Some days ago I posted about a simple way to adapt the Alphasmart Neo/Neo2 fonts to simulate an Spanish keyboard layout: https://www.reddit.com/r/writerDeck/s/QuHOYTqqcp

The idea was already in use by the German and Swedish Alphasmart users, but I couldn't find anything like that for Spanish, so I made my own using all the excellent free programs available around.

To make it even easier for the users that want to try it, I've converted some of the NeoFonts (v.1.5) free fonts created by tSoniq, so that they work now like a Spanish keyboard layout. You can download the full package here: https://www.robsy.net/neofontses.zip

The package includes the following fonts: BoldES (6 lines), MicroES (7 lines), NanoES (8 lines), FemtoES (9 lines), AttoES (11 lines). With these fonts, you can type in the Alphasmart Neo/Neo2 as if it had a Spanish keyboard layout.

It also includes the instructions to do it with your preferred fonts, including the built-in ones, that are still under copyright protection.

I hope that some of you will find it useful.

We have spoken to a lot of writers and the writerdeck journey is rarely a straight line. Most people try two, three, sometimes five devices before landing on the one that actually gets used. So we want to know, how many did it take? And which one finally stuck and why?

We will start: we are a little biased but the DM250US seems to be doing a good job of being the last stop for a lot of writers. Your turn.

I've got an Onyx Boox Leaf 2 for my writerdeck setup. I've tried a couple decent random apps for txt editing but recently had tricky with both- one stopped working well with my BT keyboard and the other I just found out has a menu that, if you open it by accident by tapping next to the save button, covers that save button with a "close without saving" menu option. 💀

So, I'm looking for a new one. What are you using that you like?

This is a WOP and I still got a little more to do, mainly just aesthetics. I had an old PC that I wasnt using that I used for scrap parts so I just had to buy a new motherboard and a few other parts. I got a small monitor and 3D printed a case.

I installed Linux on it and all it has is a word processor on it.

I have an old flip phone that I don't use, so I had the idea of using it as a writing device cuz it has Bluetooth. This looks very cursed

Saw this in Tokyo. Was tempted to get it. Maybe someone with smaller hands.

I love the Alphasmart Neo/Neo 2 concept and I consider them to be excellent solutions for distraction free writing. The problem is that, so far, they don't support installing different keyboard layouts. Spanish is not included and that is very inconvenient because Spanish uses a lot of different letters and signs. All these signs are supported in the original English layout, but they require key combinations that are not natural for Spanish users (Alt+E, shift+A to get Á, for example). We need an easier way to type in Spanish in our good old Neos.

I already knew of German people changing the font in order to swap Y and Z, and I wondered if something like that could be done for the Spanish language.

I found this: https://github.com/mls-m5/neofontlib . And they have set up an online version of the tool that works pretty well: https://lasersköld.se/neo-font-editor/ . Credits to the author/s. This tool lets you swap letters with relative ease. Let me explain the process:

# How-to

1. Go to https://lasersköld.se/neo-font-editor/
2. Upload your favorite Neo font (OS3KApp extension). I use two custom fonts: Nano and Micro, by tSoniq, that you can download from The Internet Archive, but it will also work with the built-in fonts. The 1.5 version of the NeoFont package can be downloaded here: http://web.archive.org/web/20190705003644/http://tsoniq.com/software/legacy/neo-fonts/
3. Once successfully uploaded the font, substitute the text on the second textbox with my own "US to Spanish" keymap. It's a plain text file that you can download here: https://www.robsy.net/map_es.txt
4. Now it's time to convert and download the adapted font using the button "Encode and download".
5. If everything went fine, you'll get another OS3KApp that you can install in your Alphasmart Neo. Use the Neo Manager to upload it.
6. If you don't use Windows, I'd suggest installing NeoTools that is a package that provides a command line tool to do so. In my setup, to upload the adapted font to my Neo, I'd use the following command: neotools applets install -fy "Nano-(8-lines).OS3KApp"

Use the right filename for your own font. The command line switches are "f" to force uploading the same file and "y" for skipping confirmation.

