love with my Neo right now. And my son seems completely unthreatened by it, unlike my laptop.


----------



## AngryGames (Jul 28, 2013)

All right. Giving this thread a resurrection just to say that I've hit half a million words on this sucker. Had a weird thing happen the other day that needed a full reset, but none of my work was lost.

But then, a couple of days later, I found a bit of a bug I think. I had almost 10k words on it (estimating from the file size as I hadn't dropped it into Scrivener yet) when I decided to hold down Backspace to rid myself of an entire paragraph. My Dana got about halfway through the paragraph and hard-locked. Yes, the sudden freakout on my part was probably hilariously not hilarious (and yet still hilarious, it's times like this I wish I could see my own expression).

A hard reset got me back in and everything I'd typed from before the last save (about 4k or more words, I'd been typing at a furious rate for almost two hours to the point I forgot to save, but I'd never ever never lost anything before, so it wasn't a priority, more on that in a sec) was there. So it seemed. When I tried to navigate with the arrow key up to see if the text was okay, it hard-locked again.

THAT freakout was even more hilariously un-hilarious (according to my neighbor who heard me swear so loud she thought I was in her back yard). I got it reset and went back in and began typing, trying to remember wtf I had already written. I soon wrote another stupid paragraph that wasn't correct so I tried again to remove the text by holding the Backspace key, something I've done since 4th grade (before mice and the "highlight" feature, I'm 42 so I get to be cranky).

Hard lock again, and all the text I'd typed from the moment I'd reset it (about 1k words this time) was gone again. Worse, when I reset it yet again, I decided to go immediately to the PC and get whatever was already saved off it just in case the Dana was dying. Keep in mind, up until this point, I'd never even bothered to learn the "CTRL+S" save command for some reason. I'd always pulled the stylus and did the crappy touch-menu thing. I got the Dana hooked up and opened the story in Scrivener and hit transfer, and it hard-locked yet again. Imagine the tendrils of fear (and rage, I'll admit) that began to creep through me.

Pulled the SD card and spent almost two hours converting the the strange file format to Word (found a small tool to do this, works like a champ). But it had a bunch of junk characters mixed in with real text. Like... two junk characters for every actual word. Cue third major freakout. This one... not as bad, as it looked like the 6k words that were saved were all there, but I'd probably spend two days slicing out all of the junk characters. So... I fumed and cursed some more but was grateful I wouldn't lose whatever was on the SD card (I've never saved anything on the Dana's internal memory).

I decided to try and clean it up in Calibre64. Spent a couple of hours mucking around (cursing a LOT more because I'm a chump when it comes to Calibre other than removing DRM or a few other minor tasks that I've actually learned how to do). Somehow, the conversion removed a shitload of bad characters, so after a lot more cursing, I finally got it all back into Scrivener.

Rewrote the %@#$^ text I'd lost (I like to believe I wrote it BETTER the third time... because it's a cheaper belief than my Dana did this to me on purpose and required smashing with a hammer to absolve it of its sin).

Everything is now peachy.

LESSONS LEARNED: 
CTRL+S = SAVE
CTRL+O = OPEN
CTRL+S = SAVE
SAVE SAVE SAVE
JUST LIKE IN VIDEO GAMES, F5 EVERY MINUTE SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO FIGHT YOUR WAY THROUGH SIX LEVELS OF DUNGEON AGAIN TO GET TO THE BOSS
CTRL+S = SAVE
Don't hold the Backspace key down to delete lots of text. I did find out that using my finger to highlight a lot of text actually works like a charm. A deadly charm as I am tempted to stab my finger through the little screen in anger, but a charm nonetheless.

Anyway, as I checked the word count of the latest burning tire fire I'm writing, I realized at some point around the 75k word mark I'd crossed 500,000 words written on the Dana by me, based on how many stories I've worked on (written entire stories in most cases during the summer when I can sit under the apple tree in the shade) and transferred into Scrivener. Probably more since I hate typing on my phone so I tend to write email replies and forum posts on it then shuffle that text off to the PC whenever I can be bothered to make it back downstairs.

I purchased an extra battery back when I bought this unit off someone at Amazon (a few of you gave my review a thumbs-up!). Haven't had to use it yet, and this mother gets daily use. I did have to clean some fly guts off it, as this time of year they get pretty bad and love either me or the shade, or me in the shade. Screen is still bright and has great contrast (though if you work in the hot sun, it will start to bleed really bad, but goes away when you shade it and cool it off, but I only let this happen twice before punching myself in the face as a reminder to not be an idiot and leave it out in the hot sun...). Keys are still springy (nowhere as awesome as my mechanical kb's but I can't cart my PC outside and laptops suck even in the shade, and they're hot/heavy). I'm using a lot of parentheses here. I should work on that. I still haven't lost the stylus!!! This is probably the most surprising quality of my Dana haha. It holds a charge for a very long time (if being used regularly, at least). Windows 10 doesn't like it but it works fine (%^@# Windows 10, by the way, had a nightmare for some reason with DropBox but got it figured out).

Okay. Well. There's some words. I'm a dumbass. But I learned some good lessons that I should have already known being a techie and gamer my whole life. Save early, save often. CTRL+S = SAVE. Don't hold the backspace key down for too long. Oh, and I finally found the Delete key. Like it was hidden from me until I was worthy enough to have its existence revealed.

Hope everyone is still enjoying their Dana. I'm sad because Fall is coming and Idaho is far too cold to sit outside when the cooler weather sets in (though the afternoons will be pleasant into mid-October or longer for the most part).

Oh, I don't know who this guy is, but he looks like a jerk who needs to have a minimum of one eye gouged out by a dirty thumb. And what's with the cat? Who likes cats anyway? Probably guys who want to get their eye gouged out by a dirty thumb...


----------



## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

Glad to hear you were able to save your data. Reminds me that I'm fortunate I didn't trade up my Neo for a Dana. My Neo autosaves so there's never a need to hit CTRL-S. No SD card either. I'm newly grateful for the low-tech.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Travis, I think your cat is ignoring you. Glad your hilarious situation was finally resolved.



