The AlphaSmart 3000 is an incredibly unique piece of machinery, which has enjoyed a renewed interest amongst authors looking to simplify their life. I am no stranger to using outdated equipment to reduce distractions, as I have the attention span of a hyperactive 13 year old. I delight in carrying my old, boring phone and still listen to music on an iPod. That’s why I was shocked to find out that this product and others like it exists and I never even knew about it. So what is the AlphaSmart 3000? [Click images below to visit]

This group is for images of AlphaSmart, Dana and Neo keyboards out in the world, in unusual places, and doing amazing things. Please post no more than 5 images a day so we can see everyone's images in the daily feed. We also have discussion threads which we encourage you to take part in. This forum is moderated by AlphaSmart users from all around the world. The admins will see to it that the. The AlphaSmart Pro's 'AA' batteries might be discharged or improperly inserted. Make sure the batteries are not loose, and are oriented properly as indicated in the battery cavity (with the positive (+) end of the battery matching the positive (+) side of the cavity, and the same goes for the negative (-) ends).

The AlphaSmart is a stand-alone word processor, with a full sized keyboard and a small display screen. This unit is old, with the first AlphaSmarts being released in 1993. There were quite a few versions, Pro, 2000, 3000, then the NEO 1 and NEO 2. I did some research on every unit available, and for my personal preferences the 3000 version was the best. It had a long battery life, simple features, was the one that seemed the most reliable based on reviews, and was generally just the one best for actually writing. The only limit was the keyboard, but a creative group from GeekHack (links above images) is modding out their AlphaSmarts with mechanical keyboard. If you’re like many authors and would love a stand alone unit to write, this is actually a perfect solution. I was so inspired by this brilliance I knew I had to tell people about it, so I put my money where my mouth is and did this comparison. The keyboard it comes with is subpar, so this upgrade will make it worthy of even a picky professional author.
AlphaSmart is cheap, around $20usd. This seems perfectly reasonable to me, considering it’s essentially a keyboard with an LCD. Don’t take this price for granted, though, since modern electronic word processors like the Freewrite are running around $550, and selling out. The modern ones, ranging on average from 300-600, tend to have features like cloud synch, more advanced spell check, and e-ink. Personally, I don’t get why you need any of that, and cloud synch to me is an anti-feature. Here’s a quick comparison of the most popular by far modern electronic typewriter, and the AlphaSmart 3000.

I bought one, although admittedly have only been using it for a few days now. This is my honest opinion about it, and you know that because AlphaSmart stopped producing these years ago and presumably wouldn’t be trying to market them.

I really, really like it. At $25 plus shipping, it’s a no-brainer. I write incredibly often, and the only complaint I have is that it can only hold 100 pages, so you can’t write a full novel on it, but at the same time with technology this old you would never leave an entire novel on it because if it fails, that’s all folks. So I consider it a reminder to back up. I use it at home, because I use a desktop computer for work and at 1.6 pounds it weighs about as much as a small paperback book. Since it’s $25 I also don’t need to worry about damaging it, like I would if I typed on a laptop. It’s very freeing, and the keyboard is full size so it’s exactly the same as typing on a computer. I thought I would be annoyed by the very small display screen, but surprising it’s no big deal and it can really let you focus on the section you’re writing, I believe my sentence structure has improved slightly due to only having 4 lines displayed at a time. For someone like me who is a habitual re-reader and obsessive scanner, it can also prevent me from scanning my work over and over – basically, it’s perfect for writing a rough draft, although you would never do editing on it unless you didn’t have another device handy. The Amazon link is here but it’s also available on E-Bay. I also hope that one day an enterprising individual will sell the modded units already created, but that’s beyond my skillset.

