Alphasmarts

Dragonchilde — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 18:59:39 -0400

The portability. The ease of use. It's a word processer almost made for NaNoWriMo. Talk about your alphasmart adventures here!

Re: Alphasmarts

nanomarsbar — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 02:30:30 -0400

Um, hi! I introduced myself right before the wipe, so I doubt many of you will know me :P I purchased a Dana in July this year. LOVE IT! :D Except for the error messages, but I've been given the cure for those, so yay! :D I want to get an AS3 as well, but money doesn't permit D: Anyway, I'm just going to be haunting this thread :P Don't mind me.

Re: Alphasmarts

ShelbyDanvers — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 02:37:16 -0400

I bought an AlphaSmart Neo in '07 for my first year of NaNo. I still use it when I don't want to bring out the laptop or need a distraction-free writing environment. It still works perfectly, except for a missing backspace key. And I still love it.

Re: Alphasmarts

miss_technicality — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 02:52:56 -0400

Lila, my Alphasmart NEO 2, is probably one of my closest friends. She's been with me since May 2009, which means... two, three... four novels now; as in this November is the fifth. (Plus two scripts and character development and short stories and lots of rambling.) She's sort of a supplement... I tend to write with her on the go, and then join it up with the main document whenever I get back to the computer. She's been dropped several times and one key sometimes pops out, but she still works like the day I opened the box (in fact, she's outlasted two computers). As far as adventures go, the biggest one was probably in August 2010. I was doing a NaNo that month and then, at 46k, my computer died. Completely. Totally. I think it wiped out its own startup instructions (it hadn't been on the Internet so likely not a virus, although that's a remote possibility...). My novel was on a jump drive so I didn't lose it (if I had I probably would have done myself in), but the last 6k were written almost exclusively with Lila.

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JustJerseyJess — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 07:29:16 -0400

Another Neo fan. The perks to me are: -very lightweight -runs on "real" batteries that last forever -instant access to work -no worries on losing work -difficult to edit on (which is great when you're trying to write quickly) -*no distractions (can't surf the web or browse through my desktop/documents) For me the best part is the keyboard. I have an HP laptop that's too tempermental...and my Asus, well I don't like the feel of keys, there's no gratifying "click". I enjoy typing on the Neo, reminds me of my old word processor when I was in 5th grade.

Re: Alphasmarts

ArOhBeWyEn — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 10:28:44 -0400

I've been looking on eBay for an Alphasmart lately. The portability is a huge draw for me because I own a desktop, not a laptop. I'm hesitant to pay for something I don't strictly "need" right now, mostly because my income is heavily limited, as a college student, and I've been trying to figure out if it's worth it. Does the general appeal extend beyond NaNoWriMo, or will i have bought a machine that is useful for one month out of the year, and spends the rest of the time collecting dust?

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Millamant — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 10:54:06 -0400

I have a Neo and I couldn't do without it, even though I have a laptop. Better for taking around than a laptop, instant on and off, the way it does not heat up on your lap like a laptop, and the way I can't get distracted when I'm writing. I can let my children use it too, as I can password protect the files I'm writing in and, as it is designed to withstand a drop of a metre I don't worry about kid-handling. I've had mine for three years and I haven't had to change the batteries yet!

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will dojinn — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 11:46:16 -0400

Tempted to Ebay for one (possibly a 3k since they seem to run cheaper.) To toe into the water since i get too distracted on the laptop.

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bej — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 11:47:18 -0400

After last year's Nano (and reading all about the Neo from you good folks) I got myself one! LOOOOOVE EEEET!!! I have taken it everywhere and love how I've been able to pull it out at a moment's notice, *type a quick sentence or two on the bus* and shove it back into my bag just in time for my stop! This is one of those tools that's absolutely necessary for me. I'm sooo easily distrac...OH SHINY!

Re: Alphasmarts

Catana — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 12:38:09 -0400

Until last year's NaNo, I kept thinking about selling my Neo because i hardly ever use it. Then my computer died, the night before validation went live, and it was two weeks before I got back to NaNo, and it was December. If I hadn't still had my Neo, I would have done much less work during the downtime, and I would have had to transcribe it. From Neo to Scrivener was a fast download, and NaNo staff came through with emergency validation. I'm one of those people who needs a full screen for my writing, but if you can't afford two computers, an Alphasmart will keep you writing through the horrors of computer crashes. I won't be selling mine any time soon.

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rkbentley — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 13:47:44 -0400

Anyone know if NaNoWrimo still loans out Alphasmarts? One of my wrimos was wondering...

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CarolinaWriter — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 13:58:41 -0400

Love my 3000! If I find I am getting too distracted by my shiny laptop, but don't feel like handwriting - which is my preference - out comes my Alpha. I see some name theirs - maybe I need to give mine a name...

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Bee82 — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 16:36:45 -0400

I'd love a Neo but need a new clutch for my car more so me and my 3K will be continuing with it's stiff keys and my stiff fingers.

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-Neurion- — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 16:49:04 -0400

READ THIS IF YOU HAVE 3000!!! After much trial and error, I came up with an almost perfect calculation for checking the number of words on your AlphaSmart 3000, without having to get any software! First, press COMMAND-I (capital i). It should show a page that says how may pages are in the current file. This should be a decimal number anywhere between 0 and 12.5, because that is the amount that one file can hold. (p.s. "COMMAND" is the weird spiral key thing that is found on Mac computers) Next, take that number (we will use 3.4 as an example). Go to a calculator. Punch in this: 3.4/12.5 (or whatever number you have, divided by 12.5) =0.272 Next, do this: 0.272 * 4,654 (the answer to the first equaition, multiplied by 4,654. This is because the average number of words per file is 4,654. This estimate is very close, because I did a lot of tests. It is as close as you can get.) =1,266 In conclusion, you have 1,266 words. Just put it onto a Microsoft Word document and I guaruntee it will be very very close, if you did the calculations right. So, to recap: COMMAND - I Take number of pages in file (A) A / 12.5 = B B * 4,654 = number of words in file YOU'RE WELCOME!

Re: Alphasmarts

will dojinn — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 17:52:27 -0400

Anyone here have a 3000 they're willing to part with? I'd rather ask directly rather than go through ebay.

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radioactivealchemist — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 19:03:07 -0400

I own two Danas, one with wireless and one without. The one without is currently in a state of disassembly pending a sweet steampunk case mod, and the wireless one (which I just purchased recently off eBay) seems to have a power problem. I also just purchased 6 Alphasmart 2000s off eBay, all of which seem to be in working order. If I need something lighter than my typewriters to haul around with me, I'll probably use one of them. I also gave one to my mom (this year will be her second NaNo), and I've got plans for two of the others.

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ClueBadger24601 — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 20:03:13 -0400

I own an alphasmart, 2000 (old, but its the model I got addicted to in the sixth grade), and use it pretty much exclusively for nano. It's going to be really helpful this year because I go to school in a not-so-great area, and while I would never bring my laptop (it WOULD get stolen), no one cares enough about an alpha to bother with it.

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Lufia_Metallium — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 22:16:53 -0400

We have a Dana and two Neos in the house, and I wouldn't get rid of them for anything. I always do Nano on an Alphasmart, because it's less distracting, and I like the clacking sound the keys make. I can also bring it anywhere without adding a lot of weight to my bag. I ended up letting someone borrow the Dana last year for their nano attempt, and, while they didn't end up winning, they wrote more than they would have otherwise. The battery life on my Neo, especially, makes it indispensable. Three years on one set of batteries? Very much worth it.

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Don Ricci — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 00:25:51 -0400

I got a Dana last year. She's brilliant, although I had a few problems with her (running out of battery at 90%, crashing and erasing everything on her) I've fixed her now. I love her, I do a lot of my writing on her because the internet distracts me. Although she is missing a send key, the spacebar doesn't work well, and I still don't have the software to transfer files, well, I work around it. Because I do love Dana, I sort of treat her as a person. Sort of. A lot. Okay...

Re: Alphasmarts

teacherguy66 — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 01:55:10 -0400

I love my Neo. I bought it as my reward for finishing my first NaNovel two years ago. I used it last year. I was the only one at write-ins not using a laptop or an iPad. I'm definitely using it again this year. I'm going to be on an overnight field trip the first two days of November, so you know I'm bringing my notebook and my Neo with me.

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MikeAlx — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 08:35:06 -0400

Last year was my first NaNo and I won, largely thanks to my Alphasmart Neo. It's the perfect drafting tool, especially if you want to write on the move. I did most of my writing in the car last year (parked up of course!). Just a gentle plug, if anyone needs any advice, or just wants to talk about anything to do with Alphasmarts, there's a very friendly community over at flickr - http://www.flickr.com/groups/alphasmart/discuss (for reasons too convoluted to go into, I'm "Nevinson's Goggles" over there).

Re: Alphasmarts

charleenlynette — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 17:25:59 -0400

I bought a Neo several years ago for the portability. This year, for the first time since college, I have a laptop instead of desktop computer, but I still plan on using my Neo for NaNo'ing on the go. More convenient, fewer distractions, don't have to worry about finding a place to plug it in . . . and so on and so forth.

Re: Alphasmarts

radioactivealchemist — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 22:18:28 -0400

I decided to fire up my new Dana tonight, and it's pissing me off already. Grr! I hate battery problems. It works fine when it's plugged directly into the outlet, regardless of whether it's got a battery pack attached. Unfortunately, though, BOTH battery packs I have (one from my old Dana which I bought new in 2005, and the one which came with the new Dana I bought off eBay) appear to be dead. I've got to run a few more tests to be sure. I thought to label the batteries so I can tell them apart. I'm not sure which one I tried first, but I plugged it into the Dana, unplugged the Dana from the wall, and watched as it went from 100% battery to dead in less than a minute. I've got one of them charging now, so we'll see in the morning whether it's good or not, and then charge up and test the other battery pack as well. If nothing goes as planned, I may have to attempt a Dana power hack on it.

Re: Alphasmarts

Chibifukurou — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 23:01:01 -0400

Hello fellow Alphasmarters! I'm the proud owner of a Neo. I've had it for a little over a year. It travel's back and forth to work with me. And is particularly nice when I have to ride the bus. Though it did lead to some interesting conversations. Including one instance where I got asked if I was deaf. Despite the fact that I was wearing headphones. You never know I guess. Anyway, it's nice to meet you all! *On a side note, does anybody know somewhere I can get a protective case for an Alpha smart? Being carried around in my purse all day, it's been getting a bit dinged and scratched.

Re: Alphasmarts

will dojinn — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 00:54:17 -0400

Ren Learning sells their own. However just by a cheap netbook sleeve, or make your own if youv'e got the fabrics/clothing your'e willing to scrap for the cause.

Re: Alphasmarts

writergypsie — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 12:00:24 -0400

I love my Neo. Admittedly, he doesn't get a huge amount of use outside of November, but he's handy when I want something light, portable and durable for travel. Great for note taking (quiet keys) in classes, for sitting outside to write or for writing away from internet/computer access (amazing battery life). If you can get a 3000 or a Neo, I highly recommend it. You'll keep it for years, their customer service is wonderful and it will make you more productive. :-) /my $.02

Re: Alphasmarts

radioactivealchemist — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 15:53:43 -0400

Looks like everything went better than expected. Only one of the battery packs is dead. That still means I've got two Danas and only 1 battery pack between them, though.

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JumpingOverMountains — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 16:50:40 -0400

I'd love an AlphaSmarth! The website no longer sells AlphaSmart 3000s. Does anyone know where I can buy one, preferably cheap-ish, and shipped to the UK?

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will dojinn — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 17:41:39 -0400

ebay?

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fabi60 — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 18:33:25 -0400

I absolutely adore my Neo. 700 hours of battery life, the durability, the lack of distractions native to my netbook... it's awesome. I'm sure I'll be porting it all around to my classes this year as well. Quick boot-up means for on-the-spot pre-class sprints, all sorts of fun and productivity!

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indigo_skye — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 18:58:50 -0400

ArOhBeWyEn, I bought my AS3K last October to use for NaNoWriMo and used it for all my write-ins since I don't own a laptop. I also only have a desktop computer. At the end of each evening, I would simply upload the text into Scrivener and organize it there. It made writing effortless. Because the AS3K has such a small screen, it was hard to go back and edit and I discovered that my word count was always much higher on it. An AS3K or a Neo is the perfect tool for drafting stories, articles and for NaNoWriMo. After November, one of my write-in groups continued on once a week at our usual location. My AS3K went with me there so I could continue writing in the coffeehouse. I also was able to use it while I traveled on the road. In my line of work I am often without access to electricity for a few days at a time, the AS3K was always available for me during these times. It goes to the park easily since it is lightweight and I never worry about losing power while I'm writing there. Do I use the AS3K everyday? No. However, it is a good tool to have in my arsenal and I'm glad that I spent the $30 (including shipping) on eBay to purchase one. They are sturdy machines and I expect to get many, many years of use from it. Even if I were to upgrade to a Neo, I would keep the AS3K as a backup or to lend to a writing friend should their laptop go squish.

