I love hand writing. There is something deeply satisfying when I glide the nib of the fountain pen to form words. It feels connected, tangible and real. This is why for initial prototyping, I always go for pen and paper. However, there sometimes comes a moment when I want to write fast, and a lot, or perhaps I know I simply won’t have the time to type up my handwriting.

It’s when I take my laptop out and get down to business. But to me, it means the magic is gone. Writing feels distant to me, alien and as if it wasn’t mine all together. There are far too many options that sometimes get in the way, and the writing apps rarely feel focused either.

It got me thinking. Is there is a digital device dedicated to writing as much as a fountain pen is? Something that feels it’ is’s the right tool for the job. And yes, there is! For those who search for something similar, here are my findings.

Turns out, there are many options to choose from so I had to apply certain filters to find the right device for myself. The device has to:

• Be portable
• Be off the shelf; no DIY solutions
• Must store writing in the memory
• Transfer writing onto another device easily
• Have a quality writing experience
• Limit distractions in some way

AlphaSmart Family

AlphaSmart company created several portable typewriters. They are basically lightweight keyboards with a screen, powered by AA batteries. They offer very little functionality beyond writing. Perfect. Unfortunately, AlphaSmart is now out of business. The last device produced was AlphaSmart Neo 2, released in 2007. You can still get them on ebay, but their age is something you should take into account.

• They are becoming increasingly hard to come by
• Rugged and reliable
• Models to look out for: 3000, Neo, Neo 2, Dana
  • Dana requires a “battery-hack” if you want to use it cordless
  • 3000 has a very limited storage capacity

AlphaSmart Neo

A deeper dive into the AlphaSmart family reveals two specific models to look out for: Neo and Neo 2. They are practically identical, but Neo 2 is newer. I’ll be referring to both Neo and Neo 2 as Neo.

If you tend to edit too early, Neo has a brutal solution. The display can display only six lines of text. This is great because it focuses you on that first draft. Editing six lines at a time is painful, so you won’t be tempted to do it too early. At the same time, editing is painful. Not that you can’t do it, but you most likely wouldn’t. It also means that Neo will only ever be good for writing first drafts. This isn’t a problem for me, but it might be to you.

Sending the files over to a computer is archaic but fun. You plug in an AlphaSmart via USB, open your writing app of choice, select where to “paste” your writing, and press “SEND”. Then magic happens. AlphaSmart literally types out the currently opened document. It does it by emulating virtual keystrokes, at a rate defined in the options menu. The faster the typing rate, the more prone to error the typing process is. However, there is a good middleground setting where sending is quick and typo-free. Or, you can download the text files via USB. It’s a hassle though, as they are stored in a funky format which you have to convert.

The construction of the device is excellent. In terms of the portability, AlphaSmarts are as light as it gets – at around 750g. The form factor is barely larger than an A4 – it’s literally a keyboard with a screen attached. And the keyboard is reportedly of very high quality. Unfortunately, the screen isn’t backlit so you can’t write in the dark.

Battery life will give you about a year. Yes, a year of battery life. There is a catch though. Writing is stored in RAM, and RAM needs power to store the data. Should your main power AA batteries run out at the same time as the backup CR2032 battery, you will lose everything. The CR2032 has a stupidly long lifetime, so the risk of such a disaster is miniscule.

Pros

• About a year of battery life
• Powered by AA batteries
• Very light
• Small, barely larger than a keyboard
• Genius “SEND” file transfer mode

Cons

• If main and backup batteries run out, you lose all the data
• No backlight screen
• Hard to come by
• It’s ancient, so if it breaks…
• Sending large text files using “SEND” is slow, and actual file transfer is a hassle

Freewrite family

If you are reading this, you’ve definitely heard about the Freewrite device family by now. Their typically high price tag is justified by being practically the only distraction free modern typewriter brand on the market. Most models are portable, you can get them easily pretty much everywhere around the world, and the company that makes them still operates. If you have the money, go check them out.

Freewrite Alpha

Of all the Freewrite devices, Alpha is the only one I’d personally consider buying. Hemingway is too large, too expensive and too darn heavy. Traveler is actually portable, smaller, and appealing. But the price is just absurd. And both Traveler and Hemingway have slightly slow e-ink displays that lag behind if you type too fast.

Here comes the Alpha. It is the cheapest Freewrite offering at around £320. Still pricey, but for a niche device it would be difficult to get any lower, and it is lower than Traveler’s £490.