Not only does the AlphaSmart punch above it’s weight on features, it also has better specs, as you can see in it’s three year battery life. The AlphaSmart does around 700 hours of active use, and uses no battery when not in use. That’s about two years of an hour per day usage, less frequent use will make it last longer. It’s also supported by normal batteries, not rechargeable, which is great for people who travel frequently. As a cheap, durable password protected unit that needs no internet or recharging, it’s essentially perfect for a digital nomad or traveling author. So why would anyone buy any different electronic typewriter? Well for one, the AlphaSmart looks a bit clunky. It’s old, and that shows. Personally I think all the new e-typewriters are quite ugly as well, so this wasn’t a factor in my decision making. There are some downsides – it can only be bought used, so when purchasing one, you run the risk of sticky keys or defects you can’t notice until it’s actually in your hands. The file transfer is imperfect – in fact, when connecting it to your computer and importing, it actually re-types out the entire document into the receiving document. This takes only 30 seconds as it is not typing as a human does but populating as fast as the receiving program will let it, however it’s still a surprising and odd mechanism. There’s no direct support, although the manual and hundreds of posts online about it can solve most troubleshooting issues. Since it’s used, I suggest you manually reset it when you receive the unit.

To reset the AlphaSmart 3000 to factory defaults:

1) Start with the device turned off.

2) Press and hold the and keys.

3) While holding the and keys, turn the unit on by pressing the <on/off> key.

4) When the dialog “Are you sure you want to reset the AlphaSmart to factory defaults?” appears on the screen, press Y (for yes).

5) Enter the factory reset password: tommy

Note: Sometimes multiple keystrokes can be registered while typing the reset password. Make sure only one asterisk appears per letter typed.

6) Press .

Note: If you performed the factory defaults reset correctly, you should see “Initializing AlphaSmart System…”. If it was not done correctly, it will take you right back to the last file you were in and you will need to try it again.

It is also a good idea to enter [alt+cmd+K] and then disable sticky keys and slow marks, as they can interfere with other commands from the manual. By the way, if you did purchase this unit and want a copy of the manual, it’s here.

The AlphaSmart was a brand of portable, battery powered, word-processing keyboards manufactured by NEO Direct, Inc. (formerly Renaissance Learning, Inc, formerly AlphaSmart, Inc., formerly Intelligent Peripheral Devices, Inc.). Originally released in 1993, the first AlphaSmart models were intended for writing on-the-go and could be plugged into a computer to transfer saved written text. The units' portability and long battery life made them valuable to journalists, writers, and students. Later models expanded functionality by spell-checking, running applications, and accessing wireless printers.

The last model, Neo 2, was released in 2007, and production was discontinued by the company in late September 2013.^[1]

Background[edit]

The AlphaSmart was a keyboarding device that enabled a person to work on the go, much like a laptop computer, but it was strictly for word processing, as it functioned essentially like a simple digital typewriter. The Dana (one of the last devices made by AlphaSmart) was an exception, as this device also ran Palm OS applications. Since the AlphaSmart, Dana, and NEO were specialized for limited purposes, they were generally much cheaper than a standard laptop computer. All of these devices were meant to be plugged into an ADB, PS/2, or USB port for transferring the written text into a computer's word processing document for further editing (such as indentation and font preference) or printing if so desired.

The AlphaSmart saved every keystroke directly to the machine's RAM, which was maintained by a battery backup even when powered down. AlphaSmarts could transfer data either by a special program that communicated with the AlphaSmart or by the simpler method of transmitting the keystrokes of the written text as if it were the computer's keyboard. When not transferring text, the AlphaSmart could be used as a standard keyboard.

Alphasmart 3000 Software

AlphaSmarts were very popular in schools^{[citation needed]} for their affordability and durability. Elementary schools and high schools used them; and they were particularly popular among special education departments for use by students with graphomotor challenges^{[citation needed]}.

