I Don’t Think You Got the Memo, FreeWrite

~ reneewittman

I have an AlphaSmart Neo 2, and I love it.

Previously I had the original AlphaSmart in high school.

FreeWrite has some similar products, but the price tag on them made them an automatic NO. We’re talking $600+ for an item that doesn’t do much more than an AlphaSmart Neo 2… which I might note are roughly $90 on the used market. The battery lasts forever, they’re ergonomic and comfortable to type on, and they’re pretty much indestructible.

But there was some hype on one of my FB groups, and I found out FreeWrite and AlphaSmart had collaborated for a new project! Sign up for release details!

Great. I thought they might have gotten the hint and realized why the AlphaSmart is so beloved. (And why I refuse to buy a FreeWrite.) So I signed up.

Release day came, and I eagerly went to look at the new product.

… that was releasing for $350! In a clunky design with no features deserving a price tag like that.

Hello?!?

Did they miss the memo on what we actually wanted? What I was actually looking for in an item like this?

So, yeah.

I did NOT order a new AlphaSmart/FreeWrite.

Instead I went to eBay and bought a second Neo 2 which just came in the mail. I already have one, but they’re getting harder to find so it’s JUST IN CASE.

Amusingly, this one seems to have come from a school.

5th Grade apparently.

KODAK Digital Still Camera

And they didn’t erase everything that was on it. So, it comes complete with a kid named Jacob’s partially written book report still on it for hilarity.

So, yeah, I’m still not buying what you’re shilling, FreeWrite. You can borrow the AlphaSmart name to try and lure us in, but you never bothered to actually find out WHY we love the AlphaSmart.

  1. They’re easy to use with no distractions. You got that part down.
  2. They’re comfortable to use. Try again.
  3. They’re sturdy and can just be tossed in a bag without accidentally hitting keys. Try again.
  4. Their batteries last FOREVER. Close, at 100 hours. I’ve been running my AlphaSmart for the last 8 months on the same set of batteries.
  5. And they’re CHEAP. This is an outright FAIL.

There is NO reason for a key logger to cost that much money.

So, good luck in your future endeavors, but you won’t be taking my money.

Header image generated by Midjourney AI.

Published by reneewittman

Young Adult Urban Fantasy Author

3 thoughts on “I Don’t Think You Got the Memo, FreeWrite”

  1. Oh yeah, I’ve been hoping to purchase an Alphasmart, but they’re kinda hard to get in Malaysia, so I was hoping that the Freewrite version would help. But meh, I’d much rather use pen and paper if this privilege is going to cost that much.

    1. Probably the shipping that beats you up? I googled, and shipping one from where I live to Malaysia is ~$90 USD. That’s a pain. 🙁

      1. Yeah, shipping is exactly what’s stopping me. Don’t wanna pay the price of the entire Alphasmart just to get it over, lol. But it’s a good thing though. It reminds me that I can embrace the minimalist writing life (at least until some Alphasmarts hit my shores).

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