Re: Alphasmarts

Chibifukurou — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 20:25:47 -0400

You can get them for a good price off of ebay, but it will cost you around 60 between the machine and shipping. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Alphasmart-3000-word-processor-laptop-Tested-working-/230512891790?pt=Laptops_Nov05&hash=item35aba3978e#ht_647wt_1110

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Lufia_Metallium — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 22:31:05 -0400

The "wow" factor among my students at my Neo is always amusing to me. Because I bring it to work so I can write on my lunch break, I keep it on my desk, and inevitably, someone asks what it does. And I show them, and the on/off without hitting save always amazes them. And even though I've got a short lunch (27 minutes now!), I can still get in a couple hundred words without worrying about booting up/powering down, and without putting anything on my work computer, which, as administration has recently reminded all of us, can be accessed by the school system at any time, and they *do* make random computer checks.

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XheartsnknivesX — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 03:02:05 -0400

I am using Ricky, My neo, he is very dependable. And because I am going to be switiching places between my house, my sisters house, and my grandma's through out nano. I am excited because this is the first time that I am in Europe during Nano! And hopefullit won't be my last! <3

Re: Alphasmarts

indigo_skye — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 14:49:58 -0400

Yes, eBay. Lots of them on sale there at a reasonable price. I got mine for around $30 including shipping last year. Just make sure you get a working model, not a distressed one that is meant for parts.

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indigo_skye — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 14:51:08 -0400

Ouch. Big Brother is everywhere. You are smart to keep your personal writing on your own machine!!!

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glynes — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 01:07:18 -0400

The funniest thing about my Alpha Neo is the reaction I get from non-writing people. They see me in the break room, typing away, and rush over, "Oooooh, what kind of terminal is that?" I explain it's a stand-alone word-processor meant for writers, not connected to anything .... at which point their eyes kind of glaze over and they wander away. I don't care ... I love it! I can write on breaks, lunch, in my carpool, and most importantly in the recliner by the fireplace. Not distracted by the web, email, or even what I typed 3 lines before. Then, at the end of the day, it can download it all onto my desktop, while I go snag a big bowl of neopolitan ice cream and some chocolate. 8-) glynes ************ Play a role that's larger than life and play it like you believe it

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nanomarsbar — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 04:19:27 -0400

I tell them "It's a typing machine." After that they don't bug me anymore :P Anyone here find it good to do school assignments on?

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Independence1776 — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 14:07:47 -0400

I have a 3k that I bought when I was in college. (Technically, it was a birthday gift, but I paid for half.) I got it for Nano, but I mostly ended up using it to take notes in class with, as like you, I have a desktop. Absolutely invaluable, as I could finally keep up with what the teachers were saying.

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Indie-Young — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 22:44:26 -0400

I just got my alphasmart Dana a few months ago, I named him Tony, and I love him. I'm considering giving him a new look but I'm going to wait until Nano is over. Taking his guts out terrifies me a little. But I'm looking forward to having him around! He's so light and easy to transport.

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radioactivealchemist — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 22:46:38 -0400

Fortunately, Dana guts are very simple. :-D

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Lufia_Metallium — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 11:54:30 -0400

They are very good to do school assignments on - I had a student my first year teaching who had a Pro, and was allowed to use it as part of his IEP - he could type up his work in class, no distractions, then plug it right into my printer and turn it in at the same time everyone else did. I've also leant out my Neo during non-Nano months to students who've broken their dominant arms, so they could do work for classes, and they've said it's been useful for them, since we have a "no personal laptops" policy for students, but they can't write. Every teacher knows there's nothing on the AlphaSmart except a word processor, so there's no problem having it in class.

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Victoria Nonpraeda — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 20:26:25 -0400

I'm interested in picking up one of these, since my laptop died and I only have my desktop now. I'm looking at a Neo, because I keep hearing about battery problems with the Dana. Or do used 3000s generally still work okay? Willing to spend probably $60, and I can get a used Neo on ebay for that. Just curious, I'd like to know what people think before I pick up either model.

Re: Alphasmarts

chet-a-box — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 01:41:58 -0400

Used 3000s should still work okay, except the keys might be stiff to type, and you'll need to change the back-up battery cuz that's what keeps the writing safe inside the machine.

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will dojinn — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 03:08:35 -0400

What's the model/part number for the coin/backup batteries on these things?

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chet-a-box — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 05:04:30 -0400

CR2032

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story pixie — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 09:37:24 -0400

Alphasmarts website sells neoprene sleeves and cases for Neos. I have one of each, but find that my Neo pretty much lives in the neoprene sleeve. I can toss it in my purse or tote and not worry about buttons getting hit or the neo getting scratched or beat up.

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Rosalyn_Phillips — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 10:18:25 -0400

I got my Dana last year and wrote a full 5 chapters of story on it. I totally love it, but it doesn't get much use outside of Nano or traveling. But it's a great travel-writing tool. Durable, lightweight - and with a Dana I even have a few fun distractions on it like PalmReader and all the Sherlock Holmes stories and a couple of games. Mine has a rechargeable battery, which charges just fine with a generic AC adapter.

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radioactivealchemist — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 16:40:20 -0400

Augh, problems with the 2000. The male-to-male PS/2 cables arrived, but I can't get my 2000 to send to the computer. It says it's connected, I press Send, and... nothing. Unplugged my USB keyboard, restarted the computer with the 2000 plugged in, and still no dice. I'm thinking it probably has something to do with my OS (Win7 / Sever 2k8R2). My brother tried on his computer which is running some form of Linux and it sent all right, just came out garbled because my 2000 is set to Dvorak and he uses Colemak (which is nothing new; to get my Dana to transfer text correctly to my computer I have to set my computer back to QWERTY). If it is the OS that's the problem, hopefully I can solve the issue by buying a PS/2 to USB converter and hooking it up to my laptop which has Windows XP.

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MeBeBri — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 17:49:48 -0400

I love my Neo. I got it this Spring, on eBay, for about $70, including shipping. Best $70 I ever spent. I find myself using it not only for direct novelling, but for outlining, making lists, making blog posts, writing emails... I absolutely love that it is so lightweight, and that the battery power runs forever. I love that I can pretty much beat it up, and nothing happens to it. I think it is the perfect little machine - I want it embalmed and put in my coffin when I die.

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Victoria Nonpraeda — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 19:43:40 -0400

FYI, bought a 3000 off ebay and already love it. The keys aren't sticking at all. Appreciate the info!

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indigo_skye — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 16:34:16 -0400

Go to Etsy. There are many electronic case makers there who would be happy to make you a unique, custom sized case for about what you would pay for a plain one off the store shelf that might not fit. BTW, for those of you with AS3Ks. I find that a sleeve designed for a 13" mac air works pretty well.

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Speaker of Stones — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 19:10:36 -0400

My 3000 acts up sometimes and I’ve found a few ways around what you mentioned. 1) try sending it to different files, like Word Pad and Note pad, then transfer over to Word processor. 2) try switching files before sending information. My 3000 doesn’t like File 1, so if I want to download anything from it I hit Command and another file before switching back to the file I want to print. Don’t know why it works, it just does… hope this helps…

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chrisk0 — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 09:23:02 -0400

Okay, ever since I read Lindsey's latest blog post at http://blog.lettersandlight.org/post/11617332194, I've been strangely obsessed with her reference to starting her first two Nanos on an Alphasmart (and in her Halloween costume. ;) ) What model was it? Does she still have an AS? My inquiring mind wants to know!

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Sforzie — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 16:11:31 -0400

I have a Neo, but I admittedly haven't used it in years. Got great usage out of it during my second NaNo, but after that I generally just started toting my novel around on a usb drive (and now on my laptop). I wish I had found the Alphasmarts back when I was still in college, they would have been a great boon then! But, alas. Maybe someday I'll find a new home for my green buddy.

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quixotic_hope — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 16:29:15 -0400

Someone on the forums mentioned getting one of these recently, and it reminded me that I saw a few people using them during my first NaNo. An Alphasmart would really help me write while I'm working (since I can't bring a computer). I started looking at eBay, but I haven't found any with cords. So I'll be spending $20 on the Alphasmart and another $20 on cords. Before I sepnd that kind of money on something, I would like to know a few things: 1. Does the 3000 work with newer computers? I bought a new laptop earlier this year. It's a a 64-bit HP that runs on Windows 7. Will an AS 3000 work with that? What about one of the newer-ish ones? I'm not going to spend over $100 on something just so I can write at work when I'm not supposed to - but I really want to buy one! They look so useful if I can find one cheap-ish. 2. Do you definitely need the cord to transfer text to a computer, or is there another way? 3. What model do you have/which would you recommend I buy? Thanks!

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Lufia_Metallium — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 16:39:03 -0400

I can't answer question 1, but the others, I can try to help with! The only cord you need for a Neo is a USB connector cable (if you have a USB printer cable, just unplug the square end from the printer and plug it into the Neo, and you're all set). With a Neo, I think it's the only way, unless you have a computer with an infrared scanner. With a Dana, you can use the micro SD cards to transfer data (I think - I've never used them on mine, TBH, I've always used the cable). I love my Neo, and I'd recommend that in a heartbeat. It's the next one up from the 3000, it's got insanely good battery life (I didn't change out the batteries for 3 years, and I probably could have made a 4th year, but I was paranoid). And it takes a basic computer cable (USB with the square end and with the rectangle end) to plug it in to a computer, and that's it.

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ThaloBlue — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 20:26:31 -0400

I have an AS3000 which I love- the batteries last forever, its lightweight, basically fool proof and indestructable. As far as the connecting cable to transfer the files- if the one you get on eBay doesn't come with it- mine did- you can often pick up a cable for almost nothing at places like Big Lots or some dollar stores. But I don't know if the AS3000 works with your system.

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Incandescent — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 21:34:26 -0400

Yes, it'll work with newer computers. It basically just pretends to be a USB keyboard and re-"types" all of your keystrokes into your computer. I know that 2000, 3000, Neo and Dana would work with that. I don't know if the much-much older models would, although I imagine the premise is the same. As others have said, a simple USB cable (printer cable) will suffice for the 3000, Neo or Dana. You can get them super-cheap pretty much anywhere that sells electronics. I've owned a 2000, 3000, Neo and Dana. Of them, I preferred the 3k and the Neo. The 2k is functional, but it's very... sparse. It didn't have enough features for me. My Dana had ridiculous battery/saving issues and tended to erase itself once every few days, so I stopped using it very quickly. The battery life was also significantly less impressive than any of the other models -- measured in hours rather than weeks. I never used the Palm apps, so I had no real reason to have a Dana -- it was just the cheapest thing on eBay at the time, after my dogs dumped a glass of water on my 3k. Between the 3k and the Neo, I prefer the Neo slightly, although with the price difference, I could really be satisfied with either one. The Neo's keyboard is more comfortable for me, and I liked to be able to adjust the font size. It's just slightly more user-friendly -- I'm having trouble putting my finger on why I feel that way, since it's been several years since I last used my now-dead 3k. You can usually find a 3k for around $30 on eBay and a Neo in the $50-60 range, last time I checked. I prefer the Neo, but I'm not sure if I prefer it to the tune of an additional $30. Either machine worked well for my purposes. Hope this helps.

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Austruck — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 23:09:29 -0400

I originally bought my first AS (a 2000) for my first NaNo in 2004. But I very quickly found out its magical charm for a writer. I use it for other things quite a bit. Plus, I use it to take notes at conferences, board meetings, and to just do journaling here and there. During the times when I have to meet someone somewhere, I'll often bring either my Kindle or my Neo with me in case I'm there first waiting for the other person. I can whip out the Neo and do some writing on the go. Plus, it's not like it takes up a lot of room anywhere. And the once-a-year battery switch means it's low-cost after the sale. Love it!

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Austruck — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 23:12:40 -0400

I think you can safely call an AlphaSmart the typewriter of the newer age of technology. It definitely feels like a cross between a portable typewriter and a portable word processor. Best of both worlds, really. :)

Re: Alphasmarts

Austruck — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 23:15:10 -0400

Hey, nev! Great to see you! (I'm Austruck here and over on Flickr.) Didn't realize you were a NaNo'er. Congrats on the win last year. I'm starting to get that eager feeling about the start of NaNo again ... time to dig out the Neo and the Dana and make sure their batteries are properly topped off and/or replaced.

Re: Alphasmarts

Austruck — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 23:16:46 -0400

radioactive... Just do what I did when I got a Dana from eBay a few years ago: I immediately bought a brand-new battery pack from RenLearn. Haven't had any battery issues since, and it was only about ten bucks. Just a suggestion.

Re: Alphasmarts

Austruck — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 23:18:24 -0400

I agree on the Neoprene sleeve. It's awesome and well worth the money for a glove-like fit and enough protection for the screen and the whole device to toss it into any other bag easily and confidently. I have a separate sleeve for my Neo and also for my Dana (the sleeve fits either of those models).

Re: Alphasmarts

Austruck — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 23:21:47 -0400

O, the humanity!!!

Re: Alphasmarts

Austruck — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 23:23:02 -0400

If you can get a Neo on eBay for $60, I'd say that's a bargain! I have one of each, and although I love the Dana and use it a lot during NaNo, I'd say the Neo is the more robust and rugged (and reliable, if you wanna go through three R's) of the two....

