butuki: Hello everyone, It's been a while since I've been here, but with the growing frustration of constantly having to recharge the Dana I'm longing for the long battery life and simplicity of my old Alphasmart 3000, but with the screen and keys of the Neo. I'm now looking to buy a new Alphasmart writing device. Only problem is that I can't decide between the Neo or the Neo2. I don't need the classroom software, though the new color would be great (but not willing to spend that much more money just for the color!). WIth the Neo on sale I'm wondering if it is worth it to spend more money on the Neo2. Anyone know if there are advantages to the Neo2 that I should be thinking about? Thanks for your advice!
I've talked a little bit before about how much I love Alphasmarts, a decade-old suite of word processing units that are cheaper than a laptop (and are far less distracting; no internet, baby!). My plan is to blog extensively about three particular Alphasmart units in detail—the 3000, the NEO, and the Dana—but until then, I'll let these painted Alphasmart units pique your interest. NEO {Via Flickr user Jennifer Gilbert} {Via Flickr user Jennifer Gilbert} {Via Flickr user E.J. Bear} {Via Flickr user Elisa Rose} {Via Flickr user Elisa Rose} {Image via Flickr user dutch_garvey} Photoshop Simulation {Via PulsingAdverbs} {Via Flickr user Beverley} {Via Jesso} {Via Vance Fry} {Via Georgia Mountain Arts} {Via Flickr user Beverley} {Via Flickr user dw5454} {Via Flickr user Kristine C.} DANA {Via Vance Fry} {Via Flickr user BrightBlackHeaven} Stickers! {Via Flickr user solstone} 3000 {Via Flickr user Alan Phillips} {Via NaNoWriMo participant andyhowell} 2000 {Via Amazon} PRO {Via Flickr User mpclemens} {Via TenacityDivine} Vance Fry, a prominent member of the Alphasmart Flickr community, has some tips about painting your Alphasmart unit on his blog. In essence, you'll need to remove the front and back plastic coverings of your unit and acquire the kind of spray paint that's typically used to touch up car interiors (as it will bond and seep into the Alphasmart's plastic casing for a muy smooth finish). I believe this involves a few scary tasks such as detaching the keyboard, but the general consensus seems to be that as long as you're gentle and backed up your work beforehand, all will be fine. Have a Alphasmart makeover to add to the list? Leave a link in the comments below!
I've talked a little bit before about how much I love Alphasmarts, a decade-old suite of word processing units that are cheaper than a laptop (and are far less distracting; no internet, baby!). My plan is to blog extensively about three particular Alphasmart units in detail—the 3000, the NEO, and the Dana—but until then, I'll let these painted Alphasmart units pique your interest. NEO {Via Flickr user Jennifer Gilbert} {Via Flickr user Jennifer Gilbert} {Via Flickr user E.J. Bear} {Via Flickr user Elisa Rose} {Via Flickr user Elisa Rose} {Image via Flickr user dutch_garvey} Photoshop Simulation {Via PulsingAdverbs} {Via Flickr user Beverley} {Via Jesso} {Via Vance Fry} {Via Georgia Mountain Arts} {Via Flickr user Beverley} {Via Flickr user dw5454} {Via Flickr user Kristine C.} DANA {Via Vance Fry} {Via Flickr user BrightBlackHeaven} Stickers! {Via Flickr user solstone} 3000 {Via Flickr user Alan Phillips} {Via NaNoWriMo participant andyhowell} 2000 {Via Amazon} PRO {Via Flickr User mpclemens} {Via TenacityDivine} Vance Fry, a prominent member of the Alphasmart Flickr community, has some tips about painting your Alphasmart unit on his blog. In essence, you'll need to remove the front and back plastic coverings of your unit and acquire the kind of spray paint that's typically used to touch up car interiors (as it will bond and seep into the Alphasmart's plastic casing for a muy smooth finish). I believe this involves a few scary tasks such as detaching the keyboard, but the general consensus seems to be that as long as you're gentle and backed up your work beforehand, all will be fine. Have a Alphasmart makeover to add to the list? Leave a link in the comments below!