The machines were also popular among journalists and writers, who found them easy to carry and appreciated the full-size keyboard and long battery life.^[2]

Company[edit]

Intelligent Peripheral Devices, Inc.^[2] was founded in 1992 by two previous Apple Computer engineers, Ketan Kothari^[3] and Joe Barrus,^[4][5] with the mission to 'develop and market affordable, portable personal learning solutions for the classroom' and to 'deliver affordable, lightweight, rugged portable computing devices that are expandable, easy to use and manage, and provide exceptional battery life.' Shortly after its founding they were joined by Ketan's brother Manish.^[6][7] Later, they changed the name of the company to AlphaSmart, Inc.^[8][9][10]

Barrus and Kothari also hold a US patent on a 'portable keyboard computer', applied for in 1992 and granted in 1995.^[11]

AlphaSmart, Inc. completed its initial public offering (IPO) on the NASDAQ on February 6, 2004 and started trading under the symbol ALSM. In June 2005, it was acquired by Renaissance Learning (NASDAQ: RLRN). The name changed again in the Spring of 2009, this time to NEO Direct, Inc. They went on to release the Neo2^[12] and 2Know Responder^[13] hardware products.

AlphaSmart products[edit]

AlphaSmart[edit]

The original AlphaSmart computer companion was shipped in August 1993, and worked only with Apple Macintosh and Apple IIGS computers, plugging into the Apple Desktop Bus (ADB) port. This model provided customers with 16 'pages' of memory (32,000 bytes) for eight separate files (2 pages per file), that were accessed by pressing the corresponding function key. The AlphaSmart took on the aesthetics of the computer it was intended to be partnered with — it had a boxy, durable beige plastic case like the IIGS and Macintoshes of that era. It had a four-line LCD character display similar to what one would find on some appliances. Each character was displayed in its own LCD 'box,' making the point size and font type fixed. The AlphaSmart could not display graphics, except for ASCII art. It ran on 2 AA batteries and could be used for days at a time due to a power-saving technique, that effectively allowed it to 'sleep' in between keystrokes. There was a rechargeable nickel-cadmium battery (NiCad) pack add-on that a customer could purchase separately.

The early AlphaSmart models included a couple of jokes, including a reference to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. If, while using the calculator, the answer is 42, the words 'The answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything' appear. Or, if the input was 1+1, the calculator would say, 'That's too easy.'

Alphasmart Neo 3

AlphaSmart Pro[edit]

In February 1995, the AlphaSmart Pro was launched. This looked almost identical to the original but had a PS/2 port as well as an ADB port, making it compatible with both Windows PCs, as well as the Apple IIGS and Macintoshes. Second, the Pro had a 'find' feature to search stored text. Third, the AlphaSmart Pro was able to receive text from a computer through 'Get Utility' software installed on a Mac or Windows PC. Lastly, it included a password feature for securing content. The Pro model was able to store up to 64 pages of text (128,000 bytes), holding 16 pages in the first file, 8 pages in files two through five, 6 in files six & seven, and 4 pages on file number eight. The original rechargeable NiCad battery pack could also be used in the Pro model.

AlphaSmart 2000[edit]

In October 1997, AlphaSmart introduced the third generation of the AlphaSmart family, the AlphaSmart 2000. Along with a more ergonomic design, the case of the AlphaSmart 2000 was curvy and blue. New features added were spell-checking, direct printing (allowing a user to plug into a printer directly, bypassing a computer), auto-off power save, and a keyboarding timer. A year later, the company added infrared capability to the 2000, enabling users to transfer text to a computer or another AlphaSmart without a cable. This model needed 3 AA batteries, but could still use the original rechargeable NiCd battery pack. Like the AlphaSmart Pro, it had a 128 kB memory.

AlphaSmart 3000[edit]

In January 2000, the AlphaSmart 3000 was released. The 3000 used the same chassis as the AlphaSmart 2000, but it was now encased in translucent bondi-blue plastic, matching Apple Computer's first generation iMac. This was meant to be a visual indication that the AlphaSmart 3000 was a USB native device, as many other USB devices were patterned using the iMac's design in the same way.

