I really like writing, however with a lot to distract us nowadays, gathering sufficient focus to start out writing could be a job all its personal. That’s the place distraction-free writing instruments have come into play, together with the not too long ago launched Freewrite Alpha from Astrohaus.
Constructing off the work the corporate has achieved with its earlier Freewrite gadgets, just like the clamshell Freewrite Traveler, the Freewrite Alpha guarantees an ultra-portable design that makes it straightforward to select up and begin writing. The actual kicker right here is the tremendous small show, which is designed to solely present two to 3 strains of textual content at a time.
It is a machine for writing first drafts, together with all of the soiled errors that include them. It’s designed to chop you off out of your internal editor, permitting you to concentrate on telling your story as simply as doable. There are not any social media apps to distract you, and there’s no method to browse the web and get misplaced in hours of analysis within the course of (though you possibly can nonetheless again up your drafts to the cloud). All you are able to do is write, and that’s an excellent factor. However is the Alpha actually the perfect device for the job? I’ve acquired combined ideas.
An excellent thought
At a look, the Freewrite Alpha is an easy, low-profile mechanical keyboard with a small FSTN LCD show above it (like what you’d see on an alarm clock) and a single button to the facet. On paper, the shape issue is a dream come true for writers like me, who consistently battle with wanting to make sure they’ve acquired the perfect grammar and spelling doable. I like the thought of solely displaying a number of strains of textual content at a time, and the truth that I can’t get misplaced looking the web or social media is a pleasant bonus.
I additionally love that I can merely pull out the Alpha and energy it on to start out writing. There is no have to open up a phrase processor or navigate to Google Docs. I really like sending drafts on to my e-mail for safekeeping, in addition to the truth that it routinely connects to the cloud when the web is on and saves my drafts there. There’s additionally an choice to sync it to your pc through a USB-C cable, and I don’t assume I’ve ever needed to cost the machine after receiving it a number of weeks in the past. These are all options that work seamlessly within the background or with only a few keypresses, and that’s very nice. It is precisely what you’d need from a tool like this.
In follow, although, the Freewrite Alpha is way from the writing escape I hoped it might be. I’ve spent an excellent few weeks treating it as my major writing device for my private initiatives, carrying it in all places I associate with my regular MacBook Air. Whereas I really like how transportable it’s, there are some things concerning the Freewrite Alpha that flip me away, and most of it comes right down to the bodily elements of the machine.
However it feels low-cost
Credit score: Astrohaus
Earlier than we get into the nitty gritty right here, bear in mind the Freewrite Alpha isn’t imagined to be a alternative in your laptop computer, and even your iPad or smartphone. These kinds of digital typewriters are nonetheless a creating class, so there isn’t actually a lot you possibly can correctly examine them to. They have been designed to do only one factor: allow you to write with out distractions. As such, I’m very hesitant to make any sort of comparability with different gadgets, a minimum of so far as options go.
Nonetheless, I do assume you will need to examine the bodily elements of the Freewrite Alpha with these from different gadgets, as there are some things I consider the Alpha falls quick on. It isn’t a laptop computer, but it surely’s exhausting to not wish to choose it in opposition to the premium feeling of Apple’s MacBook Air lineup, which stays extraordinarily mild however nonetheless appears like a strong piece of tech.
One of many largest points I’ve with the Freewrite Alpha is the construct high quality. Regardless of costing over $300, the Alpha is made fully of plastic. I don’t notably have a problem with plastic in gadgets, except for the plain sturdiness considerations. And I get why Astrohaus used plastic right here, because the firm wished to make the Alpha as light-weight as doable. They’ve achieved that, but it surely comes at a horrible value for the consumer.
That’s as a result of the Freewrite Alpha is completely atrocious to carry or kind on. It feels low-cost, and whereas the included Kailh Choc V2 low-profile key switches really feel nice on their very own, the truth that your complete machine is simply plastic makes it obnoxiously loud to kind on. For writers like me, that is a bit distracting in its personal method. There’s simply nothing about this machine that makes it really feel premium, and if I spent $349 ($369 on Amazon) on a tool that solely does one factor, I might need it to do some bit extra. Certain, the Alpha is mild sufficient so that you can carry anyplace, however should you drop it on concrete whereas making your method into the workplace, is it going to outlive the drop?