Jim Johnson said:


> Glad to hear you were able to save your data. Reminds me that I'm fortunate I didn't trade up my Neo for a Dana. My Neo autosaves so there's never a need to hit CTRL-S. No SD card either. I'm newly grateful for the low-tech.


My AS 3000 finally went berserk on me so I ordered a Neo. They sent me a Dana instead so I decided to try it. It ran through batteries so fast, I finally had to get rechargeables. I didn't like the Dana at all.

Finally got my low-tech Neo and I love it.


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## NoBlackHats (Oct 17, 2012)

Love my Neo.


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## KGGiarratano (Aug 14, 2013)

I'm going to bust out my NEO when I start my cozy mystery draft. Right now, I'm revising a manuscript in Scrivener. But I miss the Neo.


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## Clementine (Jun 12, 2015)

AngryGames said:


> Oh, and I finally found the Delete key. Like it was hidden from me until I was worthy enough to have its existence revealed.


I don't have a Dana but still read your entire post, and now I want to read all of your books.


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## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

Nice to see the Alphasmart thread back on the first page. Still pull mine out when I have some heads-down writing to do.


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## AngryGames (Jul 28, 2013)

Clementine said:


> I don't have a Dana but still read your entire post, and now I want to read all of your books.


Nooooooooo, that is the OPPOSITE of what I wanted you to do. My wife is right, everyone just ignores me =/.

Also, thanks everyone for reminding me about the Neo as I went to remove the batteries since it's been sitting so long. Which gives me an opportunity to pimp my newest love, Sanyo/Panasonic's "Enloop" rechargeable batteries.

Because I'm a nerd (shut up or we'll fight, I'm a fight-y nerd)... wait. This is for a different movie in my head.

Okay, because like you, I still have a lot of "things" around the house that require batteries (mind out of the gutter, children... talking about remotes and game controllers and such), I bought this: 
http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-Advanced-Individual-Rechargeable-Batteries/dp/B00JHKSMJU

And now I'm up to something like 16 AA's and 12AAA's because you simply do NOT realize how much crap in your house actually requires these buggers. Powerful enough to keep the cats in a state of frenzied seizure with the laser pointer? Check. Powers Xbox 360/One controllers for as long as disposables (good ones, not "Shady Bob's Battery Emporium C-class Refurbished AA" disposables)? Check. TV/PS3/stereo remotes forever? Check. Wireless mice / keyboards? Check. Plutonium powered planet-buster warhead? Probably not, but just checking to see if you fell asleep.

Anyway, if you have the Neo, this thing (the batteries + charger) is perfect if you use it a lot. Again, they last forever, hold a charge for a long time, and, well, can be recharged a ton. Plus the 2100mh science-y stuff that means nothing to me but apparently is a good number-letter combo of quality or power or something. And again, when you get some of these, you find out you have to buy more because you start replacing every disposable when it dies. I only need 1.23 million more to power my doomsday weapon. Kickstarter time! (donate or I'll kill you when I get funded and build the weapon)

Now that I've pulled out my Neo, I'm gonna use it a bit. I REALLY love this thing, but the Dana took over when it arrived because of the backlit touch screen. I'm such a nerd (remember, we'll fight) that I've been thinking of how to use the two big holes on the Dana to make a little holder or something for a dim LED light, as the non-backlit keyboard is the only negative I've found so far. Beyond the $#@@# thing not letting have a Delete key until I passed some major milestone (rage). And it eating a few thousand words (Hemingway rolled back over in his grave).

Also, bad news for you, as I wrote this on my Dana. While sitting in front of my computer, which has a Razer Black Widow mechanical kb. It's the keyboard I unplug and bring to bed every night. I'm not popular at night time. You can imagine how windy and senseless any book I might write on this thing would be. I just love to write on this thing.

NOTE: this post might be long and lame like the last one
NOTE2: the above note probably should have been placed above this giant wall of text instead of at the end, but I'm pretty poor at interneting. 
NOTE3:


> Travis, I think your cat is ignoring you. Glad your hilarious situation was finally resolved.


I don't have any cats. That orange one just showed up one day and he never left. Eight years ago. We even moved twice in that time and he's still showing up, sleeping in our house, eating food that we probably should not be buying him. I'm beginning to suspect Mrs. Angry is the one who loaded him in the moving truck twice before.

NOTE4: holy... doing forum quote stuff / tags on a Neo is weird and gave me vertigo
NOTE5: seriously, we all love our Alphasmarts. I use mine to annoy forum users. If you don't have one, find one and buy it. Keep it. If my supervillain career doesn't pan out, I'll probably trade you my doomsday weapon for your Alphasmart when mine finally dies.

(okay, done now, battery is about to finally crash)


----------



## Nic (Nov 17, 2013)




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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Note 1: I get the cat thing.

Note 2: My Neo is so low tech it uses AAs that can last up to a year. 

Note 3: My Neo was beside my bed last night and I was able to quickly type up my dream for my next book. It'll be a best seller for sure.

Note 4:  I'm typing this on my Fire to drive everyone crazy with autocorrect.


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

I don't know if my Neo is lower-tech cause it has the rechargeable battery in it, or higher tech? Either way, I've had the thing for 10+ years and it's still cruising along. I plug it in maybe 3-4 times a year? It's sick how much life it has to it. The immortal Neo.


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## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

When are they coming out with Scrivener for the Alphasmarts?


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

swolf said:


> When are they coming out with Scrivener for the Alphasmarts?


Well, never since that would be an ugly thing.  That being said, I write all my drafts on the Neo then dump the text into Scrivener for finalization and formatting.


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## AngryGames (Jul 28, 2013)

Jim Johnson said:


> Well, never since that would be an ugly thing.  That being said, I write all my drafts on the Neo then dump the text into Scrivener for finalization and formatting.