As the name suggests, Alpha is both in name and format a homage to AlphaSmart. Alpha shares all the benefits of an AlphaSmart device, but it is brand new. And with this, come all the things we take for granted these days – the ability to store the data even if the batteries run out, a built-in rechargeable battery, auto-file backup to a cloud service of choice, or easy file transfer via USB.

Form factor is nearly identical to an AlphaSmart – A4-ish in size, keyboard with a screen. The battery life is rated at 100 hours, and the display is an LCD (so no lagging). But again, the screen isn’t backlit.

The most questionable design element is the size of the display. Official specs explain that it can show only four lines of text, but with more characters per line than Neo. Is that good, or bad? At this point  it’s really hard to tell.

Why? Because Alpha hasn’t been released yet. Production is scheduled for September 2023.

Pros

• Sort of affordable (at around £320)
• Great form factor
• Great battery life
• New and supported
• Convenient Wi-Fi cloud backup system

Cons

• Not yet released, so list of cons could be longer
• Price scheduled to increase after the initial pre-order run ends
• LCD screen isn’t backlit
• Presumably, screen could be too small

Freewrite Traveler

Traveler is the most laptop-ish device in the Freewrite offering. It has practically the same feature set as the Alpha, but it has a larger screen. If you think Alpha is a great idea but slightly too masochistic, Traveler might be the good alternative.

It does seem to be a very capable device and I honestly can’t find too many flaws. You can write on it, the keyboard is of high quality, it’s easy to upload your files, and the battery life is good. However, there are two pain points I must mention. The screen is an e-ink display, which in itself is excellent. The problem is its very slow refresh rate. Nearly all users say that this makes editing a very painful experience, and to some it also is a problem during regular writing. And per usual, the screen isn’t backlit. This is further amplified by a really steep price tag of $500.

Pros

• Large display
• Great form factor
• Great battery life
• New and supported
• Convenient Wi-Fi cloud backup system

Cons

• Sluggish e-ink display
• Lavish price tag
• Not a backlit screen

Windows XP laptop

You could pick any old laptop with an ancient OS. The point is, a Windows XP era laptop limits your options while being ‘good enough’. You won’t be able to browse the web (wildly unsafe), play games, or watch movies. There will be only writing. And perhaps occasional Quake 3. But will that keep you away from writing for very long?

Windows XP laptops can be cheap, widely available, and you can get a proper word processor on it. Getting Office XP off the Internet won’t be a problem, and you can always install open source OpenOffice or LibreOffice. File transfer is a matter of using a USB stick.

Portability shouldn’t be an issue either. Windows XP laptops can be light, you just have to look out for the right model. Now, none of those laptops excelled at battery life, so you are looking at hours of corless work, not days. Chances are, you will need a new battery. Good news is new or regenerated batteries for many laptop models are still available.

The often overlooked added benefit is a 4:3 screen. This may or may not be your thing, but I absolutely love the 4:3 aspect ratio, as it frames the text beautifully. It is not a to-die-for feature, but you are considering a distraction free device anyway. Why not get one that has a great text presentation?

The biggest flaw is the fact it still is a laptop, not a dedicated writing device. It is a viable option, and it limits the amount of distractions, but it isn’t a particularly exciting option. Where Alpha or Neo give me the sense of care and dedication to a specific task, a laptop stripped down to bare writing essentials still feels like a shoehorned solution.

Pros

• Gives you access to a fully functional word processor
• Editing, printing, rewriting, all will be possible
• Portable
• Plenty of devices to choose from
• Cheap-ish
• 4:3 aspect ratio screen

Cons

• Getting compatible software might take some effort
• Battery life could be disappointing
• Like with any old device, the likelihood of a breakdown is increased
• While you can transfer files via a USB stick, you might have to format it to FAT32
• There’s just a little bit of hassle in getting it all up and running

ReMarkable 2

ReMarkable 2 is an e-paper tablet with stylus writing functionality. The selling point of ReMarkable is its minimalistic design, and ability to convert handwriting to text. Minimalism is not limited to visual design aesthetics. It is embedded in its software as well. Everything about ReMarkable revolves around removing the obstacles. Its menus, apps, UX, colour scheme, it is all meant to be unobtrusive and functional at the same time.