Credit score: Astrohaus
I get the place Astrohaus is coming from right here, however this feels just like the designers reduce the corners just a little too sharply. Even placing some padding into the machine to make it sound much less low-cost would have been a pleasant contact. Because it stands now, I’ve used $20 keyboards which are extra satisfying to kind on, and fewer obnoxious, too, as they don’t make me really feel like I’m boring a gap by means of my desktop with each keypress.
That is not a slight in opposition to the switches used right here, thoughts. The 2-millimeter journey distance for keys is not unhealthy, and it feels good to kind on more often than not. I by no means felt like I used to be lacking keystrokes or repeating letters due to the journey distance, which is one thing you possibly can run into with cheaper mechanical keyboards. That mentioned, it is exhausting to correctly get pleasure from these switches due to how springy your complete contraption feels and sounds while you’re typing on it.
One other situation with the Alpha is the shortage of any backlight on the show. Look, I really like the show and the way it limits how a lot of my manuscript I can see. It is a nice characteristic, and one I’d like to see emulated within the software program I take advantage of day by day. However because it stands, you possibly can solely actually use the Alpha and see what you’re typing should you’re already in a reasonably vivid space. That is undoubtedly an space the Alpha may have benefited from an e-ink show, or a minimum of a backlit LCD show. Astrohaus’ different digital typewriters have e-ink screens, and whereas it is comprehensible that the corporate may need wished to chop that characteristic for its most budget-friendly providing, the substitute right here is simply not an appropriate alternative.
And whereas the machine handles most of its duties rather well, there’s nonetheless the matter of getting to recollect its varied keybinds. Regardless of having room for some extra buttons alongside the highest of the machine, Astrohaus continues to make the most of combos of key presses to set off varied duties, like beginning a brand new doc, archiving a doc, and so on. The corporate does present helpful on-line documentation to assist with that, but it surely was a little bit of a trouble having to determine the completely different keybinds after which bear in mind them in order that I may do all the things I wanted.
So who is that this for?
Regardless of my points, I don’t hate the Alpha. In truth, it’s in all probability one of many extra helpful items of tech that I’ve tried lately. Certain, it doesn’t have the premium really feel that I’d need from an costly unitasker, however that’s one thing I can overlook. It does what it says, and it does it nicely sufficient. And whereas typing on this factor isn’t my favourite pastime ever, some of us will choose the more durable typing sounds that the Alpha brings to their writing space.
The Freewrite Alpha isn’t for each author. However should you’re simply distracted, or should you don’t have a laptop computer or one thing else you could simply carry round with you, then the Alpha could be a useful gizmo to assist improve your productiveness and writing output. Certain, there are some things that Astrohaus may do higher, and hopefully, the corporate will enhance upon the machine in future iterations. As a distraction-free author, although, the Alpha excels at placing you within the zone, as long as your personal typing sounds aren’t extra more likely to distract you than social media.
I very a lot loved with the ability to simply pull this factor out and get proper to work, particularly because it saved me from having to stare at my laptop computer for even longer all through my day. I already do this sufficient, so having a devoted writing device is a good way to separate my private initiatives and passions from the writing that I do to pay the payments. With the ability to pull my doc up on the pc after I had completed with it was additionally very nice, and it made transferring from the tough draft to the completed copy of a brief story I used to be writing a lot simpler than I anticipated it to be. The content material you create on the Alpha syncs up exceptionally nicely with the Postbox options that Astrohaus gives to all Freewrite machine homeowners, although I can not assist however want there was a bit extra connectivity between the 2 when actively engaged on a manuscript or quick story. Pulling up a draft on the web site removes it from the Alpha’s onboard reminiscence, so it truly is only a first draft machine.
For me, I wouldn’t say writing on the Freewrite Alpha has improved my writing capabilities or output exponentially. However it undoubtedly made it simpler to get misplaced within the phrases I used to be spewing out into my manuscript with out overthinking them. I can already write an excellent few thousand phrases fairly shortly after I get into the fitting mindset, and the Alpha did make getting within the zone just a little bit simpler. As a distraction-free author, the Alpha appears like an excellent step in the fitting path, and regardless of nonetheless being on the costly finish, it’s cheaper than the remainder of the Freewrite line. Now, Astrohaus simply must comply with by means of and enhance upon this preliminary thought with a design that makes a greater compromise between finances and really feel.
