I love the device, but considering the fact that this is basically a keyboard with circuit a board that could well be some kind of Arduino/Raspberry Pi and a tiny e-ink screen attached, the 500 dollars price tag is inexcusable. There is no reason for this to cost more than a netbook. The price makes it uncompetitive for most of us, who would really want to love it. The battery life and e-ink screen are excellent for any kind of fieldwork.
Just get an Alphasmart NEO 2 then. Discontinued device from the 90's, but does the same thing....not as elegantly though. I bought a box of them a few years ago for like $80 bucks.
I have the most god awful attention span, and when I saw this on TikTok it piqued my interest, and I am definitely thinking of getting one after reading things on Reddit and Facebook, and watching TikTok and RUclips. I've been needing something like this, something without distractions that just lets me write. I have been using a notebook as a sort of alternative, but I've been getting horrible hand cramps so this is exactly the kind of thing I need, I'm hoping to get one soon, it'll be amazing for college honestly, something I can take around campus and write that doesn't take up as much space as my laptop does
I wanted a basic device that acted like a typewriter. And there was....nothing. And I horribly vexed I could not afford the Hemingwrite-but this will do.
I've been curious about these but like many have said the price is crazy. This did point out one pretty incredible upside - it's not appealing to a 2.5 year old. I can't write on my laptop when my kid is sitting next to me bc she wants to look at pictures, watch videos, whatever. This definitely avoids that problem.
The only reaaon to get it is it being a unitasker. That does not justify the price when any laptop can go off line and turn off all notifications and stick to notepad. Drop it to 299 or even 399. I might do it.
Yup, the tool’s value is the in the eye of the beholder. Some on Astrohaus’ Reddit love em. I’ve since moved on and sold it to another user there as it just didn’t fit well to my workflow.
lol yea.. it's really not for everyone. It's like all the pitfalls on it are "designed" so you are slower and more deliberate with typing.. but it also just makes for a frustrating experience if you're used to typing really fast and have to backspace to delete letters [it's worse when you have to delete words!] There's a market for it though so some folks are happy with it and swear by it.
Longer battery life, better quality screen (for reading) and very light. Unfortunately, I already have the smaller ipad (not the mini). I know how to use DND focus and I can resist the temptation of other apps without going into airplane mode-althought airplane mode does give you longer life. Lower pricetag and I could consider it.
Nah. Don’t think I can see myself using it. Even right now, I’m still struggling to find a workflow that fits my workflow haha I have the remarkable too with the keyboard. Let me know if there’s any questions on that as I’m gonna make a video soon to share thoughts
@@845a thank you. Great video; very helpful. I also got the Supernote and Remarkable. I returned the Supernote because it felt like i was writing on a credit card even those the functionality is very nice. The Remarkable 2, i think, i'll keep. I do wish it had a light. Looking forward. to your review of the Remarkable 2. Best!!!
I never liked what laptops became after the PowerBook G3 in terms of ergonomics. Trackpads just made everything worse. Ergonomics went completely out the window with laptops, flat out doesn’t exist. For writing I just want a digital typewriter that syncs automatically. Anything else and I immediately lose interest. The eMate 300 was the gold standard for over a decade for writing tools and that thing had rubber dome keys. This is how bad the negligence went for writing tools despite millions of people write for a living and just BOHICA the whole thing.
Yea it's a bit tough to justify a unitasker especially when it's at a premium cost. But if it does help you write, really hard to knock it when it can work well. I ended up selling it because I don't use it as much as I thought (and because I ended up having a specific app developed for my writing needs haha)
You could give me 500 dollars and I would turn off Wifi on your ipad or computer or home network with a twist on a cable; and enable it again for free when you are done. Or maybe you can invest in a eink tablet; which while overpriced is at least more useful than this in terms of value per feature, if you like the eink screen and no-distraction workflow (Supernote and Remarkable 2 are good examples) I am amazed at how much people can be steered to do things like buying overpriced things that do nothing, just because they cannot just turn off internet. And I work 12 hours a day on a computer; so I know how hard it is to deal with notifications, email and such; but I learned how you turn off things when you need to, so I can spend money for something else, instead of give it to companies that give me "less is more" products. That thing is not worth more than 150 dollars at most; and that is generous considering the efforts they put to make the "software" on it and how bad that keyboard and how small the screen is.
