Pros/cons of AlphaSmart/laptop

nancy sv · Jan 12, 2008

We are trying to figure out what to take with us on our bike trip to Argentina and one of the options is the AlphaSmart rather than a laptop. I have a student who uses an AlphaSmart at school, but I suspect hers is very old and they are a lot better now. In other words, I really don't know anything about hte AlphaSmarts that are out there now.

So - what are the pros and cons of laptop vs AlphaSmart? How easy is it to download files onto a computer? Do you still need special software? (My student can only download her work onto my computer - it's the only one in the school with the software)

If you were going on an extended bicycle tour, would you choose a laptop or a laptop? Why?

scarletpeaches · Jan 12, 2008

I loves my Neo. :LilLove:

I'll get the cons out of the way first: There are none. Really. Unless you want to take a computer along for internet access or games, or storing photos.

Pros: It's very light. Instant-on with either one or two keypresses. I use two, to stop me bumping the on button when it's in the briefcase. It can handle around 75k words but there's also a background memory, where you can bump files onto that and use one of the workspaces you've freed up. I'm not sure exactly how that works though, how much there is in reserve as I've never needed to use it.

You do need special software, but that comes with the Neo. You can either go into AlphaSmart Manager and upload everything from your Neo (which does not delete from the Neo itself, in case you want to keep copies of your work on it) or simply plug it into your computer, open up Word and press 'send'. Beware when doing this though; I tried it once and forgot to switch off the Home Typist sound effects I've got on this computer; over 9,000 at a mile a minute, each letter appearing on the screen with the accompanying sound effect from my laptop.

Oh, and the battery power's amazing. I've just crossed the 40k barrier and the batteries (3 x AAA) are still only at 97%.

JimmyB27 · Jan 12, 2008

I would choose a laptop because a) I already have one, and b) because I am an enormous geek and I need my fix of gaming

Unfortunately I don't really know anything about AlphaSmarts either. I'm not sure if they went ahead with it, but one idea the guys behind the $100 laptop were throwing around was for it to be made available to the public at twice the price. The idea being that you get one for yourself and also pay for one for a kid in Africa. Maybe that would work? Those things do look pretty nifty, and small and light too.

nancy sv · Jan 12, 2008

scarlet - the AlphaSmart will be useless for us if we can't get the info off it. We will be traveling around and would have that instead of a computer. If we went that route, we would be stopping at libraries/internet cafes and having to connect the Alpha to the computers there. Would that be possible? If you had to load the special softward onto your home computer in order to use the thing, then it won't work for us.

nancy sv · Jan 12, 2008

JimmyB27 said:
The idea being that you get one for yourself and also pay for one for a kid in Africa. Maybe that would work? Those things do look pretty nifty, and small and light too.

I love the idea of that one, but the computer is so limited it won't work. We checked into that a while ago because it sounded perfect - if anything could have handled the demands of a cycling tour, that one could have!

eek_a_snake · Jan 12, 2008

nancy sv said:
I love the idea of that one, but the computer is so limited it won't work. We checked into that a while ago because it sounded perfect - if anything could have handled the demands of a cycling tour, that one could have!

I'm not sure how it's more limited than a lightweight word processor, but I think the XO laptops were only made available (to the general public) for a limited time anyway.

IceCreamEmpress · Jan 12, 2008

I recommend the NEC 900, and I recommend buying a used one from eBay--you can get one there for between $100 and $200.

It's smaller than a laptop, but it has Ethernet email capability and it interfaces with all Windows machines.

FennelGiraffe · Jan 12, 2008

Have you looked at the Asus Eee?

Siddow · Jan 12, 2008

You're going to be blogging from the road, right? I'd go with the laptop then. You're still going to have to stop off somewhere with internet access, and you'll have much less trouble accessing the internet from your own computer rather than finding someone who will let you upload from your Neo to their computer to the internet.

There's a 12" ThinkPad that only weighs two pounds. (sniff, that's the one I wanted, hubby got me a honking 15" instead) There's also a very petite Sony Vaio that weighs nothing, but they keyboard isn't as big as the ThinkPad.

nancy sv · Jan 12, 2008

Thanks for the suggestions!! We'll check them out - we really aren't sure what the options are, so please keep suggesting things. I think we need a laptop in order to keep up with the blogging, but my husband doesn't want to lug one. I just can't see how we will keep up with all the writing if we don't have something with us! We had a hard enough time on our last trip - and this time we will be doing even more writing than before (now we've got our blog AND Reach the World).

wildcatter67 · Jan 12, 2008

Definately check out the Asus Eee. It comes with Linux, but you can put XP on it. I DUN Hack my Treo 755p to the Eee and I get free internet service anywhere I can pick up a phone signal. http://forum.eeeuser.com/

Another option is to buy a portable folding keyboard for a Treo and you can type right on the phone, then e-mail it if you like. I'm not sure if you can post to a blog directly from a Treo. Do a search or ask at http://discussion.treocentral.com/index.php

You can even watch a few TV channels on the Treo with the $15.00 a month Sprint data plan (includes internet and e-mail). An extra $5.00 will give you more channels. With the DUN Hack you can watch slower multimedia TV channels on the Eee. AmericaFree works well on both the Treo and the Eee. http://www.americafree.tv/index.shtml.