I must begin by talking about ReMarkable’s gigantic downside. The price. ReMarkable 2 itself costs £299. You have to buy the stylus separately. The basic version is £50, but if you want a stylus with an eraser, it’s £109. This is more than a professional graphics tablet pen from Wacom (£79). The keyboard is also a separate accessory priced at £179! This is 60% of the tablet’s price itself! It all adds up to £587. If you are thinking about saving the money, and getting an unofficial, cheaper keyboard, you can’t. ReMarkable 2 supports the official ReMarkable keyboard only. In other words, there is exactly one model of a keyboard on the planet Earth compatible with ReMarkable. It also is one of those crammed teeny tiny keyboards that help making typos. I honestly can’t imagine longer writing sessions on this.

And it is disappointing because ReMarkable’s main feature is amazing – the ability to both type and write, convert writing to text, and to draw, doodle, and sketch. All in the same document.

Yes, ReMarkable allows you to scribble and type in the same document. If you’ve purchased their luxury priced stylus, you can handwrite and sketch. If you’ve also acquired their opulent keyboard, you can type your text. ReMarkable allows you to combine the two, seamlessly, at the same time. You can draw notes on the text or next to the text. You can work very closely to the way you’d do it on a piece of paper. This is truly impressive.

During heavy editing the implementation can be a bit quirky, but I am willing to forgive it. Handwritten notes magically attach to certain lines of typed text and “stick”. When text moves, attached notes move. This works for the most part. Heavy edits can result in the handwritten part losing its position, detaching from the typed text. Still, at this stage you probably want to delete those notes anyway. While quirky, there are very few devices that bridge the chasm between real paper and digital. ReMarkable definitely closes this gap, nearly sealing it off. If only the keyboard was better, and the price more reasonable.

I also must mention, like most tablets these days, ReMarkable is portable. 400g of weight, A5-ish dimensions, two weeks of battery life. You could write anywhere and anytime, except for night time. Its screen doesn’t have a backlight.

Similarly to the Freewrite family of devices, you can download your writing via USB, or back it up to a cloud drive. There is also an optional subscription that gets you ReMarkable bespoke cloud service. It’s their alternative to Google Drive. Quite unexciting, but it doesn’t cost much.

Speaking of Freewrite, I mentioned earlier that Traveler’s screen is slow. So slow that it can’t catch up with fast writing. ReMarkable doesn’t have this problem, as their innovative e-ink has an exceptionally fast refresh rate. You will notice some ghosting, but nothing distracting.

Pros

• Great UX
• Fresh, clean design
• Good battery life
• Allows you to both type and handwrite in the same document, or separately
• Excellent e-paper display

Cons

• Very steep price for the entire package – £587
• If you don’t like the official keyboard, there are exactly zero other compatible keyboards

Other devices

There are several notable mentions. I have disqualified them on the basis of either not being ‘distraction free’, too expensive or because they need some level of DIY to get them up and running. However, it is not to say you might not find them a viable choice.

Pomera DM250

Pomera DM250 is a portable typewriter device made in Japan. It’s slightly smaller than Freewrite Traveler but it has a larger TFT screen. As you’d expect, you can write on it, however you can only export .txt files. This makes it very limited when it comes to formatting, if you care about that. Exporting files to a mobile phone can only be done through the official app, which is in Japanese. Speaking of which, there’s only Japanese and English language support, so if you want to write in any other language, you can’t. This alone combined with a steep price (about USD600), cramped membrane keyboard and awkward file export options makes it a quirky choice at best.

Raspberry Pi 400

Imagine that AlphaSmart didn’t have a screen and a battery, but it was a fully functional computer hidden in a keyboard. That’s what Raspberry Pi 400 is. Raspberry Pi are world famous computers shrunk to the size of a credit card. They are typically used by the electronics DIY community for all sorts of projects. Pi 400 is a model released in 2021, that takes Raspberry Pi 4 and puts it into a keyboard. Since it doesn’t have an internal display and a battery, it hardly makes it a better choice than a regular Windows laptop.

Summary

My personal pick is Freewrite Alpha. It seems to be ticking all the boxes, but I can’t confirm if it actually does – it will start shipping later this year. I’ve ordered one, so a review will be coming in as soon as I get it and familiarise myself with the Alpha.

If I were to recommend something to you that’s already available on the market, solely based on the feature set, build quality and price it would be:

1. AlphaSmart Neo
2. Freewrite Traveler
3. Remarkable 2 + Type Folio