Its actually sad that so many people apparently have zero self-control, being unable to resist the urge to "do something else" when one is supposed to be working. Its called discipline, if anyone would care to look up the definition
Yea I hear you.. but sometimes having a "dedicated" device can help. While there are many ways to write, it's one reason I developed my own app (copywritr.com). It cost me way more than the Traveler but it's helped me write more efficiently for myself and my clients lol
@@845a Well I get the "dedicated" part, but the funny thing is anyone who actually knows how to use a computer, instead of treating it like an "appliance", could easily set up a locked-down "work only" user account on Windows, Linux, or OSX. That's what I've done with all three of my Windows Surface Pro's that I use for writing - 1 mouse click boots me into a secondary account which has no internet access, annoying notifications, games, or anything else. Just a pair of word processors, (Word and an older DOS word processor from Leading Edge), and a music player for background noise.
@@looneyburgmusic yup I hear you again. It can be quite simple yet there’s a market for a stripped down dedicated device. :shrug: As an initial user, I actually liked the device (akin to some folks who still use a typewriter as sometimes people want a specific feeling associated to writing). Ultimately, it came down to how I wrote specifically for media.
I love the device, but considering the fact that this is basically a keyboard with circuit a board that could well be some kind of Arduino/Raspberry Pi and a tiny e-ink screen attached, the 500 dollars price tag is inexcusable. There is no reason for this to cost more than a netbook. The price makes it uncompetitive for most of us, who would really want to love it. The battery life and e-ink screen are excellent for any kind of fieldwork.
I suspect it costs more because the audience for it is fairly small. Yes, the price stung. But I will pay a grand for the Hemingwrite later.
@@kevinbirge2130 Thank you. Did you get the Hemingway? It looks really cool. Does it have a light?
@@kevinbirge2130The audience for eeprom programmers is pretty small, but you still don't see those things going for $500 American...
I’d buy it for $250 max. As is, it’s an expensive novelty and not a serious tool for the working writer on the go.
Shame it costs so much. With so many less features it should cost $80 or so.
Just get an Alphasmart NEO 2 then. Discontinued device from the 90's, but does the same thing....not as elegantly though. I bought a box of them a few years ago for like $80 bucks.
I have the most god awful attention span, and when I saw this on TikTok it piqued my interest, and I am definitely thinking of getting one after reading things on Reddit and Facebook, and watching TikTok and RUclips. I've been needing something like this, something without distractions that just lets me write. I have been using a notebook as a sort of alternative, but I've been getting horrible hand cramps so this is exactly the kind of thing I need, I'm hoping to get one soon, it'll be amazing for college honestly, something I can take around campus and write that doesn't take up as much space as my laptop does
I wanted a basic device that acted like a typewriter. And there was....nothing. And I horribly vexed I could not afford the Hemingwrite-but this will do.
A plug but an old spare laptop + copywritr.com can fit the bill :)
I've been curious about these but like many have said the price is crazy. This did point out one pretty incredible upside - it's not appealing to a 2.5 year old. I can't write on my laptop when my kid is sitting next to me bc she wants to look at pictures, watch videos, whatever. This definitely avoids that problem.
The only reaaon to get it is it being a unitasker. That does not justify the price when any laptop can go off line and turn off all notifications and stick to notepad. Drop it to 299 or even 399. I might do it.
Yup, the tool’s value is the in the eye of the beholder. Some on Astrohaus’ Reddit love em. I’ve since moved on and sold it to another user there as it just didn’t fit well to my workflow.
$50. Max.
1:18 in and you sold me on not getting it.
lol yea.. it's really not for everyone. It's like all the pitfalls on it are "designed" so you are slower and more deliberate with typing.. but it also just makes for a frustrating experience if you're used to typing really fast and have to backspace to delete letters [it's worse when you have to delete words!]
There's a market for it though so some folks are happy with it and swear by it.
Longer battery life, better quality screen (for reading) and very light. Unfortunately, I already have the smaller ipad (not the mini). I know how to use DND focus and I can resist the temptation of other apps without going into airplane mode-althought airplane mode does give you longer life. Lower pricetag and I could consider it.
what's the site for this copywriter app you mention?