Same. It's beautiful to watch 9k words get vomited into Scrivener. I keep forgetting I can do things like bold and italics with the Dana, so I always use ALL CAPITALS whenever something needs either of those formatting options. For a lot of other stuff, especially information I need to look up but I'm nowhere near a computer (and I hate my phone, especially outdoors in the sun/shade while wearing polarized sunglasses), I use this:

(* whatever needs looking at once in Scrivener goes here )

So once it is in Scrivener, I simply search for: (*

and blammo, there's all the stuff I need to find. Which means I should probably do it for the bold and italics stuff, but I'm stubborn and refuse to do things the easy or the smart way. I mean, I JUST found the Delete key and learned CTRL+S = SAVE.



> Note 3: My Neo was beside my bed last night and I was able to quickly type up my dream for my next book. It'll be a best seller for sure.


only if it has a tentacled billionaire dinoshifting were-borg as the MC who abuses a helpless, breathless, lip-licking female char (by making her watch bad British comedies from the 70's that even Brits didn't find funny).

Note 3.5 - There's someone in the forum who doesn't like me talking about old English matrons, so I left old English matrons out of Note 3's reply. But it would totally be a slam on old English matrons otherwise.


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## Dobby the House Elf (Aug 16, 2014)

I bought a Dana, and it totally eats batteries out the wazoo. So I don't use it anymore.  I kind of want to though, but every time I take the batteries out (to save power) the settings, er, reset. So somehow the batteries are draining even though the Dana is off. Which is a REALLY big shame since I imported it from US to Aus.


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## AngryGames (Jul 28, 2013)

Dobby the House Elf said:


> I bought a Dana, and it totally eats batteries out the wazoo. So I don't use it anymore.  I kind of want to though, but every time I take the batteries out (to save power) the settings, er, reset. So somehow the batteries are draining even though the Dana is off. Which is a REALLY big shame since I imported it from US to Aus.


You can still buy a replacement battery for it. I think I paid $25 or less for mine. Mine ate batteries at first but I think it was because it had sat in storage for a long time. After charging it and using it a lot, it seems to be just fine. There's also a mod I've seen where you can get it to accept lithium ion (and/or metal hydride? whatever the hell they are) batteries AND charge them when plugged into the USB cable.

ALSO... you can use one of the battery pack things while plugged into the USB cable: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LRK8JDC
these things are on sale all the time with a ton of different stats and brands and all that.

Also, have you tried doing a hard reset?


----------



## Dobby the House Elf (Aug 16, 2014)

AngryGames said:


> You can still buy a replacement battery for it. I think I paid $25 or less for mine. Mine ate batteries at first but I think it was because it had sat in storage for a long time. After charging it and using it a lot, it seems to be just fine. There's also a mod I've seen where you can get it to accept lithium ion (and/or metal hydride? whatever the hell they are) batteries AND charge them when plugged into the USB cable.
> 
> ALSO... you can use one of the battery pack things while plugged into the USB cable: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LRK8JDC
> these things are on sale all the time with a ton of different stats and brands and all that.
> ...


I had a battery pack that didn't work, and the charger didn't work either. So I was using regular batteries. The fact it resets everything once the batteries drain is what annoyed me the most. I didn't mind taking them out afterwards, but the autoreset was annoying. Is that normal?


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

AngryGames said:


> only if it has a tentacled billionaire dinoshifting were-borg as the MC who abuses a helpless, breathless, lip-licking female char (by making her watch bad British comedies from the 70's that even Brits didn't find funny).
> 
> Note 3.5 - There's someone in the forum who doesn't like me talking about old English matrons, so I left old English matrons out of Note 3's reply. But it would totally be a slam on old English matrons otherwise.


Oh, pooh. How did you know? Has someone already written that? <lowerlipquivering>



Dobby the House Elf said:


> I had a battery pack that didn't work, and the charger didn't work either. So I was using regular batteries. The fact it resets everything once the batteries drain is what annoyed me the most. I didn't mind taking them out afterwards, but the autoreset was annoying. Is that normal?


Yes, that's totally normal. I got rechargable batteries for my Dana and learned to change them out in less than the 30 seconds it takes to reset. I never waited for the batteries to fully drain. I just changed them before I even turned on the Dana. I took out the little screw in the battery cover and used tape so I could change out faster. Sort of like a NASCAR pit stop.

This is why I love my Neo that uses up AAA batteries about once a year.


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## Chinese Writer (Mar 25, 2014)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Oh, pooh. How did you know? Has someone already written that? <lowerlipquivering>
> 
> Yes, that's totally normal. I got rechargable batteries for my Dana and learned to change them out in less than the 30 seconds it takes to reset. I never waited for the batteries to fully drain. I just changed them before I even turned on the Dana. I took out the little screw in the battery cover and used tape so I could change out faster. Sort of like a NASCAR pit stop.
> 
> This is why I love my Neo that uses up AAA batteries about once a year.


The battery pack that came with my Dana finally died on me last month. I googled the hack where you can make a new battery pack from rechargeable batteries. Took me a good half hour (more time pumping myself up to do it than the deed itself). Now I have a new battery pack that charges with the Dana plugged into via usb cord. I'm in heaven. My son uses my Neo when he wants to mimick me.


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## SJ Kelley (Feb 13, 2015)

Ok, I've read all 22 pages of this thread (and have drooled over the very sweet paint jobs), and I am chomping at the bit to get a Dana. The only problem is, as mentioned by a previous poster, these things are REALLY hard to get in Canada for less than $70 or so (our terrible exchange rate right now isn't helping). Since many of these posts were older, I was just wondering if anyone knows of a good place to try to find a Dana in Canada? Ebay and Amazon marketplace haven't been very fruitful (Amazon marketplace wants $28 for the Dana, and $54 for shipping!  )


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## Dobby the House Elf (Aug 16, 2014)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Oh, pooh. How did you know? Has someone already written that? <lowerlipquivering>
> 
> Yes, that's totally normal. I got rechargable batteries for my Dana and learned to change them out in less than the 30 seconds it takes to reset. I never waited for the batteries to fully drain. I just changed them before I even turned on the Dana. I took out the little screw in the battery cover and used tape so I could change out faster. Sort of like a NASCAR pit stop.
> 
> This is why I love my Neo that uses up AAA batteries about once a year.


