AlphaSmart 2000 Word Processor Review

I'm finally free. I'm free of operating systems, free of RAM, free of hard-drive space, free of viruses, free of spy-ware and free of every other encumbrance that comes with the modern PC. I just received a used AlphaSmart 2000 word processor that my wife, an extraordinary auction sniper, won for me on ebay. If you want to be free from the hassles of a PC for short times while writing, you might consider an AlphaSmart. An AlphaSmart is a great tool for writers who want to focus and produce.

The AlphaSmart 2000 is a crude little machine. It almost has more in common with a spiral notebook than a notebook computer. It only weighs about two pounds and runs for 120 to 300 hours on three ordinary AA batteries. It turns on my simply pushing an on/off button. It can store up to 64 pages of files divided among eight file spaces. My work is automatically stored when I turn off the machine. There is no file/save. According to Wikipedia, the original AlphaSmart was introduced in 1993 and the AlphaSmart 2000 was introduced in late 1997. My AlphaSmart 2000 appears to have built in IR capabilities and was probably produced between 1998 and 2000. Regardless of its age, the AlphaSmart is a simple and direct tool like a hammer or a spiral notebook.

I like being able to stretch out on the floor with it. I can write with the same reckless abandon with it that I might have with a paper notebook. It has no fan to suck in dust bunnies and it has no hot components to overheat or melt anything. I hate using a laptop and watching the battery slowly dwindle in just a couple of hours. With my AlphaSmart 2000, I expect to be able to write for much longer. I also like being able to take it anywhere without having to see a chiropractor later. Best of all, if a thief takes it somewhere, we don't lose a lot of money. In this era of identity theft and devices that commonly carry a person's entire life, I'm glad our AlphaSmart won't be containing a lot of personal information and passwords. You simply can't do your taxes on an AlphaSmart.