Posted on October 27, 2025
A start
Coming to you live from the couch in my living room, I am writing this on my new AlphaSmart Neo2 typewriter/writer deck/keyboard/whatever it calls itself. I bought it in an attempt to build a writing environment that is less distracting than typing on a laptop.
While everything will ultimately find its way onto my laptop before I can post or share, the laptop be both a distraction (internet, all my other apps and files) and a turn-off (it’s the same place to I do my work, which is also writing, plus I generally dislike looking at laptop screens).
This device, meanwhile, has no internet and is much closer to the experience of an old-school typewriter. I do own a typewriter (a Hermes 2000 that I quite enjoy) but it’s not nearly as portable (I’m guessing it weighs at least 15 pounds, though it came in a handled case and was meant to be portable lol). The bigger issue is that anything I write on a paper typewriter must later be retyped onto a laptop. So the typewriter may allow for distraction-free writing, but it doesn’t eliminate the biggest issue I’m trying to fix (extended periods of looking at my laptop). This AlphaSmart appears to solve both issues. I can type without internet or distractions, and then I can connect a cable to transfer files onto my laptop in a relatively finished state.
I’m unsure how to refer to this device, though. Some people online call this sort of device a writer deck. I don’t like it. Variations of the official name, AlphaSmart Neo2, feel like too much. Perhaps calling it a typewriter feels the most correct to me.
Well, having now written a fair amount on this typewriter, I can confirm is actually lit. It’s not perfect. The screen could be a little nicer to look at. It’s still LED. There’s also a slight lag, with a blinking black square/line that I dislike. But honestly, that’s a quibble. That’s me looking for something with which to find fault. I’ll mess with the settings and get over it.
All told, this is a fantastic option for writing without needing my whole computer. I am quite excited. The real test will be seeing whether I’m still using this one or two months from now. Until then, happy fishing!