There aren’t many ed-tech products that have developed a cult following, a phrase that appears at the foot of the Wikipedia entry for AlphaSmart, a “smart keyboard” first marketed...
So here it is. I must say that I’m quite pleased with the color and texture of both the pink and the brown halves. The Plastikote pink on top is much smoother and shinier than the Krylon brow…
Alphasmart Neo DreamWriter Burlwood and ArtDeco Steampunk keys
The AlphaSmart NEO and NEO2 are great little word processors for distraction-free writing anywhere you want to go, but they lack the backlight of the later Dana model. Well, [starboyk] has done what m...
This is a follow up to my distractions post. The Neo2 arrived today, and I’ve been testing it out. This post will be the first thing I’ve written on it. Keyboard The typing experience is good. The …
Replacing the backup battery in your AlphaSmart 3000, Neo or Neo2 is quite easy and can save a lot of heartache if you use your AlphaSmart to get a lot of writing done.
History will always have its in-between technologies -- that stuff that tides us over while the Next Big and Lasting Thing is getting the kinks worked out of it. These kinds of devices often do one th...
Hi folks! I used to follow this group around 2008, when I was doing NaNoWriMo, and loved looking at everyone's fun mods. Now I work at a printing company and I figured I could try my hand at it using some of our capabilities. After bugging my coworker with a million questions about which kind of vinyl to use, I grabbed a nice hi-res image of green marble, then had it printed on cast vinyl (the kind used for vehicle wraps). I had our production manager apply it because I know absolutely nothing about vinyl installation, and I'm super happy with the outcome. The primary downside to this method is that you can't apply a laminate to cast vinyl, so it will accumulate scratches, mostly on the edges. I weep to think how lovely it would look with a crystal matte lam, but apparently that's impossible. Anyways, I'm off to go resume my duties as Denver's most insufferable hipster. Thanks for all the direction and inspiration you guys have provided over the years!
Alphasmart NEO Portable Electronic Keyboard
Ooo, aaah, it's like the 1980s all over again. What you see above is my Alphasmart Neo, basically a portable word processor. You can pl...
When I heard about the AlphaSmart Neo2 from my friend, Melanie, I knew I had to check it out! I love typing, love writing, but many times get distracted with Facebook or answering emails, etc. I had a feeling this little tool could be a lifesaver for me! So, I got online and researched a […]
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Alphasmart NEO Portable Electronic Keyboard
I never really worry that I'll have trouble finding a boy to marry me, if I'm ever in the market again. I disassemble and paint my own electronics, for God's sake. (It's actually automobile vinyl color, which doesn't build up like paint and molds perfectly to all the little details, so it appears to have been made in this color.) The idea was to make my alphasmart more like a personal notebook--funky stickers (which I took enormous care not to overthink, or getting them all lined up would have driven me crazy ... I basically just decided that keepin' it real equated smushing them onto the keys with my thumb) and purty colors. I wanted a sort of visual uniqueness that is actually psychologically important, when you work at home and have difficulty switching tasks. I wasn't just painting for fun, but to create a visual cue; I see that robin's egg blue and I know it's time to write. I like that the blue paint and the stickers combine to give it a sort of retro "ancient office equipment" feel, complete with spaces between the letters. The underside is "envy green," a neon green that peeks out on the sides, just to update the look a little. I'm very happy with how it turned out. Word to the wise: You will suffer 182 stages of panic as you apply thin coat after thin coat and the color hardly changes--or changes to a pukey color from the black showing through. The bright green especially looked absolutely horrid for most of the day! Just keep going and hope for the best. I figured out a plan of attack with inspiration from this pioneer in Alphasmart pimpage: flickr.com/photos/vrf/148170146/
