I just placed an order for an Alphasmart Neo, which is a simple old-school word processor, very popular among writers of all kinds because of its minimalistic design. It lacks an internet connection, so there’s no temptation to check emails or facebook or twitter, and you can only see a small amount of text at any given time, which makes it a bit harder to go back and edit while you’re still working on your first draft. It runs for 700 hours on three AA batteries, has a display that works just fine in the glaring sun, and it’s built like a tank so you can toss it around without too much concern. When you get ready to move your work onto your computer for editing, there are a couple of different ways to transfer the text, both of them very simple. 

Because of the recent changes to my schedule, my writing rhythm is all fucked up. Still haven’t got it right yet. And part of the problem is that I’m having to write away from my desk quite often. Right now I really need to find a new way of doing the work that’s more portable - something tough and simple that I can take with me anywhere with plenty of battery life. A laptop would work okay, but I hate typing on the shitty little keyboards, and I’d really rather have something made purely for writing. 

Hopefully this gadget will get the job done. 

If it works as well as people say, I might make it my default tool for first drafts. 

The lack of an Internet connection, and the glare-resistant display are very appealing features, and I also like the fact that all the basic operating instructions are so simple that they’re literally printed out on the back of the device. Even without a manual, you can still see exactly how to do all the most important stuff. 

They don’t even make these anymore - I think they originally debuted right around 2000. They were marketed, at least partially, as a basic device for teaching typing in schools, which is why they’re so simple and made so tough. They’re very easy to get used on Ebay for about 20 bucks, and apparently they last for years. Some writers love theirs so much that they’ve bought several backups just in case they get hard to find at some point in the future.

I’ve been hearing about these for ages, and I’ve always found them interesting. Now my process has evolved in such a way that I really think a small portable keyboard like this will be a pretty good fit for the way I do a first draft. And with my current screwed up work schedule, this should help simplify everything so I can more easily get down to business when I have free time.