Designers removed the ADB and PS/2 ports, replacing them with a USB port and a mini-DIN-8 serial port. Also new was the SmartApplet architecture that was capable of extending the simple functionality of an AlphaSmart with the inclusion of SmartApplets—miniature software applications that extend the AlphaSmart's functionality to give it features beyond basic word processing. For example, it included a simple 5-function calculator. Additionally, the battery life and memory were increased (although it still ran on 3 AA batteries), and cut/copy/paste functions were introduced. The original rechargeable NiCd battery pack was not compatible with this model. Instead, it used a new optional nickel metal hydride battery (NiMH) pack that lasted longer and eliminated the memory effect of NiCd batteries. The AlphaSmart 3000 had the customary 8 files, each with a capacity of 12.5 pages (about 25 kilobytes), for a total of 100 pages altogether.

AlphaSmart announced the discontinuation of the AlphaSmart on April 30, 2006.^[14]

Dana[edit]

In June 2002,^[16] AlphaSmart released the Dana product which was a radical departure from their standard product line. Similar to Apple Computer's 1997 NewtoneMate 300 (a laptop running the Newton PDA operating system), the Dana, FCC ID KV2DANA001, was a fully fledged Palm OS device complete with a touch-screen, allowing a user to write directly on the screen via Graffiti in addition to typing on the built-in, full-size keyboard. The Dana's screen had a backlight and was capable of displaying complex graphics (though only in 4 bit grayscale), unlike the original AlphaSmart line. It had 8 mebibyte (MiB) of storage and two expansion slots for cards in Secure Digital (SD) or Multimedia Card formats. It was compatible with nearly every Palm OS application, and some Palm apps could take advantage of the Dana's extra-wide screen, which was 3.5 times the norm (560 x 160 pixels).

The Dana's primary software was the built-in Alphawrite word processor. This is a licensed version of Wordsmith for Palm OS by Blue Nomad,^[17] customized for the Dana's wider screen. Up to eight Alphawrite documents could be resident at one time, each instantly accessible via the Dana's eight function keys. It was a simple matter to also switch between the Alphawrite documents and any of the four standing built-in application native to Palm OS (Memo Pad, Datebook, Todo, Address Book). Larger size fonts could be selected from within Alphawrite to compensate for the low-contrast screen display's being somewhat difficult to read.

The screen could be used in either landscape mode or portrait mode, though there is no auto-detection of how the Dana is positioned; the user had to tap a menu selection to choose the mode.

The screen was taller than that of the original AlphaSmart products, and the Dana's casing was made from opaque dark-blue plastic—a change from the iMac-esque clear blue of the AlphaSmart 3000. It used either a Ni-MH rechargeable battery or 3 AA batteries for up to 25 hours of usage.

Danas produced near the end of its production run were modified because many users complained that their Danas were frequently turning themselves on when carried in a container, such as a backpack, depleting the battery charge. This was because the on-off switch was getting depressed and switching the device on. Version 1.5 of the Dana OS provided a way to require both the Enter and On/Off keys to power it up, making it less likely that both keys would be depressed accidentally. This was accessed through the system Keyboard App.

The Dana had an IRDA compatible infrared port for transferring documents and files. This was a convenient way to back up files for those who had access to multiple Danas.

Dana Wireless[edit]

One year later, in 2003,^[18] AlphaSmart added the Dana Wireless model (FCC ID KV2DANA002) which added built-in Wi-Fi connectivity for internet use & interaction with other Danas, doubled the RAM capacity from 8 MiB to 16 MiB, doubled flash ROM from 4 MiB to 8 MiB, and added SDIO support to the SD card slots. It used 3 AA batteries (standard or Ni-MH or Ni-Cad) for up to 20 hours of usage.^[19][20]

Neo[edit]

The Neo model was introduced in August 2004 and could hold more than 200 pages of text. Its LCD was 50% larger than the AlphaSmart 3000's display. Unlike the 3000, it didn't use fixed blocks for each character and therefore, could display different font/point sizes, along with simple graphics. The Neo also ran a newer operating system that allowed for modular control of SmartApplets and a new version of AlphaWord (the word processing SmartApplet), which allowed dynamic file resizing. The CPU was a 33MHz DragonballVZ, which is a 68000-based processor made by Freescale/Motorola.^[21] The Neo's chassis was a dark opaque shade of green with its form factor based on the Dana. It used the same optional NiMH battery pack as the AlphaSmart Dana. Initially, the Neo had several software bugs, such as a hard-to-see cursor and a text-stacking file corruption problem.