I never really worry that I'll have trouble finding a boy to marry me, if I'm ever in the market again. I disassemble and paint my own electronics, for God's sake. (It's actually automobile vinyl color, which doesn't build up like paint and molds perfectly to all the little details, so it appears to have been made in this color.) The idea was to make my alphasmart more like a personal notebook--funky stickers (which I took enormous care not to overthink, or getting them all lined up would have driven me crazy ... I basically just decided that keepin' it real equated smushing them onto the keys with my thumb) and purty colors. I wanted a sort of visual uniqueness that is actually psychologically important, when you work at home and have difficulty switching tasks. I wasn't just painting for fun, but to create a visual cue; I see that robin's egg blue and I know it's time to write. I like that the blue paint and the stickers combine to give it a sort of retro "ancient office equipment" feel, complete with spaces between the letters. The underside is "envy green," a neon green that peeks out on the sides, just to update the look a little. I'm very happy with how it turned out. Word to the wise: You will suffer 182 stages of panic as you apply thin coat after thin coat and the color hardly changes--or changes to a pukey color from the black showing through. The bright green especially looked absolutely horrid for most of the day! Just keep going and hope for the best. I figured out a plan of attack with inspiration from this pioneer in Alphasmart pimpage: flickr.com/photos/vrf/148170146/
The AlphaSmart Dana, the predecessor to the AlphaSmart Neo and Neo2 word processors, can still be just as useful and sometimes even more so to writers who want to avoid distraction.
I ordered this AlphaSmart 2000 to loan out at write-ins. It was cheaply because it'd suffered classroom abuse, but I knew what I was getting into when I ordered it. I'm digging the colors painted on the keys, but the rest of the unit is pretty haggard. Here's my $1 "makeover." (Thanks, Dollar Tree contact paper!) Did I mention that I really like these colors? Clearly a half-assed job, but I'm liking it anyway.
If you're looking for a no-frills word processor that offers excellent battery life, minimal distraction, and maximum portability, then look no further than the AlphaSmart word processors.
I've talked a little bit before about how much I love Alphasmarts, a decade-old suite of word processing units that are cheaper than a laptop (and are far less distracting; no internet, baby!). My plan is to blog extensively about three particular Alphasmart units in detail—the 3000, the NEO, and the Dana—but until then, I'll let these painted Alphasmart units pique your interest. NEO {Via Flickr user Jennifer Gilbert} {Via Flickr user Jennifer Gilbert} {Via Flickr user E.J. Bear} {Via Flickr user Elisa Rose} {Via Flickr user Elisa Rose} {Image via Flickr user dutch_garvey} Photoshop Simulation {Via PulsingAdverbs} {Via Flickr user Beverley} {Via Jesso} {Via Vance Fry} {Via Georgia Mountain Arts} {Via Flickr user Beverley} {Via Flickr user dw5454} {Via Flickr user Kristine C.} DANA {Via Vance Fry} {Via Flickr user BrightBlackHeaven} Stickers! {Via Flickr user solstone} 3000 {Via Flickr user Alan Phillips} {Via NaNoWriMo participant andyhowell} 2000 {Via Amazon} PRO {Via Flickr User mpclemens} {Via TenacityDivine} Vance Fry, a prominent member of the Alphasmart Flickr community, has some tips about painting your Alphasmart unit on his blog. In essence, you'll need to remove the front and back plastic coverings of your unit and acquire the kind of spray paint that's typically used to touch up car interiors (as it will bond and seep into the Alphasmart's plastic casing for a muy smooth finish). I believe this involves a few scary tasks such as detaching the keyboard, but the general consensus seems to be that as long as you're gentle and backed up your work beforehand, all will be fine. Have a Alphasmart makeover to add to the list? Leave a link in the comments below!
History will always have its in-between technologies -- that stuff that tides us over while the Next Big and Lasting Thing is getting the kinks worked out of it. These kinds of devices often do one th...