I wished I'd known about it before sourcing one (it was expensive in Australia). I might try buying another battery pack, but when the power is off the batteries seem to keep draining.


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## Lisa Grace (Jul 3, 2011)

Still love my Neo. <3


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## AngryGames (Jul 28, 2013)

SJ Kelley said:


> Ok, I've read all 22 pages of this thread (and have drooled over the very sweet paint jobs), and I am chomping at the bit to get a Dana. The only problem is, as mentioned by a previous poster, these things are REALLY hard to get in Canada for less than $70 or so (our terrible exchange rate right now isn't helping). Since many of these posts were older, I was just wondering if anyone knows of a good place to try to find a Dana in Canada? Ebay and Amazon marketplace haven't been very fruitful (Amazon marketplace wants $28 for the Dana, and $54 for shipping! )


I think a number of foreigners (not intended to be offensive, just descriptive) have been able to get one of us Americans to buy them cheap and ship them off to other countries for far less than the retailers/sellers would charge. Depends on if you can get away from any VAT or import tax or such (used to be a pain in the ass when I was in tech). The only other option is to scour google search results and hope to find one close to you =(

Anyway, depends on how close you live to the border. Wouldn't be hard to find someone in Seattle or Detroit or Buffalo or such to meet you and do an exchange. If the RCMP or the two hockey goons who guard your side of the border hassle you... they won't hassle you over a little keyboard that they can't possibly have known you didn't leave Canada with. If you live in the Yukon, well, I don't even know what to say to that. 

(totally worth any hassle though)


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## SJ Kelley (Feb 13, 2015)

AngryGames said:


> I think a number of foreigners (not intended to be offensive, just descriptive) have been able to get one of us Americans to buy them cheap and ship them off to other countries for far less than the retailers/sellers would charge. Depends on if you can get away from any VAT or import tax or such (used to be a pain in the ass when I was in tech). The only other option is to scour google search results and hope to find one close to you =(
> 
> Anyway, depends on how close you live to the border. Wouldn't be hard to find someone in Seattle or Detroit or Buffalo or such to meet you and do an exchange. If the RCMP or the two hockey goons who guard your side of the border hassle you... they won't hassle you over a little keyboard that they can't possibly have known you didn't leave Canada with. If you live in the Yukon, well, I don't even know what to say to that.
> 
> (totally worth any hassle though)


I miss the days when I was lived in BC and could just pop across the border... alas, it's not so easy now that I moved. I just bit the bullet and bought a Dana


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## SJ Kelley (Feb 13, 2015)

I was wondering if I could get some technical help. I just got a Dana wireless (so excited!) but I can't for the life of me figure out how to transfer my .rtf output from Scrivener to the Dana so I can work on it there. I have "AlphaSmart Manager" but it can't see that my Dana is connected. I'm running windows 7 and when I try to "Hot Sync" it says it couldn't install the drivers for the device. I took out the SD card and just moved the .rtf file onto it on my computer, but I put it back in the Dana I can't see the file. I've been through the manual; is the only way to do this in AlphaWord Sync? I didn't get a CD with the Dana I purchased. I thought The Dana stored files as .rtf but everything is in .pdb. I even tried install PalmOne Desktop software but that didn't pick up anything. Any help from the experienced Dana users out there would be greatly appreciated!


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## CASD57 (May 3, 2014)

Open your file..... open your program you want to write in like word put your curser where you want it.. ....  hook up your cable and press send... 
Thats it...


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## SJ Kelley (Feb 13, 2015)

CASD57 said:


> Open your file..... open your program you want to write in like word put your curser where you want it.. .... hook up your cable and press send...
> Thats it...


Thanks CASD57, I'm good with that part. I just couldn't get the reverse to work: putting RTF files from my computer onto the Dana.


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## CASD57 (May 3, 2014)

Sorry mis-read....

I haven't tried it with a SD card but it might work... but the card can't be over 2mb or Dana won't read it...


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## Kenosha Kid (Jun 23, 2011)

I've followed this thread on and off over the months and am proud to announce that, at 12:02 this afternoon, the USPS stork delivered my own little bundle of joy in the form of a Neo2.

And it's SO much cuter than anyone else's.


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## KGGiarratano (Aug 14, 2013)

I have to say that I barely use mine, but I am going to start. Can't get distracted by the Internet when you're on a Neo.


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## Kenosha Kid (Jun 23, 2011)

KGGiarratano said:


> I have to say that I barely use mine, but I am going to start. Can't get distracted by the Internet when you're on a Neo.


*Exactly* why I got mine, KG. I've only been using it for an hour or so, but already in love with its simplicity. And with far fewer formatting features than your average WP program (read: almost none), I'm not stopping to tinker with italics, line spacing, etc. Focus is purely on word output.

On, type, save, type, save, transfer, off.

Pretty sweet!


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## Becca Mills (Apr 27, 2012)

Alphasmart users, do you have any wisdom to offer on the Neo 2 with rechargeable battery and AC adapter vs. the Neo 2 with regular (disposable) AA batteries?

I like the idea of putting fewer used batteries into the waste stream, but if the rechargeable battery doesn't hold a charge very long or is going to need replacement in a couple years, I might want to steer clear of that.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

I have the original NEO which takes regular batteries. They usually last about a year. I don't know if the NEO 2 is different.


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## Becca Mills (Apr 27, 2012)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> I have the original NEO which takes regular batteries. They usually last about a year. I don't know if the NEO 2 is different.


Wow. That's pretty amazing.


