My Best Writing Tool Can't Even Access the Internet

What is your biggest complaint as an author? Is it the piddly sales? Maybe for a few of you but for most of us the money isn’t the reason we write, is it? Is it sitting for hours while you pour your heart out onto the pages? Not likely. We don’t even need readers because writing is something we do because we must — not for the fame and fortune?

If you’re like most writers, you likely have one challenge in common with the rest of us — distractions!

Personally, I can’t write if I have the internet available. I can’t resist logging in to Facebook to make a post on my author page or scrolling through Instagram to see what my author friends have posted — or to see how many of them like my last post.

Sometimes there is even a good reason to go online. I might need to research an important fact for my book or come up with a good name for that creepy guy that is spying on the main character’s date.

Unfortunately, once I open up that browser, my focus is gone. It’s history. Focus is something that doesn’t exist if I go online.

That’s why the Alphasmart Neo is my best writing tool.

No Internet, No Distractions

The Alphasmart is a word processor from the late 1990s and early 2000s. They are not even manufactured anymore. 2013 was the year they stopped making these wonderful little tools that writers around the world love and hoard (yes, writers that love the Alphasmart are known to buy several of them in case their main machine breaks down because once the functioning Alphasmarts are gone, there is no more).

Although the Alphasmart Neo can not access the internet there are many things that it can do including:

• run for up to a full year using only three AA batteries
• power on/off instantaneously
• store your words even if the batteries die
• stores your letters the second that you type them into the keyboard
• show you your word count
• change the font you see on the screen
• move the cursor up and down on the screen so you can change what you wrote (although I believe in writing first, editing later so I rarely use that feature)
• connect to your computer so you can transfer your words to the document of your choice.

Ultra-portable

Another thing that I love about the Alphasmart Neo is that it can go anywhere. It’s super light and can fit in a large purse or a tote bag. Because you don’t need a cord (some have a cord but batteries are fine for most versions of the Alphasmart), you don’t need to be connected to an electrical outlet.

Always wanted to travel and write? Get an Alphasmart. You can take it camping with you and take it to the beach or write by the fire. Upload your work to your computer when you get home or when you get to a town with a library or internet cafe.

Like to write while you are in the car (and someone else is driving of course)? A laptop table and your Alphasmart will let you do that. Because there’s only a tiny little window, you don’t have to worry about sun glare on the screen and it won’t overheat while it is on your lap.

Take it to the park, a cafe, or anywhere else you want. The Alphasmart Neo will go anywhere.

Easy Uploads

The Alphasmart Neo makes it easy to transfer your work to your computer.

Here’s how to transfer:

1. Open the file you wish to transfer from your Alphasmart Neo.
2. Open a document on your computer (Word, Google Docs, text files — even a Facebook post!).
3. Connect the cable cord from the Alphasmart to a USB port on your computer.
4. See the message appear on your Alphasmart screen that says it is ready to transfer. Hit “Send” and watch the words appear on your open document.

That’s all there is to it. Don’t forget to save the document on your computer though!

Once you’re done transferring your work to your computer, you can either leave your file on your Alphasmart or delete it. I like to delete it once it has been transferred because then I can start fresh the next time I go to use my Alphasmart. Many of these devices are very old so I don’t want to risk losing my work. That’s why I transfer each day’s work and start fresh the following day.

Where Can I Buy One?

If you’re convinced and can’t wait to see if it will increase your productivity by eliminating internet distractions you can fine the Alphasmart Neo online. The two best places to find them are on Amazon or on eBay. Make sure that you get the one you want though because there are different types of Alphasmart devices.

The Alphasmart Neo is the one I love but there is also the Alphasmart Dana, Alphasmart 2000, Alphasmart 3000 and the Alphasmart Neo 2.

How much will one of these miracle word processors cost you? They range in price from $20 up to around $50.