Re: Alphasmarts

Austruck — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 23:27:30 -0400

Gosh, now I wish I still had my 2000 to test it with my Win7 computer. I can say that a 2000 will work with an XP machine, with or without the converter. But it is imperative to unplug all other keyboards before trying to send via the 2000. Unlike later models, it has to be the only keyboard attached to the machine in order for it to work/send properly.

Re: Alphasmarts

Austruck — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 23:29:05 -0400

One more thing.... Sometimes the AS won't do well if you're attaching it to a USB hub instead of directly to a USB port.

Re: Alphasmarts

jonrkc — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 03:11:36 -0400

Received my AlphaSmart 3000 from eBay Thursday afternoon, and am just about totally pleased with it -- more even than I thought I would be. I tend to love simple, classical things and to dislike bells and whistles and terrifically multipurpose gadgets and machinery. The AlphaSmart is a kind of oasis of simplicity in the midst of what sometimes seems to me a chaotic jumble of self-defeating technology. Honestly, I was thinking, "How can I possibly like only seeing four lines of text, in 'dot matrix' typeface?" I remembered well how much I enjoyed my TRS-80, around 1988-'89, which had a similar display, but being used to big monitors with at the very least 80 lines of text -- great big broad lines at that -- it seemed unlikely I could still find enjoyment in such a puny and ugly display. Guess what. I love it. It doesn't hinder me at all to see only four lines. (Why? I wonder.) And I can type as fast on the AlphaSmart keyboard as on any PC keyboard I've ever used. That was a big surprise. This unit is so pristine you'd think it had never been out of the Renaissance Learning storeroom. It seems absolutely brand new. Except for a neat little printed sticker on the bottom with the name of an elementary school. It makes me feel good to be using a writing instrument that some kids probably enjoyed and benefited from in their classroom. My interest in books and writing began early in elementary school, and was encouraged by my mother, who, despite only a high-school education -- in Depression years at that -- loved the arts. I'll be using this AlphaSmart a lot, I can tell already.

Re: Alphasmarts

erichris — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 09:02:25 -0400

I "won" in 2007, my first attempt, and as a reward to myself, I bought a Neo. I've won the other three years I NaNo'ed, and each year my wordcount has gone up. I give thanks to my Neo for being so wonderful... simple technology, light to carry, endless battery life (65K words last year amounted to the AA batteries ending at 80% charge after a month of insanity), and NO DISTRACTIONS. Just writing. Anywhere. I'll admit some temptation to use my netbook this year, but every time I've taken it to go writing during the year, I've ended up on Facebook and my wordcount has sucked. So, the Neo will be my NaNo buddy of choice again this year! Cheers, Chris

Re: Alphasmarts

jonrkc — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 10:58:23 -0400

Oops -- I was thinking of the eighty columns that used to be standard for "real" PC monitors when I said 80 lines above. It was generally something like 40 lines, I believe. Of course today with 3-foot wide monitors commonplace, the sky's the limit. Definitely more than four! :-)

Re: Alphasmarts

chrisk0 — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 12:36:46 -0400

Dana offers a few ways to transfer text on/off without a cable. Firstly, there's the cards - which are full SD, not micro, (though you could use a micro/mini SD card in an SD card slot adaptor.) This gets a bit fiddly, because you need to use the converter program, which can be downloaded online. I've also had an issue that when I drop a new alphaword file onto my SD card, the alphasmart doesn't see that it's there until I copy it off the card into alphasmart main memory, though other Dana owners have reported different experiences. The other way, if you have a Dana wireless, is the direct wireless transfer option. This also has issues, as Dana wireless doesn't support WPA encryption, so you have to use it on a hotspot with slim to no protection against other wifi users hopping online. And the Dana cable required is a standard A to B USB cable, as used by many USB printers and external hard drives, available in your local electronics store - just like the Neo. Good luck!

Re: Alphasmarts

will dojinn — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 23:20:05 -0400

Since I'm probably not going to be able to buy one before this year's NaNo starts. It'll just have to be a reward for slugging it out on the distract-o-machine with constant online-ness.

Re: Alphasmarts

will dojinn — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 23:45:49 -0400

Prolly shooting myself in the foot here but found a seller offering 'more than ten' 3000's for around $40ish with shipping. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Alphasmart-3000-word-processor-laptop-V1-6-Infrared-IR-port-USB-and-manual-/230685009977?pt=Laptops_Nov05&hash=item35b5e5e839#ht_809wt_960

Re: Alphasmarts

radioactivealchemist — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 11:43:26 -0400

My brother thinks the problem may be that my motherboard simply doesn't like PS/2 connections. He suggested something called a "blue box", which is a live USB to PS/2 converter. There's a few available on Amazon, so the next time I have a spare $10 I'll get one and see if that works. I have a laptop that runs XP, but alas, being a laptop it has no PS/2 ports so we're back to the first solution.

Re: Alphasmarts

BillSmithBooksDotCom — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 13:28:11 -0400

I've had an AS3000, a Dana and a Neo. Loved my AS3000 in its day but the keyboard is sticky and the screen is too small. But love the instant-on operating system and easy of just plugging in a USB cable, opening up the word processor on my PC and hitting "Send." Dana is cool... Keyboard is a huge improvement, love the unlimited storage of being able to use memory cars. Screen is big, which is nice, but hard to read except under the best of circumstances unless you use the backlight. Chews through batteries...20-30 hours on a set of AAs instead of hundreds of hours. Best part is that you can get them for $30-40 on ebay. With a Dana, one thing I would recommend is a freeware program called CardTXT. (http://www.freewarepalm.com/docs/cardtxt.shtml) -- this is a GREAT little program that you can load on your memory card from your PC and it allows you to move plain text (.txt) files back and forth from your PC with no fuddling about with software. Just move the file from your PC onto your memory card (use a card reader plugged into the PC USB port), then put the memory card in the Dana, open CardTXT, open the files, write and edit as you please. CardTXT has a couple of limitations -- narrow screen usage (designed for the original Palm), limited features, but it is a great way to turn the Dana into a portable editing and writing machine without having to futz around with any special software. So simple even I can figure it out. Love my Neo, great keyboard. I use Unexpected Human's custom fonts (from the flickr.com/groups/alphasmart group) to fit more words on the screen. Love the amazing battery life, great keyboard, decent amount of real estate on the screen, ease of use. The only downside is that transferring files back to the Neo from your PC is a pain, so it becomes a great "first draft" machine; as for editing, not so much. -- Bill Smith www.BillSmithbooks.com

Re: Alphasmarts

CuntDestroyer — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 21:34:29 -0400

I bought a Neo for last year's NaNo, but it didn't arrive till half-way through the month. This year, I plan to write pretty much my entire novel on it. I'll swap out the batteries with a fresh pair (even though they're still above 80%) and hopefully manage to crank out my 50K on it. It's a wonderful little device; portable, durable and reliable in ways that most computers are not. I always get weird looks and questions about it when I use it in public. "Why don't you just use a laptop?" Why? Because if I were using a laptop, I'd be too busy posting on various forums and arranging playlists, rather than focusing on my writing. Usually I'll set up camp in a small coffee shop, order a nice hot coffee and put on my headphones. My ipod holds enough music to get me by and I pass many hours being productive, rather than getting distracted on the internet. The usefulness of an AlphaSmart isn't diminished after Novemeber, either; it's really an invaluable writing tool no matter the time of year. And, as others have said, the clicking of the keys is divine.

Re: Alphasmarts

indigo_skye — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 22:58:54 -0400

I own a AS3K and have had it over a year. I used it exclusively for my write-ins last year for NaNoWriMo. I still use it when I'm on the road and know that I will have little access to electricity. It means that I always have the means to write and at $30 per unit, I don't worry about if it might be stolen since it is cheaply replaced. In answer to your questions, The AS3K will transfer to new and older computers. I upload text via cable to my windows Vista machine all the time. I also have successfully uploaded text to a ten year old NEC Mobliepro 900. In both cases, the AS3K worked flawlessly. My AS3K also was recognized by my NEC as a keyboard and gives me the option of a full sized keyboard for that machine and the infrared connected with both machines as well, although I do not use this feature. You can transfer data two ways with the AS3K. Via a cord or via infrared. I purchased an infrared hub that works with my Vista machine and it works, but I usually just use the cable. Either way, the text will "type" into your word processing program without a problem. About the AS3K that I own, I have the upgrade to OS system 3 for it. This gives me a better word processor AND a word count feature. A regular AS3K from eBay will not have this feature, however there is a flickr group for alphasmarts that will help you find the software and guide you in the installation for it for free. Be warned, to install the software you will need access to a windows computer running on XP and being a 32bit machine. It will not work with Vista or Win7. The AS3K is no longer supported by RenLearn. The machine is very rugged and portable, but I find that I do need a dedicated market bag for it when I travel. If you want a neoprene sleeve for it, it fits nicely in one that is designed for a Mac Air laptop. I do not own a Neo, but I'm considering upgrading to one. I understand that its manager has a similar word processor and word count as my upgraded AS3K and is compatible with Win7 and 64bit machines, the keyboard is supposedly easier on the hands and it holds bigger files. It is still supported by RenLearn and I believe is slightly smaller than the AS3K. I think that an AS3K would work out well for your intended us, a Neo would be even better. However, if cost is an issue, the AS3K will work out just fine.

Re: Alphasmarts

story pixie — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 10:11:47 -0400

woohoo! Just convinced my husband to join NaNo and the first thing he said was "I will need a Neo like yours." I have won three times with my trusty Neo and wouldn't dream of attempting NaNo without it! So we ordered one and it should arrive just in time for the frenzy to begin. :)

Re: Alphasmarts

blaqkheaven — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 01:31:38 -0400

I got my Dana this year and I LOVE it. I've written all sorts of stuff on it, including essays for my classes and notes. Between it and Write Or Die, I'm having the most productive semester I've ever had. Pavarotti (my Dana) and I will be spending most of November together, with my netbook as FAR AWAY AS POSSIBLE until I hit my wordcount goals every day. :D The internet is too much a giant kitten of distraction.

Re: Alphasmarts

quixotic_hope — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 16:31:10 -0400

Wow! Thanks all of you for all of your information! I've learned so much in the last ten minutes. I definitely need to get myself back on eBay and see what they can give me. It's good to know I can find the cords I need somewhere other than eBay - spending $20 on a cord seemed a bit ridiculous to me! Haha. Thanks again! You have all been incredibly helpful!

Re: Alphasmarts

will dojinn — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 11:41:00 -0400

Something posted to the Flickr group I'm wanting to share. Hi All, I’ll introduce myself first… I’m Richard and I work for Renaissance Learning UK as their Hardware Products Manager and I’ve worked for RL and AlphaSmart for some 11 years. We keep an eye on your posts and are happy to help out where we can. To these ends if you live in the UK, Europe or Norway we have set up a special 20% discount for NaNoWriMO participants if you choose to buy a NEO 2 (with or without a receiver) between now and 7 November 2011. To redeem visit our card store at renlearn.co.uk/individuals and enter the promotional code “NaNoWriMo 2011” at the checkout (don’t forget to hit the “Update” button before you proceed to the next page). We have UK, US and Norwegian Neos on offer along with accessories. Sorry for this unadulterated plug for the product you all care about. We really do value your opinion and wish you all the best in November whether or not you are writing 50,000 words. All the best, Richard

Re: Alphasmarts

sail4sea — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 13:24:25 -0400

I was told to repost this in the Alphasmart thread: Are any of you left? For those of you who haven't put your Palm handheld or Alphasmart Dana in the closet I have some software for you. Go to writerbenjamin.com and download Characters and NaNoTrack. The license key for Characters is "NaNoWriMo". NaNoTrack does not require a license key. Characters lets you organize your story characters and NaNoTrack lets you keep track of your word count. Both programs are free.

Re: Alphasmarts

type247 — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 13:28:14 -0400

Good news! I have a Norwegian Neo and love it, if any of the interested Norwegians have any questions about the machine or how it works, feel free to Nanomail me.

Re: Alphasmarts

ThePQ4 — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 14:27:41 -0400

After skimming the thread, I decided to look at the specs of the various models --and ohmigod, I want one. I remember using a similar tool when I was in middle school, and they were quite fun! I was never really sure what they were called or where to find one though. I don't really NEED one, as I have a laptop that is just as portable, but the Alphasmart's durability is outstanding. I'm putting it on a wishlist, and I am totally envious of everyone who has one!

Re: Alphasmarts

treblezen — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 14:42:32 -0400

Hey, thought I'd let you know I grabbed both applications. I haven't used the tracking one yet (for obvious reasons), but I rather enjoy the characters one. Thanks for posting this.

Re: Alphasmarts

Victoria Nonpraeda — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 15:16:16 -0400

This may sound silly, but I'm brand new to having a Dana - do you just upload these via USB cable? How to get them onto the Dana itself? I don't have wifi.

Re: Alphasmarts

-Neurion- — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 15:30:54 -0400

QUESTION QUESTION QUESTION QUESTION QUESTION I used the AS3000 last year for NaNoWriMo and it worked really well, except for the sticking keys. Is there anything at all that can be done to fix this? Anything? Because honestly, that's the only flaw with the system. Everything else works like a charm but I would really like to be able to type faster.