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

Becca Mills said:


> Alphasmart users, do you have any wisdom to offer on the Neo 2 with rechargeable battery and AC adapter vs. the Neo 2 with regular (disposable) AA batteries?
> 
> I like the idea of putting fewer used batteries into the waste stream, but if the rechargeable battery doesn't hold a charge very long or is going to need replacement in a couple years, I might want to steer clear of that.


I doubt the Neo 2 battery is much different than the Neo 1 battery. I have a Neo 1 that has the same rechargeable battery in it that it came with 10+ years ago. I haven't stress tested the upper limits of the battery but I have never once in all those years ever had to worry about a low battery or charge. I think I got it down to 40% battery life left, but the thing just goes on and on and on without needing a charge.


----------



## Nic (Nov 17, 2013)

Jim Johnson said:


> I doubt the Neo 2 battery is much different than the Neo 1 battery. I have a Neo 1 that has the same rechargeable battery in it that it came with 10+ years ago. I haven't stress tested the upper limits of the battery but I have never once in all those years ever had to worry about a low battery or charge. I think I got it down to 40% battery life left, but the thing just goes on and on and on without needing a charge.


@Becca: You should achieve similar results with rechargable NIMH batteries fitting the slots, not necessarily the rechargeable unit itself (if you only have the normal battery option). I bought a Dana because I like the memory card option and soon switched from normal batteries to the rechargeable ones. I recharge outside the Dana in a recharger geared to those batteries. I haven't had to ditch a battery since, and the Dana eats through them within 3 weeks. I simply swap against an already recharged set.


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## Kristal Shaff (Jun 1, 2011)

I don't know if I should get a Dana or a Neo?  I'm so confused... lol


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## Becca Mills (Apr 27, 2012)

Kristal Shaff said:


> I don't know if I should get a Dana or a Neo? I'm so confused... lol


I struggled with that too, Kristal. Seems like super-long battery life is the benefit of the Neo and the SD card is the benefit of the Dana. And I think the Dana is bigger ... ?

Thanks for the info about the battery options, Jim and Nic! Very helpful.


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## Kristal Shaff (Jun 1, 2011)

So I kind of bought both a DANA and a NEO since I couldn't decide. They both came the same day. From my initial glance, I really do like the NEO better. I was able to just turn it on and play. I haven't tried transferring any data yet, but it seems easy enough. 

The DANA had this big menu I had to wade through with a bunch of unnecessary options like calendar, etc.  It took me a while to figure out how to even get to the typing screen. So initially, I like the NEO better.


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

Before I got my Neo ages ago, I compared it against the Dana and decided it go with the Neo because it had fewer bells and whistles and therefore fewer distractions.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

The Dana used up batteries so quickly I had to change them every week. I used rechargeable, but there was the inconvenience of having to change them in just  a few seconds so I wouldn't have to redo the settings. Love my Neo.


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## Becca Mills (Apr 27, 2012)

I got my Neo 2 yesterday! Haven't had a chance to try it out yet. Hopefully it will cure my distracted nature ...


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## L.B (Apr 15, 2015)

Any tips on finding one of these in the UK?.... 

Sent from my D6603 using Tapatalk


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## L.B (Apr 15, 2015)

Bought one! Should be here in a  few days! 

Sent from my D6603 using Tapatalk


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

L.B said:


> Bought one! Should be here in a few days!
> 
> Sent from my D6603 using Tapatalk


Which model did you get?


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## L.B (Apr 15, 2015)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Which model did you get?


The neo. Can't wait!

What do you have?

Sent from my D6603 using Tapatalk


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

L.B said:


> The neo. Can't wait!
> 
> What do you have?
> 
> Sent from my D6603 using Tapatalk


I have a Neo as well and I love it.

I tried the Dana but the batteries didn't last more than a week. I used rechargeables, but it was a pain to have to change them every time I turned on the machine.


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## L.B (Apr 15, 2015)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> I have a Neo as well and I love it.
> 
> I tried the Dana but the batteries didn't last more than a week. I used rechargeables, but it was a pain to have to change them every time I turned on the machine.


It's arriving Tuesday. Perfect timing for the summer. I'm looking forward to sitting in the garden and writing without the screen being an Issue! 

Sent from my D6603 using Tapatalk


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## BlinkFarm (Oct 25, 2015)

Has anyone switched to an Alphasmart just so they could do Chris Fox-style writing sprints? If so, has it helped? I like that they limit the amount of type visible on screen; seems like that would force me to break my urge to edit once and for all.


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## Brevoort (Jan 27, 2014)

BlinkFarm said:


> Has anyone switched to an Alphasmart just so they could do Chris Fox-style writing sprints? If so, has it helped?


I'd been using my AlphaSmart for some time before trying out Chris' method and had come to the same conclusion as you that the limited screen greatly aided text generation because one cannot glance back more than a couple of lines easily and thereby fall into the typo fixing trap.

However, in explicitly trying out sprint sessions I was immediately struck how very well suited the AlphaSmart is to, blast straight ahead writing surges. Among other things, the keyboard has a lovely touch.

By the way, to respond to an earlier question by someone about battery life. I have just replaced the two AA's in mine after two and a half years of use although there was a fair bit of power left in them. I use the machine two or three times a week for one to two hours at time. Amazing battery life.


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## BlinkFarm (Oct 25, 2015)

Brevoort said:


> I'd been using my AlphaSmart for some time before trying out Chris' method and had come to the same conclusion as you that the limited screen greatly aided text generation because one cannot glance back more than a couple of lines easily and thereby fall into the typo fixing trap.
> 
> However, in explicitly trying out sprint sessions I was immediately struck how very well suited the AlphaSmart is to, blast straight ahead writing surges. Among other things, the keyboard has a lovely touch.


Thanks for the reply. Key feel is important to me, too. I use a mechanical keyboard with Cherry MX Brown switches, which have a slight resistance when engaged, plus a satisfying click. Is that kind of what the AlphaSmart's keys feel like? Snappy?