Oh whoops! Meant to add in description :) copywritr.com
i use a neo 2 alpha smart qnd i hav😂e old netbooks from the mid 2000s.
Same here. I love mine. I also use an Alphasmart 3000😊
Would you consider the Hemingway?
Nah. Don’t think I can see myself using it. Even right now, I’m still struggling to find a workflow that fits my workflow haha
I have the remarkable too with the keyboard. Let me know if there’s any questions on that as I’m gonna make a video soon to share thoughts
@@845a thank you. Great video; very helpful. I also got the Supernote and Remarkable. I returned the Supernote because it felt like i was writing on a credit card even those the functionality is very nice. The Remarkable 2, i think, i'll keep. I do wish it had a light. Looking forward. to your review of the Remarkable 2. Best!!!
I never liked what laptops became after the PowerBook G3 in terms of ergonomics. Trackpads just made everything worse. Ergonomics went completely out the window with laptops, flat out doesn’t exist. For writing I just want a digital typewriter that syncs automatically. Anything else and I immediately lose interest. The eMate 300 was the gold standard for over a decade for writing tools and that thing had rubber dome keys. This is how bad the negligence went for writing tools despite millions of people write for a living and just BOHICA the whole thing.
I don't see 499.00 in this,120.00 maybe but not 499 and i don't need to carry something else to take up space in the bag.
Yea it's a bit tough to justify a unitasker especially when it's at a premium cost. But if it does help you write, really hard to knock it when it can work well. I ended up selling it because I don't use it as much as I thought (and because I ended up having a specific app developed for my writing needs haha)
8:45a.how u doing?. yeah!beatuiful ~=))
can you change the keys on it?
Don't think so
Yes, you can. They also have a set of foreign language keys
@@TheAyurvedic They don't work for the traveler model, only the regular Freewrite
@@blinkfraid ah! Thsnk you
"See how capitalists can make people defend literal junk."
Price is garbo
Buy an iPad Mini with a keyboard folio instead. It’ll be cheaper, more robust, and won’t lag. As for distractions? Have some self control.
You could give me 500 dollars and I would turn off Wifi on your ipad or computer or home network with a twist on a cable; and enable it again for free when you are done. Or maybe you can invest in a eink tablet; which while overpriced is at least more useful than this in terms of value per feature, if you like the eink screen and no-distraction workflow (Supernote and Remarkable 2 are good examples)
I am amazed at how much people can be steered to do things like buying overpriced things that do nothing, just because they cannot just turn off internet. And I work 12 hours a day on a computer; so I know how hard it is to deal with notifications, email and such; but I learned how you turn off things when you need to, so I can spend money for something else, instead of give it to companies that give me "less is more" products.
That thing is not worth more than 150 dollars at most; and that is generous considering the efforts they put to make the "software" on it and how bad that keyboard and how small the screen is.
Its actually sad that so many people apparently have zero self-control, being unable to resist the urge to "do something else" when one is supposed to be working.
Its called discipline, if anyone would care to look up the definition
Yea I hear you.. but sometimes having a "dedicated" device can help. While there are many ways to write, it's one reason I developed my own app (copywritr.com). It cost me way more than the Traveler but it's helped me write more efficiently for myself and my clients lol
@@845a Well I get the "dedicated" part, but the funny thing is anyone who actually knows how to use a computer, instead of treating it like an "appliance", could easily set up a locked-down "work only" user account on Windows, Linux, or OSX. That's what I've done with all three of my Windows Surface Pro's that I use for writing - 1 mouse click boots me into a secondary account which has no internet access, annoying notifications, games, or anything else. Just a pair of word processors, (Word and an older DOS word processor from Leading Edge), and a music player for background noise.
@@looneyburgmusic yup I hear you again. It can be quite simple yet there’s a market for a stripped down dedicated device. :shrug:
As an initial user, I actually liked the device (akin to some folks who still use a typewriter as sometimes people want a specific feeling associated to writing). Ultimately, it came down to how I wrote specifically for media.
It's called neurodivergent.
For some of us who are ADHD, a dedicated device per task can be a life changer.