Re: Alphasmarts

treblezen — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 15:33:50 -0400

I used an SD card, creating a file system (of folders) like this: SD card .....PALM ..........Launcher ..........Programs Put the prc files into the Launcher folder. The Dana should recognize them as such. On the main screen, in the top right corner, there is a dropdown menu. Change that to "Card" or whatever it recognizes as your SD card. You should find the applications there.

Re: Alphasmarts

CorraSen — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 16:12:37 -0400

Hey everyone, my mom and I are looking into AlphaSmarts and we're wondering about... cables. :P Very few machines on ebay actually seem to come with cables of any kind, which is rather worrying. I'm pretty sure the 3k just uses a USB cable (like the kind you put on the back of a scanner/printer) and we have plenty of those. I'm curious about what the 2k uses. Can anyone answer this?

Re: Alphasmarts

erichris — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 16:53:40 -0400

Best thing about the Neo is that it's so simple and well made for its purpose, it won't go obsolete for a lot of years... even with no special software on the computer, it can act like a USB keyboard and dump a doc into whatever word processor as though it was just being input by a very fast typist. WITH the software, it's a lot faster, though. Can't say how the older Alphasmarts work. Don't they use serial cables? If so, it might be trickier on a more modern computer/laptop.

Re: Alphasmarts

MikeAlx — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 20:13:18 -0400

You can almost certainly get hold of a replacement keyboard if you contact the manufacturer. Fairly straightforward to fit, I believe.

Re: Alphasmarts

radioactivealchemist — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 20:28:05 -0400

I just bought a lot of AS200s without cords, so I can answer this! Well, for the cables you'll need for Windows, at least. No idea about Macs. 1. Male to Male PS/2 cable (I found a wholesale seller on eBay for under $3 with free shipping) 2. An active USB to PS/2 adapter. There's one called the "blue cube" which is the recommended option, if you can find a source. I ordered one off Amazon for $11. I also got a different adapter off eBay for around $6. Whether or not you need the adapter depends on a) whether your computer has PS/2 ports and b) if your motherboard can translate them. My brother's computer had no problem transferring from the 2000 with just the PS/2 cord, but my computer won't recognize it.

Re: Alphasmarts

Briar Of The Shire — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 20:55:30 -0400

I have a Neo and it is my best writing buddy :) Seriously, I have no idea how I ever got along without it. I love the size of the screen, the battery life, the low-distraction factor, and especially the click of the keys! This is actually my second Neo. I got one to use for NaNo the year before last and it saw me through quite well. I used it last year on the same set of batteries. It lost a number key somewhere along the line, but that was no big deal. Still, I decided to buy myself a new one and gave my "old" one to my daughter. It was the best thing I ever gave her (her words, not mine). She has it with her at all times. She takes it to school, on a short car ride to the grocery store, and even on her most recent date with her boyfriend! Honestly, that child (okay, 15-year-old) writes more in a day than I manage in two weeks. And still, she just changed her batteries today after she'd had the same ones in there since I gave it to her in December last year :)

Re: Alphasmarts

Austruck — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 22:07:33 -0400

Anything older than the 3000 model (the Pro, the 2000 model) uses a PS/2 male-to-male cable (and you need to unplug your other keyboard), but they can also be used with a USB adapter on top of that cable. Not obsolete YET. :)

Re: Alphasmarts

LadyTwist — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 23:43:03 -0400

I actually bought a used Dana off a seller on Amazon, and I've been playing with it to prep for NaNo. So far, so good. I managed to get it with a cable, batteries, and a memory card for just shy of $60, shipping and all. Loving the full-size keys, and since I can only see the last paragraph or two that I've written, that shuts the editor up quite nicely for now. We'll see if the theory I had behind buying it bears up for a whole month, but here's hoping!

Re: Alphasmarts

Tigers Eyes — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 12:47:57 -0400

*waves* Hi, I've been wanting to buy an Alphasmart for a while now, and I'm looking at the Neo 3000- I just wondered, if anyone here has one- what's the keyboard like? (key spacing, overall 'feel', like a pc/typewriter/macbook etc...)

Re: Alphasmarts

jonrkc — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 14:16:42 -0400

Is there a Neo 3000? I've seen reference to the original Neo and the Neo 2, but I wonder if you mean AlphaSmart 3000 as opposed to AlphaSmart Neo.... In case you are wondering about both, I can report that my 3000 (not Neo) has a keyboard that reminds me most of a PC keyboard. The key size and spacing are absolutely in keeping with the standard -- I'm a very fast typist and I notice right away when keys are smaller and/or closer together. No problem there. The feel is a little like early IBM PC keyboards -- the kind that weighed about five pounds and made good lethal weapons. The keys on those were actually wobbly but very responsive and you could type as fast as you wanted on them. The 3000's keys don't wobble any more than a normal present-day keyboard but they're very responsive, too. There are frequently reports of sticking keys with used 2000's and 3000's. I guess I was lucky; my machine (from eBay, for about $40) looks factory-new and only one key had a semi-sticking problem: the left shift key. I finally popped the keytop off and found that the wire support it rests on (like all PC shift keys I've seen -- because they're wide, they need that to keep them fairly level in action) actually had something sticky on it. I'm thinking a lubricant or anti-rust substance from the factory that became sticky over the several years since manufacture. I wiped it off, applied some silicone grease, and reassembled the thing, and that helped a lot. In fairness, I've had three or four PC keyboards with the same problem and sometimes a little cleaning is all that's required; sometimes they're just badly designed. I don't notice the sticking now -- just got through writing 40 minutes on the 3000, and I don't think it bothered me once. I'd rate the keyboard 8 out of ten, and that's a very high rating.

Re: Alphasmarts

will dojinn — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 15:04:17 -0400

Off topic but Tigers Eyes, now that I've seen your avatar i can't help but hear the Dalek voice ON HELIUM. My dog is looking at me like i"ve lost my mind, and i'm not sure I haven't.

Re: Alphasmarts

MikeAlx — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 17:37:06 -0400

I have a Neo and a 3000, both second-hand. Both keyboards are good, but the Neo's is superior IMO. Action- and spacing-wise, it's as good as any laptop that I've come across.

Re: Alphasmarts

ron bruce — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 00:07:38 -0400

I love my Neo too and will be using again to write out my latest Nanowrimo. Yeah, Neo!!

Re: Alphasmarts

wordweaver — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 06:40:30 -0400

I've got one to give away -- does NaNoWriMo want it?

Re: Alphasmarts

thegooddoctorno — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 09:30:49 -0400

I'd love one!

Re: Alphasmarts

bodhimama — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 12:23:23 -0400

I am ISO a Neo asap - if anyone has one for sale, please NaNoMail me!

Re: Alphasmarts

will dojinn — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 12:55:37 -0400

You're giving an Alphasmart away? Uh Yea. I'll take that. Would kindal ike some info on what model and if it includes cables and stuff. And if accepting any dares or hitting the 50k mark would improve our chances. Since y'know... /EVERYONE/ will want one.

Re: Alphasmarts

Victoria Nonpraeda — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 14:21:18 -0400

I unexpectedly will have a Dana to sell soon - I bought myself a Dana for NaNo, and my mother just gave me a Neo as a gift! I'll post more pertinent information in this thread when I have it.

Re: Alphasmarts

bodhimama — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 18:31:33 -0400

I ended up buying one of these Neos: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Neo-Alphasmart-Word-Processor-Portable-Used-/370554894692?pt=BI_Typewriters_Word_Processors&hash=item5646caf964#ht_4731wt_1178 There are 4 more available. I messaged the seller and asked if he would do buy it now for one for me (he had one that wasn't ending for a few days, but said in the description that he had bought a lot of them at an auction), and he put them up for this price, which seems good to me. He emailed me to say he put up 5. I bought one and wanted to pass the auction link on. Enjoy!

Re: Alphasmarts

will dojinn — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 20:42:28 -0400

Sweet. I'll have ot see if I can get the money up.

Re: Alphasmarts

sail4sea — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 01:35:01 -0400

If you are desperate you can put regular alkaline in it. I think it will take three AA batteries instead of the powerpack.

Re: Alphasmarts

sail4sea — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 01:40:58 -0400

Thanks for explaining. I haven't been on the board for days because I keep busy.

Re: Alphasmarts

sail4sea — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 01:43:01 -0400

Maybe try the tracking one and see how it works entering test data. You can easily clear it before November.

Re: Alphasmarts

sail4sea — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 01:44:00 -0400

Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner. Just do what treblezen said.

Re: Alphasmarts

Cinder — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 02:11:33 -0400

I picked up an Alphasmart 2000 about two years ago at a thrift store, all cables and manuals included. Surprisingly, it has worked transferring text to all of my systems, from an ancient netbook running XP to a Vista 32-bit desktop to my new custom-built PC on Windows 7 64-bit. However, you have to use an ADB (Mac port on the Alphasmart) to USB cable...those probably aren't so common nowadays. I modified the keys on my AS to be more sensitive and therefore also less clackety...here's hoping for increased word count this year!

Re: Alphasmarts

arrawyn — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 12:06:34 -0400

I have my trusty Alphie 3000 that I got last year for Nano and it's GREAT! I LOVE it! i do all my writing on it because has no distractions (i.e. Internet!). And i've just given Alphie a makeover--painting her black on the bottom and purple on the top (with Sharpie Marker pens! turned out pretty good if I may say so! not 100% perfect, but less hassle than spray paint!).

Re: Alphasmarts

arrawyn — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 12:07:01 -0400

i should say Sharpie PAINT pens (oil based)...not just regular markers..

Re: Alphasmarts

kalmay — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 13:24:32 -0400

[quote=BillSmithBooksDotCom] I've had an AS3000, a Dana and a Neo. Dana is cool... Keyboard is a huge improvement, love the unlimited storage of being able to use memory cars. Screen is big, which is nice, but hard to read except under the best of circumstances unless you use the backlight. Chews through batteries...20-30 hours on a set of AAs instead of hundreds of hours. Best part is that you can get them for $30-40 on ebay. With a Dana, one thing I would recommend is a freeware program called CardTXT. (http://www.freewarepalm.com/docs/cardtxt.shtml) -- this is a GREAT little program that you can load on your memory card from your PC and it allows you to move plain text (.txt) files back and forth from your PC with no fuddling about with software. Just move the file from your PC onto your memory card (use a card reader plugged into the PC USB port), then put the memory card in the Dana, open CardTXT, open the files, write and edit as you please. CardTXT has a couple of limitations -- narrow screen usage (designed for the original Palm), limited features, but it is a great way to turn the Dana into a portable editing and writing machine without having to futz around with any special software. So simple even I can figure it out. [/quote] Thanks for that website for the Dana, I have a Dana and I don't like the Docs to Go too much, it doesn't always sync well and loses some paragraphs. It also tends to freeze up on occasion.

Re: Alphasmarts

Independence1776 — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 13:32:00 -0400

HELP/QUESTION I'm posting this for my sister. She's borrowing a Dana from a friend and now has a major problem. It says that it needs 50k of memory to run AlphaWord and there is only 32k, so she needs to delete files. The problem is the files she needs to delete are all in AlphaWord. Therefore, she can't get to them to delete them. What does she need to do? (I don't have access to said Dana; I live in a different state. Plus, she doesn't have a manual.) Thank you.

Re: Alphasmarts

treblezen — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 17:26:54 -0400

It seems to work just fine!

Re: Alphasmarts

treblezen — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 17:49:38 -0400

Okay, I haven't yet figured out how to delete Alphaword files from outside Alphaword on the Dana. With that said, there are some possibilities. Is she able to sync the Dana? I personally have a x64 computer, so I can't sync. But my guess is there's an answer there somewhere. Also, she can delete some files from the Dana (but not the Alphaword files) by doing the following: From the home screen, press menu. You should see, in the App dropdown, Delete.... Click that. Hopefully she still has some of the stupid stuff that came with it. In that case, there will maybe be a file called Graffiti 2 Demo, taking up 26K. As near as I can tell (I just deleted the file myself to check), deleting this file will not affect anything, other than the demo itself. 26K will be enough for her to have more than 50K of free space.

Re: Alphasmarts

Lady Lunas — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 00:36:17 -0400

Um, hi. Sorry to jump in like this. I don't know how to sync. I'm borrowing the Dana from someone. I know nothing except how to turn it on, write with it, and transfer to the computer. When I tried transferring the document I need to keep, AlphaWord showed up as "locked" and I couldn't put anything on the computer. And I deleted the demos. That's what gave me the 32k. Thanks for trying to help me. :-)

Re: Alphasmarts

BillSmithBooksDotCom — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 09:51:53 -0400

[quote=kalmay] Thanks for that website for the Dana, I have a Dana and I don't like the Docs to Go too much, it doesn't always sync well and loses some paragraphs. It also tends to freeze up on occasion. [/quote] Glad it helped. I had my Dana for a couple of years using Alphaword and was just never satisfied with it. Docs2Go and my ancient Windows PC just didn't get along... I just found out about CardTXT a couple of months ago on the Alphasmart forum (www.flickr.com/groups/alphasmart) and it makes the Dana a PERFECT portable writing and editing studio -- my usage of the Dana has gone from occasional to "all of the time." I've found CardTXT to be pretty robust, it hasn't crashed or lost data on me yet. Only downside is no widescreen and no word count function...but the convenience of being able to just put txt files on the memory card to move back and forth from Dana to PC is so worth it.