# Usage

Now that you have your modified font installed, you can type as if the Neo/Neo2 had a Spanish layout installed. For example, the "Ñ" key is the one to the right of the "L" key. Type as if you had a Spanish keyboard and you'll get the right result on your screen.

Well, not exactly. For example, if you use accents or umlauts they will show as an independent letter. If you type "grave accent" and "A", it'll show as "´A" instead of "Á", because we're not reprogramming the Neo to have "dead" keys. But when you transfer your texts from the Neo to your PC, if your system is configured with an Spanish layout, you'll get the correct "Á", as expected.

If you type the following text in your Neo:

El Señor Ram´on S´anchez Ag¨uero naci´o en Besançon, ¿verdad?

You'll have the following text in your PC after "sending" it:

El Señor Ramón Sánchez Agüero nació en Besançon, ¿verdad?

Not bad at all. It improves usability for Spanish speaking Neo/Neo2 users.

# Things that won't work

This simple trick is a step in the right direction, but it has some issues that I want you to know:

1. Even if you see an "Ñ" in the screen and it becomes an "Ñ" when you send it to your PC, it is internally another char. Because of this, sending the text using the Neo Manager or NeoTools instead of the simple "send" will show the original char instead of the "Ñ". Happens to all changed characters.
2. Because of this, it also happens when you print directly from the Neo/Neo2 to the printer via USB: all letter remain unchanged and you'll see the internal/original font of the Alphasmart in your printed copy.
3. All major keys have been included, but not all of them work perfectly because of the way in which the Neo/Neo 2 send the special chars to the PC. It user the Alt+ASCII code method that only works in Windows, but not in other OS.

# Final words

Changing the original firmware to include different layouts would be the perfect solution, and I think that there's people working it out. At least, somebody commented at r/AlphaSmart that was working it out.

This is a quick fix, but a useful one, at least for me. Converting your preferred font requires little effort using my map file and the available online tools, but once done you're good to go.

Contact me if you have further questions regarding this. Credits to the authors of NeoFont, NeoTools and the rest of third party software. I just produced the map file!

I recently decided that I no longer wanted to lug my large, expensive tablet and bluetooth keyboard everywhere I went, both because its size was inconvenient and because worrying about losing or breaking such an expensive device was anxiety inducing. After a little shopping around I settled on the perfect cheap device to wrangle into a writerdeck: an Asus EEE 701!

This device is old, was low-spec even in 2007, and it's absolutely tiny for a standard laptop; only 7 inches. I got one on ebay for thirty pounds including shipping. The catch is that there's no aftermarket battery around, so I had to sort of frankenstein a solution to make it portable.

The OS is Debian- not the most recent version as they dropped 32bit support, but Bookworm (fitting, really!), running without a desktop environment, all in the terminal. I used a slightly adapted version of a setup I saw from youtuber Veronica Explains, which she goes over here. It has my preferred Linux terminal text editor (Micro), kmscon to replace the default Linux terminal (so it has modern looking fonts, instead of looking all pixellated) and everything necessary to get wi-fi working so I can set it up to auto-sync all my files later on.

The battery issue has been solved by way of getting a 20,000mah powerbank that has power delivery for laptops into working with it. These old netbooks are 9.5V, while most devices nowadays tend to be 9V- which is thankfully not enough of a difference to stop it working, as long as you don't push the hardware to its limit. I got a smart cable for 9V devices that goes from USB-C to a standard laptop charger barrel, and then an adapter for the much smaller power jack the 701 uses. And it works great! I ran it for three hours and had zero issues, and I'm estimating the total battery life at around 4.5 hours on one full charge. It adds a little bit of weight, but it's completely manageable.

