A short review on a little gadget I think is totally awesome. It’s called the Alphasmart NEO. 
It’s the ultimate tool for writers who get easily distracted by:
1) email
2) facebook
3) twitter
4) online games
5) any excuse you can come up with for being online to avoid writing, etc.
The Review:
NEO gives you no access to the internet, but it does have:
1) Word count
2) Thesaurus
3) Spell check
4) Character count
5) Timer
6) Calculator
7) Copy, paste, cut
8) 8 separate files to either use for chapters or having 8 separate projects going.
More cool stuff:
1) 3 AA batteries last 700 hours. That alone beats a laptop.
2) Unlike a laptop, you don’t have to worry about this baby overheating. It doesn’t.
3) Adjust font size, which also reduces the number of lines shown on the monitor, but it’s worth it to see what you’re doing.
4) Screen contrast option.
5) Limited number of lines on the little monitor equals less editing when you should be writing.
How’s it work?
Type, save work, transfer to computer via USB cable or directly to a printer. Keep the stuff in the file on the NEO for awhile, or hit “clear file” to wipe it clean.
Technically, you get about 20 pages per file.
Tips on transfer:
You need to have some sort of word processing program open before you can transfer your doc from the NEO to your computer. Doesn’t matter whether it’s OpenOffice, Word, notepad, wordpad, any of the above.
Plug in USB cord to NEO and computer, hit “send” and watch it transfer your data. It’s not a fast transfer. It kinda types it out as it transfers. If you’re document is long, one user said go make coffee.
Size:
Smaller than the keyboard on my 15” Toshiba laptop.
My own experience with it:
I can’t be on my laptop without wasting time on the net. As hard as I’ve tried – I have no self-control. That’s how I ended up buying a NEO. I needed a way to write and be productive without the distractions of the net. I can honestly say, I’ve accomplished more in the past week then I have the past couple months. No kidding.
I love it that I don’t have to be worried about the battery needing recharged, or concerned about whether it’s going to overheat or not. I just want to sit down and work on a project without being bothered by anything other than my cats.
The net alone isn’t the only thing that distracts me. Have you noticed how the bells and whistles of word processing software can distract you? That was another motivator. : )
How to get one of these priceless gems of your own!
I bought mine through I.T. CompuParts. They’re stationed in California and get it out to you fast. I had mine 3 days after I ordered it. Supposedly it’s used, but it looks brand spanking new.
Something to be aware of if you decide not to order it from the Amazon link below. Read the fine print! I’ve seen some sellers offer them dirt cheap, but the USB line isn’t included, or some other important piece has been left out.
So, click here to make your life as a writer easier. Your friends will miss you on facebook, twitter and google+, but your productivity will be better than it’s ever been.
Best of luck!
2 comments:
I just bought a Neo two weeks ago. Best writing purchase ever. It would take me a week to write a chapter, and that was before editing and tweaking. With my Neo, I can write a chapter in a matter of hours, and get to the editing. I am in love with this thing. I wish I had bought one sooner.
Me too!
It was so funny when my great-niece came to visit me several weeks ago. She took one look at it and said, "What for? You can't even get internet on this thing!" LOL Yip, kiddo. That's the point. : )
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