Re: Alphasmarts

Austruck — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 13:32:23 -0400

You don't have to use their special cable to transfer data from a 2000 model. You can use any male-to-male PS/2 cable and make sure to unplug your current keyboard. (Most computers still have PS/2/round-keyboard ports.) I think I paid about $3 plus shipping for mine from eBay. You can also get a PS/2-to-USB adapter for about five bucks if you don't want to keep fiddling around with the back of your CPU to get to the PS/2 port. The only thing I had issue with was using a USB hub instead of plugging the adapter directly into a USB port on the computer. Other than that, it was a cheap workaround for the more expensive AS cable.

Re: Alphasmarts

radioactivealchemist — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 16:05:34 -0400

To sync the Dana, you first need to install the Palm Desktop software to your computer. It's available for download for free off the RenLearn site, here (the "Dana Palm Desktop Installers). Note that it won't work with newer versions of Windows (not sure about Vista, but I know it doesn't work with 7). Then, if you take a look at the Dana User's Guide pdf on that same page, there's a section in it called "Exchanging and Updating Data Using HotSync Operations" that can walk you through the rest of the process.

Re: Alphasmarts

Morrighan — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 16:20:28 -0400

This will be my first alphasmart year! I bought an alphie 3K to celebrate my new job and can't wait to really get running with it. I'm utterly in love with it, but tend to end up using a notebook and pen way too often instead. Maybe I should nano with that? :-/

Re: Alphasmarts

treblezen — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 16:27:41 -0400

I was under the impression that it worked with 32-bit Windows 7, just not 64-bit. *shrug* I could be wrong.

Re: Alphasmarts

radioactivealchemist — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 18:20:09 -0400

Oh, well, that could be my problem then. I do have 64-bit.

Re: Alphasmarts

Melisse — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 20:48:22 -0400

I had a 2000 but the keyboard was so stiff. I just bought a Dana off ebay, really cheap. It uploads to my mac/scrivener file just great (I'm using a usb printer cable.) I like the SD card, also. I used my old one a lot at work and on vacations so expect this one to work out even better. .

Re: Alphasmarts

captain_hobbes — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 17:09:28 -0400

Love the quick boot up. I've only got 30 minutes for lunch, and like you, I can get about 20 minutes of solid writing in. LOVE IT!

Re: Alphasmarts

radioactivealchemist — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 17:18:27 -0400

In case anyone is interested, the el cheapo USB to PS/2 adapter I ordered off eBay for my AS2000 works just as well as the more expensive blue cube. The only problem was that I had to take the transfer speed down a notch (from Fastest to Fast) to avoid it skipping letters. The blue cube didn't skip anything on the Fastest setting. So, for those of you looking to hook up an AS2000 via USB, $.99 (+ $1.00 shipping) for an adapter can't be beat.

Re: Alphasmarts

captain_hobbes — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 17:20:45 -0400

I took my Neo Puck to Pennsic several years - I ADORE him, and will definitely be using him for NaNo! I have both a Netbook and a desktop, and I love the ease of having Puck with me.

Re: Alphasmarts

Victoria Nonpraeda — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 17:26:50 -0400

My Dana is now for sale. It's got a rechargeable battery pack, no sticky keys or scratches on the case at all. I'll toss in the USB cable adapter as well. It runs like a charm, I'm just getting rid of it because I bought it for myself and then my mother bought me a brand new Neo as a birthday-slash-Nano gift. :D I paid $40 plus shipping for the Dana; I'd take $30 plus shipping. Nanomail me if you're interested; I'd prefer to sell this thing to a Wrimo before I toss it on eBay.

Re: Alphasmarts

Rosalyn_Phillips — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 08:38:02 -0400

I'm sure someone will snap it up- you should also post that you're selling in the Marketing forum as well, so more people will see it. Good luck!

Re: Alphasmarts

jonrkc — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 13:30:10 -0400

There's a way to run lots of applications in 32-bit mode under Windows 7. I've never had to do it, but it might be worth looking into. Do a search in the built-in Windows help file for "32-bit" and it should point in the right direction.

Re: Alphasmarts

radioactivealchemist — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 18:59:03 -0400

It's not that big of a deal for me. I never sync my Dana anyway, I just send text. Though the one beef I have is that to send, my computer has to be set to QWERTY or it comes out gibberish... I really do wonder why that happens. The AS2000 does it too. Doesn't matter whether they're set to Dvorak or QWERTY, but the computer better be QWERTY or ls ;sfr yso tsf!

Re: Alphasmarts

MikeAlx — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 20:06:38 -0400

Not sure if it's the same as with Neo Manager, but the problem there wasn't the application as such but the device drivers. The original version of Neo Manager didn't support 64 bit drivers (there's now a version that does apparently).

Re: Alphasmarts

treblezen — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 22:32:52 -0400

It is indeed a driver issue.

Re: Alphasmarts

A.L. More — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 23:58:40 -0400

Just put a bid on a used 3000 on Ebay. Reading this thread has me really wanting one, and it'll be so much easier to tote around than my laptop. And far less distracting :) Until then, my iPhone will have to do at write-ins.

Re: Alphasmarts

DimiTheDominator — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 01:08:17 -0400

I love the Alphasmart but I dont think I'll ever get one.... I'm on a tight budget and I need to spend my money on more important things.

Re: Alphasmarts

chrisk0 — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 06:53:09 -0400

Update! You can see Lindsey using an Alphasmart of some sort in the Nov 1st Nanovideo. It's a slim, modern case - but I can't quite tell if it's Dana or Neo.

Re: Alphasmarts

jonrkc — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 12:12:03 -0400

It's because the AlphaSmart devices act exactly like your computer's keyboard (that's how they're able to be used as a supplementary keyboard -- I tried out my 3000 on a tablet and it worked perfectly as a hardware keyboard for it). I don't know about the other models, but the AlphaSmart 3000 can be set to Dvorak or some other modes, as well as qwerty. So if you like Dvorak, you might want to look into that. The manual tells how. I know some machines come without a manual; they can all be downloaded free from the Renaissance Learning site, in PDF format.

Re: Alphasmarts

indigo_skye — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 16:08:19 -0400

Which tablet did you hook up your AS3K to and how did you do it? I've managed to hook my AS3K up to my NEC mobilepro 900 pocket PC because it had a USB connection and infrared, but I'd love to be able to use the AS3K as a keyboard for my ipod touch if it is possible.

Re: Alphasmarts

radioactivealchemist — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 16:19:45 -0400

I know they can be set to Dvorak. Both my Dana and AS2K are set to Dvorak. But if they're acting as a keyboard, shouldn't they be typing whatever my computer is set to? What I am talking about is using the Send key to transfer text. i.e., this is what happens on each setting: AS2K/Dana (Dvorak) to Computer (Dvorak) = gibberish AS2K/Dana (Dvorak) to Computer (QWERTY) = fine AS2K/Dana (QWERTY) to Computer (Dvorak) = gibberish AS2K/Dana (QWERTY) to Computer (QWERTY) = fine I just find it silly that the computer MUST be set to QWERTY to transfer text. This limitation is the only reason I have to have my language bar visible.

Re: Alphasmarts

ZombieDD — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 20:58:50 -0400

I love my AS but I hate the funny looks and weird questions I get whenever I tote it about or people see it when I'm in public. My mom saw it in my back seat and said, "Is that a giant calculator or something?" Apparently, they expect something shinier and nicer. If I could afford a MacBook Air, I would totally be on that thing, but I can't so an AlphaSmart 3000 it is! How do you all explain what it is when strangers or loved ones ask?

Re: Alphasmarts

Austruck — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 22:36:03 -0400

If I want to give the short answer, I say it's a portable word processor. A more eyebrow-raising answer is that it's an electronic typewriter gadget thing. I know folks who used to print out and carry little brochures explaining their AS machines so they could hand them to people. I haven't gone that far yet, but I've had people point and whisper fora while, and then get brave enough to send someone from their table over to ask me what the heck that thing is. :) Usually these days, though, I go to a few local coffee shops where the owner owns an AS and does NaNo and a bunch of patrons do too, so I'm not alone in my low-tech nerdiness. :)

Re: Alphasmarts

radioactivealchemist — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 23:25:52 -0400

In more exciting news, I've discovered that I do NOT need to unplug my main keyboard when I plug in my AS2K to send text.

Re: Alphasmarts

Creideiki — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 17:46:26 -0400

Question. I have a Dana, and it's been a tremendous distraction saver. I've saved my doc in AlphaWord format on an SD card. Since AlphaWord is just a branded version of WordSmith, isn't there a Windows program that you drop a WS doc on and it will covert it to MSWord or text? Maybe I'm remembering wrong from my old Palm days, but I thought I'd ask. I'd like to back up my writing, but having in AlphaWord format doesn't really help on the computer. Thanks!

Re: Alphasmarts

edgewritermom — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 21:22:24 -0400

I traded my AS3K for a Neo last spring; the "deal" is still on over there, BTW--they refurbish the old ones and send them to students in (I think) Africa, and you get $25 off a new Neo. I love the Neo. My two AS3Ks worked but had been well-used, and the keys needed hard hitting in order to register, which got tiring. Neo is gentle and quiet. All the Alphasmarts are so, so portable and convenient compared to a laptop.

Re: Alphasmarts

NoraMM — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 22:41:31 -0400

Question for the more experienced Alphasmart users out there: I've got an elderly Neo which I've had for years and love devotedly, BUT it takes absolutely forever to download a file to my computer. I'm using the cable that came with the Neo, so I don't know whether that's the problem or not. The only drawback I've experienced in six years of using the Neo is that low transfer speed (well, that and the time last year when I killed the battery and lost 40,000 words, but we're not going to talk about that). Anyone know what I could do to make the upload a little faster? Thanks.

Re: Alphasmarts

radioactivealchemist — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 23:12:37 -0400

Are you talking about sending or syncing? I don't have any experience with the Neo, but I know that with the Dana and the AS2K you can change the text transfer speed when sending text to a computer.

Re: Alphasmarts

NoraMM — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 08:53:31 -0400

How do you change the text transfer speed? If you can do it with the Dana, it's possible you can do it with the Neo, too.

Re: Alphasmarts

LisaFromSweden — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 19:06:58 -0400

I'm using Alphasmart 3000. :)

Re: Alphasmarts

Bee82 — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 09:06:13 -0400

The keystroke for transfer speed on the Pro, 2K and 3k is "Command Option S" hold the 3 keys down and you get the menu with the 4 speeds listed. It could very well be the same with the Neo. However if you have or can get hold of the Neo's file manager program it can sync instantly, or so I hear and endlessly covet.

Re: Alphasmarts

chet-a-box — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 09:57:11 -0400

For the Neo, it's as Bee82 said - hold down the Command, Option and S keys and a menu will come on the screen for you to change the transfer speed.

Re: Alphasmarts

arrawyn — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 12:07:08 -0400

I am loving my Alpha 3k and feeling quite smug TBH at my local write -ins where everyone else has massive (or maybe not so massive) laptops, that all require trying to find plugs/power outlets/bringing powerbars...and often there's a lack of power for everyone who attends because of the amount of laptops... and there I sit with my little Alphasmart 3000, taking up hardly any table space AND no need to plug into anything. besides the lack of distractions (aka Internet) the need not to find a power outlet to plug it in i find one of the main bonuses (at write ins :D). plus i've painted mine an awesome two tone purple and black (purple top black bottom).

Re: Alphasmarts

Millamant — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 18:18:13 -0400

I don't mind the transfer speed of my neo. I like to read what I last wrote as it goes to the screen on my laptop to see where the novel is going. As I transfer every thousand words or so, it doesn't take that long anyway, and it's a good time to have a couple of minutes break. So far, I've written all of my novel this november on my neo, and intend to keep doing it this way. The internet is a terrible distraction for me, and I always get far more done if I can't get online.

Re: Alphasmarts

Russ.Bain — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 01:04:03 -0500

The best way to do this is to create a new user in the Palm Desktop Software. Tools-->Users... Then you do a hard reset on your Dana, which will wipe out *everything* in RAM. Then you sync it again using the Palm Desktop software and your new user name. You can restore your Sister's files by repeating the hard reset and restoring her profile.

Re: Alphasmarts

Russ.Bain — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 01:06:24 -0500

If you are using the "send" button, well that's your problem right there. You can download the AlphaSmart Manager for Neo from renlearn.com for free. It's much much faster and easier. It takes about 5 seconds. Bang. Done.

Re: Alphasmarts

Russ.Bain — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 01:17:50 -0500

I have used a 3K, a Dana, and a Neo. I prefer the Dana because of the greater flexibility in file storage. I dealt with the battery issue by Frying it (Vance Fry Power Hack.) And I sync my Dana every time I write, because as any long term Dana handler knows, they are wild animals and you can't trust them to behave like the more genteel and domesticated Neo. I also sell AlphaSmarts. I get them used, clean them, fix the fixable ones, and weed out the funky ones. I've gotten quite good at it. I also frequently provide tech support to my customers, which you won't get from the eBayers. I also have spare parts, though no spare right arrow keys. Sometimes I even sell power-hacked Danas. (I do the hack myself.) I quite like writing on a Dana.

