#Freewrite postbox portable

They point out several things on my Potential Problems list, and were not very nice about it. The article is pretty much just Mashable writers snarking on this gadget based on the concept and not much direct experience (at least that’s how it seems). Except for Mashable, where the headline read: “ The $500 Freewrite word processor is pretentious hipster nonsense.” Much of the tech press reviews and write ups were like this. It feels like I am jamming along on a Commodore Vic20, or a WYSE terminal.” The keyboard is pretty much heaven, if you come from the days of yore, as I do. It works about the same, and part of its charm is that it throws back to a mechanical keyboard like they would have used back then.

#Freewrite postbox portable

It sort of does, the selector switches are mounted in a way to resemble the reels for ribbon, but it more closely feels like a mid to late 1990s portable wordprocessor. It is supposed to resemble a typewriter, I think of the 1920s-1930s generation of my Remington Rand Deluxe Porta 5. The device is pretty lovely in its gaudiness.

“I have absolutely no complaints about the fit and finish. But there are no cursor keys to move the insertion point, and no mouse or pointer with which to enter another part of the text, nor to select, copy, or paste. The e-ink display shows ten lines of text, and you can backspace through your document to your heart’s content. In particular, the Freewrite enforces the forward-only vector of the traditional typewriter. Rather, it creates a new context for writing, one that builds upon the prior work of the typewriter and the word processor. After all, anybody can turn off their laptop’s networking functions, or choose to work at the coffee house without Wi-Fi. “Despite its claims, Freewrite doesn’t really offer a salve to distraction. The Atlantic positions the lack of arrow keys as something poetic: I don’t quite trust that the output is unedited. Several people wrote their reviews on the unit, as Jason at Boing Boing did. Both The Atlantic and The Guardian ran breezy pieces that were more about the state of writing today (for some people, at least) and distraction’s role in the writing process than about the Freewrite itself. The tech press wrote mostly positive things, no doubt charmed by the Freewrite’s looks and the company representatives. With that in mind, I hunted down some reviews from pros and Freewrite owners.

Display: It uses eInk instead of an LCD or the black on gray old school display type of the AlphaSmart, which may be easier on the eyes.

Keyboard: The arrow key thing aside, the focus of this gadget was always going to be a fantastic keyboard, and I’m always down with that.

Functionality: There are only 3 slots available for files (the AlphaSmart has 8).

There are full-fledged laptops that cost less.

Price: With a few exceptions and sales, the base price for the Freewite is $500.

There are full-fledged laptops that weigh less.

Weight: It was tipped to weigh about 4 pounds.

Here are the potential problems I identified back when the Freewrite was an idea (and called the Hemmingwrite): No social media, browser, or any of that.

Otherwise, it’s just there to collect those words in three separate files and keep you moving forward. The result is a portable writing machine that can only connect to the Internet to sync the words you type. The Freewrite is a distraction-free writing tool that borrows aesthetic cues from classic typewriters and the mechanics of some of the best old-school keyboards ever made. I have to rely on others! That means it’s time for a review roundup. I wanted to test the Freewrite for myself, but the small startup that makes them doesn’t have many on hand to loan out for reviews. Sometimes gadgets that look meh on paper turn out to be great when delivered, and sometimes the opposite is true. I’ve been tracking this device since it was just a gleam in KickStarter’s eye and I wasn’t super impressed back then. In light of the podcast episode praising the AlphaSmart, several listeners have asked about the Freewrite, a new device that seems similar but with some updates.