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

BlinkFarm said:


> Thanks for the reply. Key feel is important to me, too. I use a mechanical keyboard with Cherry MX Brown switches, which have a slight resistance when engaged, plus a satisfying click. Is that kind of what the AlphaSmart's keys feel like? Snappy?


I've been writing with a Neo for 10+ years, including sprint writing for about 4 of them, well before Chris started talking about them. 

The Neo has a satisfying feel (otherwise I wouldn't have written 3 million+ words on them) but they're not mechanical in what I think you mean. There's a membrane under the keys, and the keys are attached to the keyboard with plastic bits. The keyboard has a good feel for me, but YMMV.


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## BlinkFarm (Oct 25, 2015)

Jim Johnson said:


> The Neo has a satisfying feel (otherwise I wouldn't have written 3 million+ words on them) but they're not mechanical in what I think you mean. There's a membrane under the keys, and the keys are attached to the keyboard with plastic bits. The keyboard has a good feel for me, but YMMV.


Ah, okay then. The membrane means they aren't mechanical. It's not a huge deal if the keys still feel and sound good. And it seems like they do from what I've read in this thread.

Another reason I like mechanical keys is they cause less hand and wrist fatigue, which is the main reason I use them. It sounds like the Neo has a better quality membrane keyboard, though, so fatigue may not be a problem for me. Only way to know is to try one out. Good thing they don't sell for much on ebay!

Aside: I don't have a laptop anymore, just a tablet, which I do not like to write on. A Neo will be an inexpensive solution for writing on the back patio and at coffee shops again!


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

Dunno if it helps, but the Neo has a better key feel than a standard Mac keyboard and about the same as a standard USB Microsoft keyboard. Full size which is important for my big hands. That being said, I write in 30-minute sprints and take breaks in between sprints specifically to stave off hand, wrist, eye, and body fatigue.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

I love the feel of the Neo keyboard. The mechanical (i.e. noisy) keyboards, are not good for writing in public. I've had people complain about my AS 3000 which had a clickety-clackety keyboard.

I haven't written in a while (I've been concentrating on marketing), and I want to get back to it. I know the Neo will help me with Chris Fox's method.


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## Samuel E. Green (Nov 26, 2015)

Thanks to Jim's recommendations, I'm able to achieve my highest words-per-hour on an Alphasmart Dana. Unfortunately I've been stuck in editing mode for the past few months so I've only had a dozen or so sprints on the Dana. I prefer the Dana to the Neo (I have both) because of the extra screen real estate.


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

Nice! I thought about a Dana but decided it had too many functions and extras and went with the Neo. Glad to hear it's been working for you.


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## L.B (Apr 15, 2015)

It arrived a day early! 

Got 1,500+ words into it already, the keyboard is fantastic. Best I've ever user I think. 

Sent from my D6603 using Tapatalk


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

L.B said:


> It arrived a day early!
> 
> Got 1,500+ words into it already, the keyboard is fantastic. Best I've ever user I think.
> 
> Sent from my D6603 using Tapatalk


Not only that, but it's very light and easy to carry around.


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## L.B (Apr 15, 2015)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Not only that, but it's very light and easy to carry around.


It is. I've been dragging it everywhere!

I've hit 6,000 words into it in the last three days. It's upped my productivity so much just by being 'instant on'.


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## Gwen Hayes (Apr 24, 2011)

Resurrecting old thread: How do you mark for italics to make it easier later?


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Gwen Hayes said:


> Resurrecting old thread: How do you mark for italics to make it easier later?


Look on the back. Mine shows the marks you need to use. It's the same as the marks for Word.


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## Gwen Hayes (Apr 24, 2011)

I didn't know there was stuff on the back. Thank you!


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## BillSmithBooksDotCom (Nov 4, 2012)

Gwen Hayes said:


> Resurrecting old thread: How do you mark for italics to make it easier later?


I use standard Markdown coding, _underscore_ at beginning and end of _italic section_. Word autoformats, but also easy to import plain text into a Markdown converter to turn into HTML.


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## Gwen Hayes (Apr 24, 2011)

Thanks!


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## CASD57 (May 3, 2014)

After seeing this thread again..I got the urge to dig out my two Dana's and a Like New NEO..  The batteries in the NEO are 3 years old... 2/3 full  of course it's been in the computer case not being used..the Dana's were dead, but new batteries brought them back to life....

In 2015 I bought one of those HP 11in blue laptops for $199  so The Alphasmarts went into the computer bag.. 
After a year of computer distractions.. I gave the HP laptop t my daughter and actually forgot about the Alphasmarts I had...

Well anyway I've had a bad case of writers block...it starts with looking for new writing software..for a new book...new this and that and study writing...books and books, web sites and web sites...
Well I finally brought out the Alphasmarts fired them up.. wrote 600 words on saturday and 1600 today.
As much as I want to like the Dana's and I do.. they are hard to see but I did order a USB LED light to see if it helps but the NEO is great in bright light and low light, it might be my go to..
So I'm hoping the distraction free writing environment will break my writers block. 
Time will tell..


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## 10105 (Feb 16, 2010)

I recruited my Dana to write while the power was out thanks to the Cane. The icons and letters are too small for these old eyes. And somewhere along the way I lost the cmd keycap (just to the left of the space bar). Another Irma victim. Anybody got a spare?


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## S.G. Seabourne (Oct 27, 2016)

I do enjoy my AlphaSmart 3000, but find writing slow as it has a very stiff keyboard. Do the Dana or other AlphaSmarts have a... less plastic-y, tough keyboard?


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## Nic (Nov 17, 2013)

I've switched from the Dana to a Neo 2 a while ago, and use it when writing out of office or house. I much prefer it over a tablet, as typing and reading back the last few sentences is much easier, while the entire thing is far lighter to carry around than a laptop. The battery life of the Neo is so much better than the Dana's, too. 