Re: Alphasmarts

kalmay — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 11:13:41 -0500

I like my Dana too, mostly for the file storage and touch screen and backlight feature. But with the Docs to Go and bigger file, it tends to freeze and doesn't sync too well. It loses some data while syncing. I like the Alpha Word Plus and as long as it's a smaller file I can just hit the send button and it will send everything, it's slow but better at not losing anything. I'm tempted to get the Neo.

Re: Alphasmarts

words4mom — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 12:18:14 -0500

NEO Help needed! I got one from e-bay. It's Sunday, the help-line is closed. When I try to upload a file (just testing so far, nothing important) it won't transfer the first word. What the...? Also, I'm having trouble finding it on my desktop computer (the file I saved). Sometimes a little phrase shows up & I can cut and paste it, but it isn't a file name or location I can go to. If you can help me with file uploading from NEO to a PC Computer, please NaNo mail me! Candice - newbie to NaNo (aka words4mom)

Re: Alphasmarts

chrisk0 — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 02:29:29 -0500

Hey! Sorry I didn't spot this question earlier. The basic converter brought out by the people who made Wordsmith is called wsconv.exe . It doesn't support dropping docs, though - it's something you have to type in with the command line. If you go to this Yahoo group and join up, you can find wsconv in the file section, along with a few front-end interfaces that people have written for it to make it more user-friendly. Including mine, which is a script that lets you just right click on a file of the appropriate extension to convert it. Good luck!

Re: Alphasmarts

MikeAlx — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 05:51:46 -0500

The "send" button method can be a bit slow. You can vary the speed, but setting it too fast can sometimes cause text to be skipped, depending on the hardware and software you're transferring to. Transferring with the Neo Manager software is quite a bit faster, and also allows you to transfer from PC to Neo as well as the other way around. Whilst this method is faster, it means that features like _italics_ and *bolds* that are handled by most word processors will not be correctly converted, unless you run a special macro to do the conversion. Hope that helps!

Re: Alphasmarts

MikeAlx — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 05:59:39 -0500

OK, probably worth just making sure you understand the process. I presume you're transferring using the "Send" button? The procedure is this: 1. Open a word processor on your PC and create a new blank document. Make sure the window is at the front so the cursor's flashing in the document, ready for text input. 2. Plug in your Neo with the USB lead. The Neo screen comes up with something like "Connected - emulating PC keyboard". The Neo is now pretending to be your PC's keyboard. 3. Now press the 'Send' key. Neo will start typing your document into the Word Processor file. 4. If words are being skipped, the transfer speed is probably set too high. Stop the transfer by hitting the ESC key on the Neo. Adjust the speed by pressing Ctr-Option-S, clear the word processor document, and try again. 5. When the Neo's finished typing into the document, go to the File menu in your Word Processor software and select "Save As". Now you can save this file wherever you like (normally "My Documents", or perhaps your own NaNoWriMo folder). Wherever you save your file, that's where it will be. If you're transferring using Neo Manager, the process is quite different. Let us know if you need any more help. cheers, Mike

Re: Alphasmarts

Lufia_Metallium — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 18:57:53 -0500

I am excited because when I was working on my novel this past weekend at Nekocon, someone actually recognized my AS Neo for what it was, and complimented me on having one. I also had a few people ask what it was, so I got to show it off and explain about nano, which was cool. Spreading the AlphaSmart love!

Re: Alphasmarts

indigo_skye — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 20:29:19 -0500

I'd love to see a photo of your painted AS3K. Do you have one posted somewhere?

Re: Alphasmarts

nanomarsbar — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 01:58:58 -0500

Italics and bold don't usually come through using the send button either though - at least, not for me.

Re: Alphasmarts

nanomarsbar — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 01:59:24 -0500

I second this!

Re: Alphasmarts

MikeAlx — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 05:40:37 -0500

That depends on your word processor, and how it's set up. MS Word and Open Office both will automatically convert _underscore wrapped words_ to italics and *asterisk wrapped words* to bold, if the right options are set. In my (oldish) MS Word, it's under Tools->Auto Correct, then the "Auto Format as you type" tab.

Re: Alphasmarts

pixieled — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 09:03:19 -0500

I bought an Alphasmart 3000 off eBay a couple years ago for a whole $12 and loved it. My daughters did too. Almost every time I wanted it one of my girls were using it. I loved that there are no distractions, but hated that the buttons were a little stiff. So earlier this year I bought a brand new Neo off the site. I love it! So, I'm using it for NaNoWriMo. What ever I wrote during the day I transfer to my computer the next morning. As for my daughters, I bought them each a Dana off eBay even though we all have laptops. One of my girls is also writing a novel during NaNo and was using the Dana for it. Unfortunately, it died and the new AAs aren't working, but I think all it needs a new lithium battery.

Re: Alphasmarts

Russ.Bain — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 13:18:17 -0500

I used to use Docs2Go and then figured out that the only thing it does that AlphaWord does not do is crash and take all of your data with it.

Re: Alphasmarts

Russ.Bain — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 13:20:13 -0500

Oh yeah, make sure you sync your sister's data first or she's else not gonna like you very much.

Re: Alphasmarts

edgewritermom — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 17:34:21 -0500

I just tell people it's a battery-operated word processor, and then launch right into my sales spiel. By the time I'm done, they know how cool Neo really is, even if they didn't really care before...

Re: Alphasmarts

clara27 — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 23:43:17 -0500

So, if I get a 2000 model will I need to buy a pS/2 cable especially fit for the 2000 or can i get this little cable anywhere? Another question--what do these things run on? Normal batteries? Can they be plugged in?

Re: Alphasmarts

clara27 — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 23:56:59 -0500

so how would i know if my computer needs it or not? the adapter i mean

Re: Alphasmarts

clara27 — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 00:07:40 -0500

what typr of batteries/ energy do the alpha2000 run on? regual AA or what?

Re: Alphasmarts

chet-a-box — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 03:26:14 -0500

[quote=clara27] what typr of batteries/ energy do the alpha2000 run on? regual AA or what? [/quote] Regular AAs. Three of them, if I remember right.

Re: Alphasmarts

West15th — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 08:05:04 -0500

This seems to be my day for losing things. A few minutes ago I typed a post and then it was gone...anyway last week I synced from my Dana to my computer (iMac) and saved the first 2,500 words of my book. This morning I hit 11,117 wds and decided to sync again and not I seem to have lost all but the first 2,500 wds. Does anyone know how, or if, it is possible to retrieve what was lost. It is lost off of my Dana also. Is there some secret place this could have ended up in my computer. But I don't understand why it is lost from my Dana too. I'd appreciate any help or insights you can offer.

Re: Alphasmarts

radioactivealchemist — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 15:43:24 -0500

There are cables made specifically for the AS2K, but they're more expensive. Any old male to male PS/2 cable will do the job, you don't need anything special. Unless you have an older computer, you will probably need the adapter, but the only way to really know is to try plugging it with just the PS/2 cable and seeing if it works. If it doesn't (or if your computer is a laptop and has no PS/2 ports) then you will need the USB adapter. You can find both the cable and adapter on eBay for around $2 -$4 each.

Re: Alphasmarts

Creideiki — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 16:05:46 -0500

Another Dana question. So I just hit 7500 words, plugged my Dana into the computer, and got an error message that the file was too big to transfer by the send button. Didn't know that. Is there a file size/number of words I should be shooting for before I make a new file?

Re: Alphasmarts

chet-a-box — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 17:21:56 -0500

Did you use the Palm Desktop to sync the file, or the "send" button on the Dana keyboard? [quote=West15th] This seems to be my day for losing things. A few minutes ago I typed a post and then it was gone...anyway last week I synced from my Dana to my computer (iMac) and saved the first 2,500 words of my book. This morning I hit 11,117 wds and decided to sync again and not I seem to have lost all but the first 2,500 wds. Does anyone know how, or if, it is possible to retrieve what was lost. It is lost off of my Dana also. Is there some secret place this could have ended up in my computer. But I don't understand why it is lost from my Dana too. I'd appreciate any help or insights you can offer. [/quote]

Re: Alphasmarts

chet-a-box — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 17:24:30 -0500

I've never encountered this when I was using my Dana. Can you keep the original file and split it into half, with each half saved as a new file, and try sending the two smaller files? [quote=Creideiki] Another Dana question. So I just hit 7500 words, plugged my Dana into the computer, and got an error message that the file was too big to transfer by the send button. Didn't know that. Is there a file size/number of words I should be shooting for before I make a new file? [/quote]

Re: Alphasmarts

West15th — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 19:39:57 -0500

If Hot Sync is the same as Palm Desktop sync, then I used that.

Re: Alphasmarts

West15th — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 19:44:44 -0500

I have seen that message saying that the document is too large to send. That's why I used the sync, which worked the first time I used sync, but not when I was uploading new content to the original document. That's when I lost 8,000 words.

Re: Alphasmarts

radioactivealchemist — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 20:28:00 -0500

I'm derping about on my AS2K at the library right now. Lots lighter and quieter than using one of my typewriters! I only wish that it had a word count feature like the Dana does so I knew how much I've written so far.

Re: Alphasmarts

erichris — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 07:45:27 -0500

So, after 3 years of using a Neo for nano,I had been using a netbook this year, since I thought I might need the Internet for inspiration, research, etc. I am normally at least a day or two ahead of par to feel less stressed about time. This year I'm days behind par, the words coming too slowly. Until last night when I switched to the Neo again... The words, and time, just flew by. I felt much better. They say a poor craftsman blames his tools, but I think for me, it's more about picking the right tool for the job. The netbook is very very useful, but it has infinite distractions with the Internet, and the little chicklet keyboard isn't built for speed. The Neo just feels good to type on. Anyway, that's my How My Neo Saved NaNoWriMo story. Chris

Re: Alphasmarts

Creideiki — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 11:14:50 -0500

[quote=chet-a-box] I've never encountered this when I was using my Dana. Can you keep the original file and split it into half, with each half saved as a new file, and try sending the two smaller files? [/quote] Yep, that works. If I sync the doc, I can open it on the computer. I guess I'm just worried about losing something. Can I do all 50K words in AlphaWord without problem?

Re: Alphasmarts

Creideiki — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 11:18:49 -0500

Good to know. I'll keep slogging along. I don't make changes on the computer. I'm only writing on the Dana. Computers offer far too much distraction for me. Added to the distractions of 2 kiddos (today is my son's birthday - Happy 8th Birthday, Nathan!), its just too much for me! Thanks. I'll keep typing and sync as I go. [quote=West15th] I have seen that message saying that the document is too large to send. That's why I used the sync, which worked the first time I used sync, but not when I was uploading new content to the original document. That's when I lost 8,000 words. [/quote]

Re: Alphasmarts

Elaeri — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 20:53:26 -0500

After a few years of hearing people rave about alphasmarts, I finally caved and got a dana earlier this year. I don't really know why I wanted one, seeing as I have various other gadgets I could use for writing, including an ipad. I think I just wanted one because everybody else seemed to have one. Everybody seemed to rave over the neo and I had heard many people claim problems with the dana, so I was a little leery, but I REALLY wanted that backlit screen! It was worth it. It's like my love child. And the keyboard is somehow so yummy that occasionally I plug it into my computer and use it just for typing. o_O;

Re: Alphasmarts

indigo_skye — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 00:50:30 -0500

You need to update to system 3 on your AS3K. If you do, there will be a word count feature for you. I did this on my AS3K and it made it a much better nano tool. Go to flickr and join the alphasmart user group there. You will find more details on how to update your machine there.

Re: Alphasmarts

radioactivealchemist — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 01:07:53 -0500

Except I don't have a 3000, I have a 2000...

Re: Alphasmarts

chet-a-box — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 03:52:09 -0500

I thought that's the excuse for getting an iPad. But congratulations for joining the AlphaSmart family. There's a very active and supportive group over on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/groups/alphasmart/ [quote=Elaeri] After a few years of hearing people rave about alphasmarts, I finally caved and got a dana earlier this year. I don't really know why I wanted one, seeing as I have various other gadgets I could use for writing, including an ipad. I think I just wanted one because everybody else seemed to have one. Everybody seemed to rave over the neo and I had heard many people claim problems with the dana, so I was a little leery, but I REALLY wanted that backlit screen! It was worth it. It's like my love child. And the keyboard is somehow so yummy that occasionally I plug it into my computer and use it just for typing. o_O; [/quote]

Re: Alphasmarts

West15th — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 10:44:41 -0500

I have an Alphasmart Dana and as I posted before I had trouble syncing updates of a document. Here are the error messages I received: "Backup synchronization failed error #16408. I also get a message box popping up that says "Conduit Manager File locked" I don't know what any of this means and I can't find Alphasmart support anywhere on line. Help!

Re: Alphasmarts

indigo_skye — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 13:38:33 -0500

Opps. I didn't catch that. Unfortunately, I don't think that the better operating system is available for the 2000. Sorry. I had hoped I had solved your dilemma.

Re: Alphasmarts

radioactivealchemist — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 15:25:47 -0500

Ah, well. If I really need a word counter, I can always stick some AAs into my Dana! (stupid dead battery packs)

Re: Alphasmarts

bluesam3 — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 16:37:09 -0500

My Neo is responsible for the large majority of everything my word count, as it was last year, and the year before. The amount of time I spend sitting around on buses or otherwise unable to access a computer or even a sensible writing surface is ridiculous, so it really is essential.