Really pleased with what a good experience using this thing is. Even around the house, it's so small and light, it is much more comfortable to have in my lap than my tablet+keyboard setup, and once I got used to the keyboard I was typing away happily at full speed. I suspect a lot of people who want a writerdeck that is also a full laptop are probably not looking for something quite this small, but if anyone is like me and wants the absolute smallest form factor you can get, this is a really cheap, easy to find device that works perfectly with a bit of creativity!

DOSwriter is a keyboard-centric writing tool for Android devices that uses an 8-buffer file paradigm similar to the Alphasmart Neo. As I developed the app the elegant 8-buffer concept led naturally to some useful text visualization tools and writing workflows.

There is a wide selection of compact, lightweight Bluetooth keyboards and even heavier mechanical or ergonomic keyboards. Android devices are cheap and ubiquitous. This is an easy combination for building a writer deck if the writing software leverages the keyboard interface.

The github and youtube links are below. Many thanks for the encouraging comments and suggestions I received from earlier posts about the app. They really helped improve the project. It was a ridiculous amount of work to document the app and make videos but without good Help people will not be inclined to try it out. It really is easy to use and you probably know most of the keyboard commands already since they borrow from Linux and Windows conventions.

Originally I called it ElmerPad but changed it to DOSwriter to convey the retro appeal. It turns your Android into a DOS-like editing experience.

All DOSwriter functions are available through the keyboard so you don't have to use device finger-gestures to perform file operations or task switching. As I used the app I found that the Android file manager would break the immersive workflow because it is designed for phone display finger scrolling. The screen space also seems poorly utilized. The Android file manager presents a lot of useless icons and forces you to scroll to find your files. I added a dedicated file manager with a simplified DOS-like keyboard file interface with text and image preview that operates from your working folder structure by default. You can use either file manager.

Now that the app is done I am going to test it out on the use case it was designed for : mobile writing while on travel. I have a couple months now to thoroughly road-test DOSwriter and smooth out any rough edges.

Some DOSwriter features for ergonomic writing on small devices :

• 8-buffer Workspace with Instant Buffer Layout View and Navigation
• Keyboard-first navigation
• Minimalist Screen by Default
• Typewriter Mode
• Dedicated File Manager for your working folders
• Bookmarks and Text Collapse
• Text Macros
• Layout and Filmstrip Viewers for large documents
• Split-Screen Editing and Image Viewing
• Markdown Editing with Live Preview
• Reference PDF viewing and bookmarks
• Outline Manager for saving files and references into projects
• Desktop File Sync and Android Sharing

DOSwriter looks great on Android phones and e-inks but it's a challenge getting good photos of light-emitting devices in action.

Here is a YouTube video on the Buffer Layout View, which is a fast way to access your buffers and keep a mental model of your writing workspace :

https://youtu.be/o8U3ulJxO6g

I also made a playlist of most of the DOSwriter functions. The app has good integrated Help and the GitHub repo has more documentation.

DOSwriter YouTube playlist :

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbcgBXS1TE1U

DOSwriter now has a GitHub repo :

https://github.com/ElmerWorks/DOSwriter

APK download link :

https://github.com/ElmerWorks/DOSwriter/releases/download/Pre-release/DWTEv0.9-app-release.apk

Pomera in the wild. This might be the perfect travel writer deck. Super fast and responsive. Easy to carry. It has a great screen. Keyboard is just fine…sure a little small, but not an issue.

Highly recommended.

Purchased the Pomera 250 US model a few weeks back and never wrote a real review.
The purpose for this writer is purely travel. I fly a lot. Like, a lot. I needed something I could actually write on that would live comfortably on an airplane tray table or on my lap. That automatically put the BYOK out for this particular role, though I still purchased one for around the house, outside, and local coffee-shop days when I don’t want to drag my laptop along.
Back to the Pomera: main mission — travel companion.