What I recently learned somewhere: there's a  button battery somewhere inside all versions of Alphasmart which will "keep" the content in memory for the short time it takes to switch main batteries. It needs changing after some time (5-6 years or so), which means that such Alphasmarts which can't "keep" their content during a battery change need to have those cells also changed to fresh ones.

As to keyboards: the Neo has the best one in my opinion. Like a good Cherry.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

S.G. Seabourne said:


> I do enjoy my AlphaSmart 3000, but find writing slow as it has a very stiff keyboard. Do the Dana or other AlphaSmarts have a... less plastic-y, tough keyboard?


I had a 3000 but I couldn't use it at the library. Much too noisy. I tried a Dana, but it ran through batteries like mad. I ended up a with a Neo. Absolutely quiet and the batteries last forever.


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## MyraScott (Jul 18, 2014)

I really am most productive when using the NEO.  And the batteries last forever.  I actually found 4 files on it I forgot I had written... it's been a while!


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## CASD57 (May 3, 2014)

Can't wait to get home to finish this scene on the NEO lol

Sent from my Moto G Play using Tapatalk


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## BillSmithBooksDotCom (Nov 4, 2012)

S.G. Seabourne said:


> I do enjoy my AlphaSmart 3000, but find writing slow as it has a very stiff keyboard. Do the Dana or other AlphaSmarts have a... less plastic-y, tough keyboard?


Night and day. Neo and Dana keyboards are much quieter and smooth as silk.


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## CASD57 (May 3, 2014)

Anyone have a A/C Power supply for a Dana ?  I need the spec's off it so I can find one...
Volts
Amps
Output

Thanks


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

CASD57 said:


> Anyone have a A/C Power supply for a Dana ? I need the spec's off it so I can find one...
> Volts
> Amps
> Output
> ...


Have you checked out e-bay?

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.Xpower+supply+for+alphasmart+dana.TRS0&_nkw=power+supply+for+alphasmart+dana&_sacat=0


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## CASD57 (May 3, 2014)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Have you checked out e-bay?
> 
> https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.Xpower+supply+for+alphasmart+dana.TRS0&_nkw=power+supply+for+alphasmart+dana&_sacat=0


Got it....Thanks


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## Jacob Stanley (May 25, 2015)

I used an alphasmart neo as my main first draft machine for my last project, and it's been a HUGE help to my writing process. It took me a while to get used to it and develop a workflow that felt comfortable, but it was worth the trouble. My speed has basically doubled. 

Part of it comes from the fact that the alphasmart is so portable. I can take it anywhere, indoors or outdoors, so I can easily get away from all distractions without having to worry about battery life or cords or anything else. I also tend to focus strictly on writing when using the alphasmart, and I get more absorbed in my work. When I'm using a computer, I tend to get distracted by various websites, or checking my sales, or I start researching something and lose several hours going down Internet rabbit holes. 

I'm still editing as I go with the alphasmart, despite the small screen. And that's a good thing, because going back and cycling over my work is a huge part of my drafting process. But I'm not as obsessive about it as I am when using a normal word processor, and I tend to make a lot more forward progress. 

Overall this thing has been a huge help, and I'm thinking of buying two or three more as backups, just in case they become rare at some point in the future and the price skyrockets.


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## CASD57 (May 3, 2014)

Did the battery hack on one of my Dana's ...bought some rechargeable AA's at Harbor Freight for $6.99
With the 8-LED USB Light I'm using it was eating up std. AA's fast...So I did the hack..
Pretty easy actually and it can still use  std. AA's in a pinch  just don't try to charge them 

Because of the low light screen of the Dana I'm not sure it will totally take the place of my NEO ... time will tell


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

CASD57 said:


> Did the battery hack on one of my Dana's ...bought some rechargeable AA's at Harbor Freight for $6.99
> With the 8-LED USB Light I'm using it was eating up std. AA's fast...So I did the hack..
> Pretty easy actually and it can still use std. AA's in a pinch just don't try to charge them
> 
> Because of the low light screen of the Dana I'm not sure it will totally take the place of my NEO ... time will tell


The battery problem was the big reason I abandoned my Dana and got a Neo. Much happier.


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## BillSmithBooksDotCom (Nov 4, 2012)

I know the conventional wisdom is that the Alphasmarts are not good for editing because the screens are so small, but I just wrote an 8,000 word RPG adventure on my Dana -- I did the editing process the old-fashioned way -- just printed the document, hand-marked the edits, then entered them in the Dana. 

Simple, smooth and easy. A beautifully simple workflow.

Just "Send" the text file into Caret on my Chromebook (used Markdown coding for heads, italics and bold), used  Minimalist Markdown Editor to convert into HTML, then imported the HTML file into Google Docs, where I saved as ODT and Docx for the editor. Conversion took less than five minutes ... all of the hard work was done on the Alphasmart.


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## aejotz (Oct 15, 2017)

Circa 2003 I bought my first AlphaSmart 3000. In a year or two I wore out the keyboard. I ordered another 3000 and wore out its keyboard. I replaced that one with a NEO. 

More than ten years later I still have that NEO and it still works flawlessly. I just bought a like-new NEO from Ebay and will keep the old one as a backup.  

Schools have dumped hundreds, possibly thousands of NEOs on the market. I got my "new" one for $17.95 with free shipping. These gadgets are beloved by writers, and for good reason. Buy one or two now. As they become less common the prices will go up. 

And get one of the excellent AlphaSmart carrying cases if you can find one. I'm still using the one I got with my original 3000 and it's still in perfect condition despite never having been babied.

In the mid 1980s I had a CP/M computer with a great word processor. I spent so much time editing every phrase to perfection that I couldn't complete a short story. I acquired a manual typewriter with a fabric ribbon to break the habit of editing things I hadn't finished drafting. It worked, but was very inconvenient. The NEO encourages me to keep moving ahead and is super convenient. The NEO is one of my most prized possessions.

When I use my NEO in restaurants, proprietors become especially accommodating, apparently thinking I'm writing about the restaurant.