Re: Alphasmarts

bluesam3 — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 16:40:14 -0500

I actually prefer not having a backlit screen. It means that when I'm writing in the dark (there's been a few long, very late/very early car journeys this month), my inner editor shuts up, if only because he can't see to edit.

Re: Alphasmarts

jonrkc — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 22:20:14 -0500

I think tools can be important. I passed the 51,000-word mark today having written mainly on the AlphaSmart 3000 that I purchased on eBay just a couple of weeks before all the insanity started. I don't know why, but it's easier for me to come up with fresh ideas and phrasing using the ugly little 4-line, dot-matrix type display, than when writing on a suave, seductive colorful laptop. Every time I sit down with the AlphaSmart, I feel like, "You've got to be kidding." I don't even know if I could use it in public (I have a social allergy anyway). But after about 1/4 page or less, it's just flowing along and it is sometimes amazing how fluently I'm able to write. I really don't have an explanation for it, but count me among the AlphaSmart enthusiasts, for sure. Last year: 3000 words plus; quit in disgust. This year: 51,000 plus by November 11, and enjoying almost every minute of it. At least part of that, due to AlphaSmart. Yea! AlphaSmart rules! (Or is it "rulz?")

Re: Alphasmarts

jonrkc — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 22:22:38 -0500

I'm sorry to hear about that difficulty. Have you tried AlphaSmart phone support? I've read in numerous places that they are really great at assisting users over the phone. Now, I have not had to do that myself, but I'd think it worth a try. A Google search should easily turn up the number, or if you have the manual, I'm pretty sure a phone number is in there. Hope you can solve the problem.

Re: Alphasmarts

jonrkc — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 22:27:27 -0500

I used to write with various laptops on buses, to and from work. But I was always jittery about the battery failing. Next time I take the bus, I hope to take the 3000 with me and enjoy the knowledge that the batteries are NOT going to fail. After most of over 50,000 words written on the AlphaSmart, my batteries still register between 98 and 99% usable. It's marvelous. Surely got to be one of the most ingenious, as well as funny-looking, devices ever conceived, and one of the most useful. Also, there's just this really odd friendly feeling I get from it. And it's very hard to accidentally delete something, etc.

Re: Alphasmarts

arrawyn — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 23:42:19 -0500

i don't have a picture posted anywhere (as yet!) and i painted it with Sharpie oil based paint pens - which i thought were great, but in using my aphasmart during Nano it's starting to fade/wear in the places i rest my palms while typing - oh well...that can always be touched up but it is a bit of a pain - and here i thought it was permanent! (but i guess permanent for something not expected to be touched every day for long periods!! lol) it still looks pretty cool tho... - nicer than the horrible translucent blue/green ickiness it was!

Re: Alphasmarts

Speaker of Stones — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 00:23:02 -0500

“there's just this really odd friendly feeling I get from it.” They have that feeling, don’t they. Like a loyal hound or a horse that you have had for years. I’ve even gotten one of my writing partners addicted to an AS3000 that he can use during lunch breaks to get his word count up. And I don’t think either one of us leaves the house now without our loyal see through blue sidekick.

Re: Alphasmarts

jonrkc — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 12:35:52 -0500

A product designed with children in mind has advantages for "grown-ups" (ha!) too. One is that if the designer is good, which the AlphaSmart designer obviously was, the device is made to be as goof-proof as possible. That fact came in very handy for me just yesterday, when every time I touched a piece of electronics I seemed hell-bent on destroying or misplacing any information it might happen to contain, including my latest scene. I did something while typing on the AlphaSmart that caused me to go (exact words): "Oh, no! What have I done?!" "Now, now. Never fear," said the stalwart little machine. "I won't let you ruin your work by mistake. Relax. That's it!"

Re: Alphasmarts

radioactivealchemist — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 18:12:30 -0500

HUZZAH! I just finished power hacking my Dana, and everything turned out okay. Tested it with regular AAs and it powered on fine, so I know I got the cords right; now I just need to go buy some of those LSD NiMH rechargeable batteries to put in it.

Re: Alphasmarts

rascal26 — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 00:04:08 -0500

I've got the AS3K - great for instant inspiration when I don't want to have to decipher my hand-scribbles or get off on an internet tangent. Mostly I use Write or Die copied into my Word draft. Not the Kamikaze mode, however. I don't want any of my words disappearing. When I do upload my Alphie, I save to a separate file, then cut/paste from there to my main draft.

Re: Alphasmarts

indigo_skye — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 14:34:28 -0500

I just purchased a used Neo on eBay. I have a AS3K that I've been using for NaNo this year, but I've been thinking of upgrading for a long time and found one on eBay for a good price. The used Neo does not come with a cord. I'm curious, will it be able to use the same cord that I use with my AS3K? Anyone know?

Re: Alphasmarts

Victoria Nonpraeda — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 16:31:32 -0500

Yes it will. My best friend did the exact same thing you did, and the USB cord from her AS3K works with no trouble.

Re: Alphasmarts

indigo_skye — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 19:00:24 -0500

Thanks for letting me know about the cord. :) I am relieved. This means I should be able to use the new (to me) Neo as soon as it comes in. I like my AS3K, but I keep hearing how the keyboard is even better on the Neo and it does have the bigger word files and a few extra lines to read. Can't wait to give it a try. :)

Re: Alphasmarts

Speaker of Stones — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 14:31:59 -0500

My hands, wrists and arms are suffering major pain this week. A stiff AS3000 keyboard doesn’t help. I tried the rubber band keyboard modification (you can find it on the Alphasmart Flickr forum), and now the keys are much better for my aching hands.

Re: Alphasmarts

MikeAlx — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 08:41:01 -0500

It's also worth experimenting with writing positions - some people like tables and/or laptop stands; me, I like to type on my lap, but often with a cushion or laptop case under the Alphie.

Re: Alphasmarts

erichris — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 12:52:43 -0500

Also, I hear leaning forward to type, rather than reclining, helps a sense of forward momentum and urgency.

Re: Alphasmarts

MikeAlx — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 12:59:54 -0500

Ctr-Alt-Shift-I - and seeing how far behind I am - helps with my sense of urgency!

Re: Alphasmarts

edgewritermom — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 13:36:04 -0500

Neo is so quiet, I can catch up on word count during a concert. This has happened twice in the past few days. I just have to sit where I won't visually distract anyone.

Re: Alphasmarts

edgewritermom — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 13:46:38 -0500

Though I have never heard my little Neo speak to me, if it did I imagine it would say something like this. Neos are just so uncomplicated.

Re: Alphasmarts

radioactivealchemist — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 15:56:33 -0500

Has anybody had problems with unnatural battery drain on the Dana wireless? I put brand-new AAs into my Dana two days ago, and I have not used it -- it's been sitting turned off -- and the indicator shows that they are down to 50%.

Re: Alphasmarts

andreazine — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 21:54:12 -0500

I recently acquired a Dana off Ebay. So far it seems like a great little machine. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to get my text from it to my computer, which is a 64-bit Windows 7 desktop, but all I have to do it connect the Dana with the USB cord, open a text editor on the computer (I use Wordpad), press the "send" button on the Dana, press it again (for some reason you have to do it again after the "send is yadda yadda" message) and the words I type are transferred to the Wordpad document. I don't care about anything else on the Dana -- all the Palm Pilot stuff, etc., though I might experiment with my printer just to see if Print Boy works. But for writing purposes Dana and AlphaWord are great. However, I am not sure I'll be using it to do the rest of my Nano efforts. I have been working mostly in Yarny, Wordpad, and my Wordpress site, and have gotten used to seeing the story in those formats. But I'll be using the Dana for my other writing efforts, I think -- I need something with few distractions, so I'll write more. I'm way behind as it is!

Re: Alphasmarts

radioactivealchemist — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 22:18:34 -0500

Update to this battery issue... after charging them in the Dana after they dropped the first time, they seem to be experiencing a more normal decline in line with the battery pack. Maybe they just needed a little juice kick to get going.

Re: Alphasmarts

Millamant — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 06:21:50 -0500

So far I am still using my Neo for 99.9% of my nano novel. I think it works so well because I don't have to get all settled down to write the way I do at a computer or laptop. The grab it and begin writing is just the best for a first draft. :)

Re: Alphasmarts

oceansong99 — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 16:31:38 -0500

I want one. I really do. Maybe next year... or maybe as a Christmas pressie to myself, they really aren't very expensive...

Re: Alphasmarts

hlltwin — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 19:20:19 -0500

You make me wish I'd had my Dana when I was in college. Personally, when I was taking online courses I used it a lot to write at work (I was a daycare teacher at the time). All of my papers were written on my Dana and then transferred to my laptop. I wouldn't have gotten through taking a full class load and working full time without it.

Re: Alphasmarts

essay — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 02:12:35 -0500

The Neo I bought a few years ago was invaluable two Wrimos ago when my computer was having major issues. I didn't end up using it at all this year, but I used it over the Thanksgiving weekend while I was away and added about 800 words that I wouldn't have had. This year I'm using write or die as my motivator and it's working well, but in some ways the Neo is simpler, as a lot of the computer distractions you would normally have simply never arise. I wasn't sure when I first bought mine if I should have, but I actually really love that little machine.

Re: Alphasmarts

Totally Icy — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 20:59:25 -0500

I've got an AlphaSmart 2000 that I absolutely adore because my laptop sort of lacks a "portability" function. (0 Battery Life) Unfortunately, I always lose the cord! I'm pretty sure I've gone through three of them. I order them online and lose them within a month. It's really quite frustrating. I've considered investing in an upgrade to wireless, but I think my money might be better spent just saving for a new laptop.

Re: Alphasmarts

Speaker of Stones — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 18:03:10 -0500

Pick up an AS3000, they use the standard usb cord that you use for plugging your pc into your printer or scanner. I have a habit of losing cords as well. So when I see them at the dollar store I usually pick up five dollars worth...

Re: Alphasmarts

A.L. More — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 21:22:13 -0500

I got my AS3K from eBay for about $30 including shipping. Super deal. It came last week and I'm already completely in love with it. My purse is big enough that I can just toss my AS in there and go. I'm pretty sure I get some strange looks on the bus and the people at work think it's pretty awesome. My boyfriend likes to call it my "See and Say" and keeps asking me if it has a string... silly boyfriend.

Re: Alphasmarts

Speaker of Stones — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 19:18:28 -0500

I refuse to get a new purse until I can find one that will fit the AS3000 as well as this one does…

Re: Alphasmarts

motormind — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 10:11:13 -0500

I bashed out most of this Nano on my AlphaSmart Dana. The thing is though, when I did 10,000 words a day, my thumb started hurting really bad from whacking the space bar too hard all the time. So I wrote the last 10,000 word stretch on my laptop with my Logitech Illuminated keyboard, which is very supple indeed. Ah well.

Re: Alphasmarts

LadyTwist — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 00:15:03 -0500

Okay, so I spent the month typing on the Dana I got, and I LOVE it! Made my words by being able to type on breaks at work and such. (Writing by hand causes a great deal of pain, and I haven't been able to afford a laptop or netbook.) The batteries it came with lasted until the day after Thanksgiving, and that includes me messing around for a week or two before NaNo to get a feel for it. Now, we'll find out if the bag I ordered a couple days ago fits the Dana along with my usual purse crap. By the way, anybody mind some stupid questions about the Neo2? I'm looking at it, and looking hard, but I'd like to talk to someone who has hands-on experience with it?

Re: Alphasmarts

MikeAlx — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 12:47:38 -0500

I know the Neo, but not the Neo 2 - however, it's worth pointing out there is very little difference in functionality unless you're using it in a classroom setting with the learning hub thing. If you want to talk to some people that eat, sleep and breathe all things Alphasmart, check out the Alphasmart flickr group cheers, Mike

Re: Alphasmarts

LadyTwist — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 21:00:06 -0500

That answers one of my questions. I'll go take a look at the flickr group and see if finding the other answers is that easy. Thanks!

Re: Alphasmarts

Sonnet2005 — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 00:33:03 -0500

Figures I'd wait until just after NaNoWriMo 2011 ended to pick up an Alphasmart but there you go. I've used my laptop for previous NaNos but I'd still run into excuses to not use it on the train, on my break, etc: --there's no room on the bus/train even if I'm sitting down --even if I turn the internet off on my laptop, I can still be distracted by everything else on my hard drive --ooh, let me look over what I wrote yesterday real quick... --etc, etc. Thanks everyone for enabling my latent gadget addiction :)

Re: Alphasmarts

Speaker of Stones — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 00:38:39 -0500

(bump) Have to have Alphas at the top, they are the best.

Re: Alphasmarts

JailCounselor — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 16:34:26 -0500

Hi there - If you're still looking for either an Alphasmart Neo or a 3000, I have both for sale on Ebay right now. Otherwise, I listed a 3000 on Amazon and it's the lowest price one. They've been INSTRUMENTAL in being able to write, and I'm on my 3rd book now using my Neo! Shoot me a Nanomail message if you want the links to them =)

Re: Alphasmarts

JailCounselor — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 16:36:22 -0500

Re: Alphasmarts

JailCounselor — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 16:38:51 -0500

Re: Alphasmarts

Sonnet2005 — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 19:01:02 -0500

I love my new Neo! I can't wait to use it for next year's NaNo!