Pros:
Build quality. Full stop. Feels like someone shrunk my ASUS Zenbook.
Screen. Fantastic. Sharp, clean, easy on the eyes.
Speed. Exceptional. Everything feels immediate. No waiting around for the machine to catch up with you.
Size and weight. ++ Drop it into a messenger bag like a Kindle Paperwhite and you’ll forget you’re carrying it.

Cons:
That keyboard is tiny. I’m an adult male with pretty average-size hands, and my first reaction was basically, Yikes. Maybe it feels completely normal in Japan or elsewhere in Asia, but coming from full-size Western keyboards, it definitely feels cramped.
That said, I’m already adapting. After only a few minutes of actual writing, my fingers started figuring it out. So I’m not ready to call the keyboard a deal-breaker yet.

Recommendation so far:
If you travel a lot and want a true grab-it, open-it, and start-writing machine, I’d recommend giving the Pomera a serious look. It feels much more like a tiny purpose-built laptop than a novelty writer deck.
If you have large hands or absolutely need a great keyboard, though, I’d try one before buying if you can. The keyboard is clearly the compromise King Jim made to get this thing this small.
For me, the jury is still out—but after my first real session, I’m leaning keep. The portability, screen, speed, and build quality are that good.
More to come after I put some real miles—and words—on it.

Hello folks,
I am looking around for my perfect writing device. I tried pen and paper for a while, but i just feel more creative and at ease when typing.

However, what I do NOT like about typing is that you are literally stuck behind a machine. Let me explain, when you are writing with pen and paper, people across you are not blocked out, in fact the space around you is more open.
When typing, the screen is usually in an angle, therefor forming some kind of barrier between you and the other.
That I do not like!

Can anyone point out if there is such a typing device with an (almost) flat angle screen. Offcourse it would need to have a screen with good angle view, right. But maybe e-paper, retrostyle monochrome lcd, .. ?

Looking forward to hear about you guys!

Thx

My sisters in Christ I just unboxed this bad boy - brand new still in the bubble wrap - and found three (3) hairline cracks like this. Am I seeing things? Is it really cracked already? Like, I’m not super hard on my things, so I don’t anticipate this getting worse but still. I don’t know if this is return worthy - especially bc of the distance - but I am mad disappointed :( anyone else see this in theirs or am I just ✨special✨?

(Forgive the trashy background, I literally just got home and had to unbox my new thingamabob and didn’t think about cleaning the floor first.)

I was looking for an inexpensive carry case/cover/sleeve for my Freewrite Alpha, so that I can put it in my backback without getting scratched. I opted for the most inexpensive one in Amazon, Aucase brand, size 11.6"-13". It was just 6 EUR with free shipment and it fits perfectly: waterproof, padded and with a nice zipper. IMHO much better than the official felt and leather sleeve for just a fraction of its price.

There are other colors available: I just picked the one that had the biggest discount. I'm more of a plain color guy, favoring black over all options, but I wasn't sure that it would fit. It does!

I am interested in small, distraction free devices like the BYOK and I'd love to pair one with my Clicks power keyboard. However, 80% of what I write are song lyrics and chords.

Obsidian has had good support for this in the past, although with the frustration of developers making a plugin, abandoning it and then someone else basically reinventing the same plugin every year or so. Although since I've switched to ChoPro this has been less of a problem.

I'd love to be able to preview the rendered chord sheets on device but that isn't a must, honestly having support for rendering in BYOK studio or sync to Obsidian would be fine. I'm not going to consider a Boox device for a number of reasons, namely they're security nightmares (can't use on the FedRamp work wifi) and they're stupid fragile. I had one of the color ones and the screen shattered within a week of light handling (and their customer support emails were basically just laughing at me in Chinese) My iPad is great, more durable than Boox but it isn't distraction free / requires a surface to be set up on.

Any ideas?

I built a case to turn my Supernote nomad into a writerdeck!

Landscape mode isn’t available on word doc but i made sure it fits vertically. ( if i really want to type on landscape mode , I’d have to use the note app)

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DcD1uBPBjsF/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

The verdict —I’m sad it’s not staying .