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## RomanceAuthor (Aug 18, 2014)

I bought 3 Alphasmart Neos from ebay and they all arrived well. But in the span of a few weeks (for one it was a day), the battery was depleted (on one the battery was full but it completely depleted in 2 weeks). Is this normal? I can use them if i plug them to a power source (and they power up when I connect them to the computer to transfer files). Should I just change their AA batteries or is something more required?
I'd read the batteries are supposed to last much longer, which is why I'm shocked (especially regarding the one which arrived with a full battery).

Thanks


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## CASD57 (May 3, 2014)

These are old enough that the rechargeable battery packs are worn out and nowhere near their original power....
Try 3-AA's  you will be surprised how long they last..


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## RomanceAuthor (Aug 18, 2014)

CASD57 said:


> These are old enough that the rechargeable battery packs are worn out and nowhere near their original power....
> Try 3-AA's you will be surprised how long they last..


Thank you! Will do! I had no idea they had a rechargeable battery pack. I thought they came with 3 AAs (that's what the ebay description said)


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## Anonymouse (Apr 27, 2015)

I've been using a Neo for a few years now. I love it so much that I just bought a Neo2 to have as a backup. Here are the differences I've noticed:

[list type=decimal]
[*]The Neo is made in America. The Neo2 is made in China.
[*]The Neo is dark green plastic. The Neo2 is black.
[*]The Neo keyboard is a slightly lighter touch. You have to press the keys just a little harder on the Neo2
[/list]

The third point is the killer for me. It's not a big difference, but I prefer the Neo keyboard so much that I might buy another Neo for a backup and then give the Neo2 to my brother, or maybe try to sell it.

I bought this Neo2 on ebay from "electronicsales3" <https://www.ebay.com/itm/Neo-2-Alphasmart-Word-Processer-Keyboard-By-Renaissance-Learning-AlphaWord-Plus/282377204250?epid=516185215&hash=item41befe321a:g:T4AAAOSwNnRYhmnR>. They're currently selling them for $15 plus $10 for shipping (to the lower 48 States). They wrapped it up really nice, and the unit looks pretty new, but there is a number handwritten on the front and back (probably from this unit's previous life as school inventory), and it's missing the little screw that holds the battery cover in place. They don't include batteries or the cable to transfer, either.

I've also got an old Alphasmart 3000. The keys on that one are beastly--you've got to press so hard to type that after a few hours my fingertips start to hurt. I'm emotionally attached to it, though, because it's the first Alphasmart I ever owned, and I used it to write my second novel. Plus it looks way, mega-retro cool.


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

RomanceAuthor said:


> Thank you! Will do! I had no idea they had a rechargeable battery pack. I thought they came with 3 AAs (that's what the ebay description said)


I got one with a rechargeable battery pack and it's still kicking along after almost 15 years.


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## Valerie A. (Dec 31, 2016)

Love my little machine! Although I swear it's haunted because every time I turn it on, the battery still shows as full although it's been 7 months since it was charged up.


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## Vlad the Lad (Sep 27, 2020)

Hi,

I was wondering if any Neo 2 owners can comment on the reliability of this typing machine. I am most concerned about data loss. I have heard some horror stories about people losing data on the machine due to poor battery connections or data corruption.

I can't sacrifice my work at the altar of superior workflow, so data integrity is of the utmost importance to me.

Could you share your experiences?

Thank you!


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## tdecastro31 (Mar 2, 2018)

I've never had an issue in the 2+ years I've been using them.  But I also regularly import into my word processor.


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## Connor S Caple (Nov 30, 2019)

I got rid of my Alphasmart in about 1997 after using it for about 4 years on a University course. 

Brilliant bit of gear and have wished many times since then that I'd kept it.


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## tdecastro31 (Mar 2, 2018)

Connor S Caple said:


> I got rid of my Alphasmart in about 1997 after using it for about 4 years on a University course.
> 
> Brilliant bit of gear and have wished many times since then that I'd kept it.


You can pick them up for about 20 bucks on Ebay. I've got a second one for back up


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## BillSmithBooksDotCom (Nov 4, 2012)

I've been using Alphasmarts for about 15 years now -- the 3000, Neo and Dana -- and never had an issue with this. I've noticed that the Alphasmart Neos are now up to about $40-50 on ebay -- but the keyboard is far superior to the Alphasmart 3000 keyboard, it is worth the extra money.

One viable and cheap alternative is a cheap Android phone/tablet, a plain text editor (I use Old School Editor -- it's free and very reliable and since I use Markdown when writing, plain text is all I need, requires a lot less resources than Google docs) and a cheap Bluetooth keyboard (I have the Arteck HB098 -- only about $13-20 ... small but very comfortable and reliable, my hands adjusted to the slightly smaller keys with no issues at all).


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## Brevoort (Jan 27, 2014)

Vlad the Lad said:


> I was wondering if any Neo 2 owners can comment on the reliability of this typing machine. I am most concerned about data loss. I have heard some horror stories about people losing data on the machine due to poor battery connections or data corruption.


I had a Neo and a Neo 2 for more than three years. They are used daily.

I've not had one problem with data loss. Nothing.

As long as the machine has batteries in it everything will be kept. If the batteries go dead, there is an internal standby battery.

If you buy an alphasmart neo you need to check that the internal back-up battery is still good. These machines are old and not a lot of people realize that there is an internal battery that will eventually need replacing.

It is a simple matter of removing the bottom cover and changing out the button CR2032, one of the most common button batteries out there.

Your hardest job will be tracking down the special Torx screwdriver(s) to get the case off. Some machines have one size of screw, others have two sizes.

Instructions are a google away, "How to replace the backup battery of an alphasmart neo" or some such.

By the way, I've just checked the battery level of my AA batteries and see that they still have tonnes of charge and were last replaced about a year ago. Again, as long as the main batteries have any charge at all the data will be safe even if the backup battery is dead.


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