Re: Alphasmarts

glynes — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 16:14:19 -0500

This was my third year doing NaNoWriMo on my Neo, and still love it to bits. I can write in bed, in the car on the way home, in the cafeteria on my work lunch break, and in the comfy chair by the fireplace. The best days were when I used up an entire file's memory in one session ... that felt like really making some progress!! It is kinda slow to upload to my computer, but I use that time for replenishing snacks and refreshing beverages, etc., and sometimes a quick nap. 8-)

Re: Alphasmarts

Atom_Bunny — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 02:57:28 -0500

I just bought a Neo from a flea market for a whopping £3. Of course, I had no idea what the hell it was when I first saw it but then I remembered hearing about alphasmarts somewhere, so I bought it. I like picking up odd bits of tech off places like that. I've been messing around with it a bit and I love it already! The feel of the keys is really nice and I think I'm going to love the instant on/off. It may even seduce me away from being a hand writer!

Re: Alphasmarts

indigo_skye — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 21:33:11 -0500

Welcome to the wonderful world of Alphasmart!!!! :)

Re: Alphasmarts

Atom_Bunny — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 02:15:59 -0500

Thank you. I had a 'serious' go with it yesterday and I think I'm hooked! £3 well spent. :)

Re: Alphasmarts

Sonnet2005 — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 11:30:49 -0500

I've already been using it for some stories for class and even a blog entry. I feel like I'm definitely writing more.

Re: Alphasmarts

LadyTwist — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 22:36:49 -0500

If you ever do decide to go purse shopping, Bungalow 360's messenger bags fit Alphasmarts very well, along with all the other purse crap and a bottle of water. Voice of experience here.

Re: Alphasmarts

indigo_skye — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 00:40:42 -0500

I just purchased a Samsonite "shuttle" to house my Neo. The case has handles and a shoulder strap, two small pockets for mouse and cords and the inside is a felted red material. The neoprene case fits the Neo like a glove. I am using it as a sleeve and popping it into my market bag for write-ins, but it would work well on its own to protect and carry your Neo. I think that any neoprene case that is designed for a Mac Air 13" laptop would also fit the Neo as a case too.

Re: Alphasmarts

adais — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 09:46:03 -0500

My Alphasmart Dana came yesterday! I will be using it for writing in general, but definitely for my November NaNos. I posted my excitement on Facebook, but they just don't understand. So I'm sharing it here. Oh, and by the way- when they say you can use it in low light- they mean SOME light. You cannot use it in the dark. It's like having another Gameboy... :-)

Re: Alphasmarts

indigo_skye — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:19:34 -0500

In some spots of the coffeehouse where I write, I can't see my Neo screen at all. To combat this, I have purchased a Mighty Bright Duet music stand LED light. It is a portable lighting system designed for music stands, but the grip on it is so strong that it will clip onto my Neo and stay there. The dual light heads give light over the entire keyboard. it also comes with a magnetic base you can put the light into, so if you have a metal sheet you can place under your Dana, you could fasten the Mighty Bright Duet that way too. A couple of Neo users recommended the light to me and I concur with their views on this. They are not very expensive either. You should check it out for your Dana.

Re: Alphasmarts

adais — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:30:28 -0500

Thanks- I'll definitely check that out for my adventures in writing in public places. :-) I spent my lunch breaking it in, and I can already tell it will be a favored tool. Nothing to distract me (and I will keep it that way). No loading games or ebooks, and no putting tasks and alarms on it. I will look at that NaNoTrack, though. That seems like something I want to check out.

Re: Alphasmarts

adais — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 15:54:02 -0500

Okay- help needed. I wrote 1800 words yesterday. Today my Dana ate about 1750 of those words. I'm not upset, because my Dana and I are still in the 'getting to know you' phase of our relationship. Plus- the scene was badly in need of a re-write anyway. Does anyone have any suggestions about how to fix this? A hungry Dana is dangerous. (And yes I know about backing up my work- I was more testing out the machine, than doing any hardcore writing.)

Re: Alphasmarts

chrisk0 — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 12:57:00 -0500

Hmm... just what do you mean by 'ate'? I've never really lost words on my Dana, though I know a few other users have, and spotting the symptoms is important in terms of preventing another gobble. I'll plug the flickr alphasmarts group at http://www.flickr.com/groups/alphasmart/ once again, both for suggestions on how to fix hungry Dana syndrome, and just in terms of other people who will understand when you share your Dana excitement! And if you don't already have a backup to SD card solution, look for CardBackup, I've had good results with it. Because sometimes you just can't wait to get home to backup your precious words.

Re: Alphasmarts

adais — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:15:16 -0500

Ate, as in left the first and last paragraphs alone, but replaced the entired middle with three format characters. Its basically doing the same thing as what the flickr group says happens on a low battery. However- the battery was at 90%.

Re: Alphasmarts

chrisk0 — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:46:58 -0500

I'm sorry, I don't know how to help prevent that, as it's never happened to me. :(

Re: Alphasmarts

adais — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 18:38:52 -0500

I bought 2 SD cards today. I think I'm going to alternate saving on them, then use a third one with system backup on it. This way I hope to at least work around the hungry issue. I also bought a rechargeable battery unit from RenLearning, so perhaps the alkaline batteries were wonky.

Re: Alphasmarts

MikeAlx — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 09:26:19 -0500

If the Dana is like the Neo and 3000, then the permanent memory isn't maintained by the AA/rechargeable batteries, but by a CR2032 (flat lithium) battery inside. Perhaps it's that that's getting run down? You can change these without too much difficulty, but may need a special screwdriver (Torx) to get the casing apart. Also - back up everything before you attempt a replacement, as taking out the old battery will wipe all your documents. Hope that helps.

Re: Alphasmarts

adais — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 10:00:28 -0500

Possibly. I will probably have to take him apart and see. However that little battery is not mentioned anywhere in the manual. (*gasp* Yes- I actually read the manual!)

Re: Alphasmarts

chet-a-box — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 21:46:38 -0500

Sorry for the late reply. The Dana does not have a separate back-up battery.

Re: Alphasmarts

chet-a-box — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 21:48:48 -0500

The Dana does not have a separate back-up battery. When the battery drains, the data goes. But because the Dana has memory card slots, you can back up your data to the card and restore the data if you lose it. There are Palm apps for back-up which make it very easy to back up and restore.

Re: Alphasmarts

chrisk0 — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 14:00:26 -0500

Hi! I have two customized utility programs that I've written for the Alphasmart Dana that I'm planning to release for free. First, though, I'm hoping that I can find a Dana-owning Wrimo or two willing to take a sneak peek, try every option, and let me know if they can find any problems in the program or the manual. In other words, a good beta tester! Brief descriptions of the programs: Multicounter: This is the latest and greatest version of my word count tracking program for Dana. It supports up to eight different 'scratch-pads', each of which supports different daily goals and has space for ten writing sessions. It will figure out your word count progress from any writing session based on the starting and ending counts for the file, show progress in terms of your daily goals, and export scratchpads to SD card files that can be opened up in Microsoft Excel. Alphafiles: This is a helpful utility if you want to manage writing files between SD cards and your Dana main memory. It uses a simple 'Back and forth box' interface to copy or move files back and forth, and can be programmed to work with any folder in either card slot. Especially helpful if you're using wsconv.exe on your desktop to convert Alphaword files back and forth to your SD cards. Both programs take full advantage of the Dana's wide screen, and are designed so that all functions can be operated using the Dana keyboard alone. (If you're more comfortable tapping with the stylus, as much as possible can be done that way too, leaving aside text or number entry.) If interested in beta-testing, leave a comment here in this thread or send me a Nanomail!

Re: Alphasmarts

burntchurro — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 23:51:58 -0400

What's the difference between the Alphasmart 2000 and 3000? I see them both on ebay for roughly around the same price. I think I'll get one for daily writing and next year. Any thoughts? :)

Re: Alphasmarts

chet-a-box — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 05:04:29 -0400

The AlphaSmart 3000 is an upgrade of the AS2000 and uses USB to connect to computers, which will be easier to find if it doesn't come with the ebay sale. The AS2000 doesn't use USB and its cable is harder to find. So if you're planning to get an AS2000, make sure it comes with a connecting cable. I think the AS3K also has more memory..

Re: Alphasmarts

burntchurro — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 18:48:53 -0400

My 3000 just arrived! The font is just right and isnt as small as I thought it'd be. XD I love it already. Only thing is after playing around with it a little some of the keys are sticky/ stiff but hey.. It was $15 with batteries and wires included!

Re: Alphasmarts

indigo_skye — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 21:34:26 -0400

I used a 3000 for two years to write on. Finally upgraded to the Neo a few months ago. My 3000 was a little sticky too, but you get used to it. Its a rugged little machine and will serve you well. And for the price...not too shabby. :)

Re: Alphasmarts

pa_mcclamrock — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 10:12:07 -0400

[quote=chrisk0] I have two customized utility programs that I've written for the Alphasmart Dana that I'm planning to release for free. First, though, I'm hoping that I can find a Dana-owning Wrimo or two willing to take a sneak peek, try every option, and let me know if they can find any problems in the program or the manual. In other words, a good beta tester![/quote] Yes! Me! (I hope I'm not too late.) I just have one request in return. I've written some programs for Linux, and I'd like to be able to write them for the Dana too. Would you mind giving me some information about how to do it?

Re: Alphasmarts

sail4sea — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 17:59:00 -0400

[quote=pa_mcclamrock] [quote=chrisk0] I have two customized utility programs that I've written for the Alphasmart Dana that I'm planning to release for free. First, though, I'm hoping that I can find a Dana-owning Wrimo or two willing to take a sneak peek, try every option, and let me know if they can find any problems in the program or the manual. In other words, a good beta tester![/quote] Yes! Me! (I hope I'm not too late.) I just have one request in return. I've written some programs for Linux, and I'd like to be able to write them for the Dana too. Would you mind giving me some information about how to do it? [/quote] You need to know C. I use codewarrior for palm os which is quite frankly unavailable. I think there was a linux way to do palm programming awhile back. I do have the Alphasmart Dana SDK which is unavailable as well. Also there is an Oreilly how to program for palm book that should show you the basics and let you get started in using the Linux version of the palm sdk. Find and install the Linux sdk for palm and do a few regular screen programs and I'll let you know how to add the wide-tall screen to it.

Re: Alphasmarts

lvs2read — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 22:37:31 -0400

Hi, what are the dimensions of a current model Neo?

Re: Alphasmarts

chrisk0 — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 12:42:39 -0400

You're not too late - I've sent you a PM asking for an email address to send the beta test zips to. I take a different approach to Dana programming than sail4sea - I use NS Basic for Palm, a palm development environment for Windows machines available at http://www.nsbasic.com/palm/ I don't know if you've ever used Visual Basic, but it's designed to be accessible for basic programmers - an easy to use design view of 'forms' that contain the user interface controls, and from each control on the form view you can go to the relevant code that is run when the user taps on that control. It can be a little tricky to get the hang of working with databases on the Dana, since it doesn't let you make files in the same way as you can on linux, but I found it to be very powerful too.

Re: Alphasmarts

chet-a-box — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 00:47:30 -0400

Size/Weight: Weight : 1.75 lbs. (0.79 kg) Height: 1.75 in. (4.5 cm) Width: 12.4 in. (31.5 cm) Depth: 9.75 in. (24.7 cm) More info here: http://www.neo-direct.com/NEO2/productdetails.aspx [quote=lvs2read] Hi, what are the dimensions of a current model Neo? [/quote]

Re: Alphasmarts

burntchurro — Sat, 05 May 2012 00:37:23 -0400

Does anyone know if alphasmart manager works with Windows 7? For the AS3k.

Re: Alphasmarts

indigo_skye — Sun, 06 May 2012 00:04:37 -0400

I recently upgraded to Win7 and was successfully able to install the manager for my AS3K. So the answer to your question, burntchurro is YES.

Re: Alphasmarts

TaelGryphon — Tue, 08 May 2012 10:27:19 -0400

I will be joining the Alphasmart community here in approximately three weeks. I just ordered a 3000 from eBay (for about $40 including shipping - shipping to Canada can be expensive) two days ago, and it shipped yesterday, so I should get it just in time for Camp NaNoWriMo! I'm looking forward to it, since I have a desktop computer. I am pretty sure that it will fit in my big purse fairly easily, so I don't need a case for it.

Re: Alphasmarts

adais — Tue, 08 May 2012 18:35:16 -0400

You may still want to get a Neoprene sleeve or something for it. I have accidentally turned on, typed, and erased stuff with my Dana just being loose in my bag.

Re: Alphasmarts

indigo_skye — Sun, 13 May 2012 14:50:37 -0400

I kept my 3000 in a bag for a year, but I regret doing so. I banged up the keys a bit and now it is a little stiffer than it was. It now rests in a $5 neoprene sleeve that gives it a little protection and keeps the dust off it. I now neoprene sleeve both my AS3K and my Neo. They are tough little machines, but a little extra protection doesn't hurt.