In 2007, the Neo 2 added several minor upgrades to the original Neo and was the first unit released after AlphaSmart was acquired by Renaissance Learning.^[22][23][24] It added quiz functionality, using the 2Know! Toolbar, which was developed for the 2Know! Classroom Response System. Teachers could create, distribute, and score quizzes using the Neo 2. Neo 2 could also access Accelerated Reader quizzes and allow students to use network printers, when using the Renaissance Receiver accessory.^[25]

Both the Neo and Neo 2 were discontinued by Renaissance Learning in late September 2013, although the company still offers support and software to existing users as of March 2014.^[1]

References[edit]

1. ^ ^ab'NEO Direct - Perfect for All Writing Needs'. NEO Direct, Inc. Archived from the original on 2013-11-14. Retrieved 8 June 2017. We have reached the end of our NEO 2 inventory, and we will no longer be producing any additional units — but this isn’t goodbye.
2. ^ ^ab'AlphaSmart 2000, of Interest to Writers'. Chin Chet Mooi.
3. ^James Sloan. AlphaSmart - an Education Case Study
4. ^'Outstanding Alumnus Award for 2009 - ee@byu 2010'(PDF). Archived from the original(PDF) on 2016-05-11. Retrieved 2017-06-09.
5. ^Seba, Tony (1 September 2006). Winners Take All - The 9 Fundamental Rules of High Tech Strategy. Lulu.com. ISBN9781847289537. Retrieved 9 June 2017 – via Google Books.
6. ^Jeremy Weisz (4 December 2014). 'Manish Kothari Interview'. inspiredinsider.com. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
7. ^4 December 2014
8. ^'AlphaSmart'. www.lawinsider.com. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
9. ^'AlphaSmart: A History of One of Ed-Tech's Favorite (Drop-Kickable) Writing Tools'. Hack Education. 25 July 2015. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
10. ^'AlphaSmart - Richard's Notes'. richardsnotes.org. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
11. ^'US Patent'. google.com. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
12. ^'NEO Download Center - Software for NEO 1 and NEO 2 Devices'. Archived from the original on 2012-08-25.
13. ^'2Know! Classroom Response System - overview'. Renaissance Learning.
14. ^'AlphaSmart.com'. alphasmart.com. Archived from the original on 2005-03-24. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
15. ^Cohen, Peter (17 August 2003). 'AlphaSmart updates Dana for back-to-school season'. Macworld.
16. ^'AlphaSmart Dana Palm OS Laptop Available Now'. www.palminfocenter.com. Retrieved 2019-08-03.
17. ^'The WordSmith Word Processor for the Palm OS'. danbricklin.com. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
18. ^Flegal, Matt (2003-09-09). 'AlphaSmart Announces Availability of Dana Wireless; Affordable Palm OS Laptop Alternative Now Offers Built-in Wi-Fi Connectivity' (Press release). PRNewswire. Retrieved 2014-04-15.
19. ^Fadhley, Mohd Nazley (2003-12-22). 'AlphaSmart Dana Wireless'. PalmX.org. Archived from the original on 2014-04-08. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
20. ^Binks, Kate (2003-08-13). 'New Version of Dana by AlphaSmart Introduced' (Press release). PR Newswire. Retrieved 2014-04-15.
21. ^https://hackaday.com/2020/11/05/alphasmart-neo-teardown-this-is-the-way-to-write-without-distractions/
22. ^https://www.engadget.com/2007/06/25/renaissance-learning-intros-neo-2-laptop/
23. ^'RENAISSANCE LEARNING, INC'. www.sec.gov. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
24. ^'Form 8-K'. www.sec.gov. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
25. ^'AlphaSmart.com'. alphasmart.com. Archived from the original on 2007-10-05. Retrieved 9 June 2017.

External links[edit]

• Renaissance Learning, Inc., parent company
• AlphaSmart Forum - flickr
• AlphaSmart Photos - flickr