If you get to a hot spot you have more TV channel options and can even look into slingbox, which will allow you to tap into your home cablebox.

The Eee with Linux is $400.00. Adding XP will cost you more, but you need it if you are going to DUN hack it to a cell phone.

scarletpeaches · Jan 12, 2008

I had to send out some Neolove, but I think for your needs, the laptop would be best. I'm not sure but I think you'd need to install the necessary software on any computer you use - and it would have to have either MS Word or notepad programs on it, in which to save your documents.

So, much as I am a Neophile, I recommend the computer, too.

nancy sv · Jan 12, 2008

Thanks!! I suspected the AlphaSmart wouldn't work for us. I will certainly look at the Asus Eee.

pdr · Jan 13, 2008

Er, I think...

I might be missing something here but are you going to be stopping every night in places with electricity where you can recharge your laptop or gadget?

If not why can't you use an Alpha Neo and download it into the computers at an e-mail cafe? A computer does NOT need the Alpha Smart Manager Programme to download. ONLY for taking stuff off a computer. This is what is so bloody good about the Alpha, you can download into any computer anywhere. So You could download your diary or blog and send it via e-mail or use the computer word processing programme to get into your blog.

Frankly the battery life of the Alpha is so good, as is its ability to take shocks and spills and bangs. I'd rather take one cycling than a lap top which won't work once you've had a couple of crashes.

I've been tramping with mine. My son uses one for all his research and this is tough, up in the mountains or hacking through bush work. The Alpha really gets beaten up but still works. The only time he had to buy a new one was when he was washed down a river and soaked everything. Even then the brute downloaded all his stuff perfectly before dying!

Oh and if you go for a mobile phone or other gadget do make sure they will work in Argentina. Check this out before you buy. And think about having a lap top which is very desirable and may well attract a thief as opposed to the Alpha which is not obviously an internet toy.

nancy sv · Jan 13, 2008

So are you saying that the AlphaSmart does NOT need special software? If we had an AlphaSmart with us on the tour and wrote our blog entries and stuff like that while camping out, we could walk into any library or internet cafe and upload it all to their computers so we could format it and put it on the blog? I really do like the AlphaSmart for its durability, but it had other limitations.

We just haven't decided which way we want to go - part of us says we should get a laptop so that we can manipulate photos and work on the website, and another part says we should just have typing capabilities with us and depend on internet cafes for everything else. I dunno - there are pros and cons both ways.

pdr · Jan 13, 2008

Yep!

You can download into any computer without the Alph Smart manager.

You cannot upload stuff without the Manger programme.

I have done this but I advise you to check at the makers' site and ask there.

nancy sv · Jan 13, 2008

Hmmm... that's interesting! I'll research this a bit more before we dismiss the AlphaSmart.

kuwisdelu · Jan 13, 2008

wildcatter67 said:
Definately check out the Asus Eee. It comes with Linux, but you can put XP on it. I DUN Hack my Treo 755p to the Eee and I get free internet service anywhere I can pick up a phone signal. http://forum.eeeuser.com/

Although why anyone would want to ruin a good Linux machine with Windows is a mystery...

Sorry, I had to.

From what it sounds like, there ARE AlphaSmarts that don't require software, but if that's something you need, just make sure to do a little extra research on whatever model you decide on to make sure.

The biggest plus I can think of for an AlphaSmart would be the battery life, since I'm not sure how often you'll have access to power.

If it were me and power weren't too big an issue, I'd definitely take my MacBook for all the extra things I could do.... pictures for blog, random needs for other programs/diversions, for the cafes only have internet but no machines... I would ask how sure you are that machines at cafes will have whatever non-specialty software you may need to upload your blogging, etc., like Word or whatever else you may need. I, for one, have never been in a cafe that had actual computers, only wireless internet. Maybe I just go to the wrong cafes...

pdr · Jan 13, 2008

Yes, but...

do your Argentina research carefully.

Do internet cafes there have computers to use as they do in Japan, the UK and NZ?

A colleague from the staff of a magazine I write for works mainly in the remote areas of Asia and the Middle East uses an Alpha Smart Neo. His photographs he saves on the photo cards or on film. I believe he e-mails them too but I wouldn't take that for a fact. I can't ask him right now as he's out in the back of beyond for another month!

JeanneTGC · Jan 13, 2008

Why not the Dana or Dana Wireless from Alpha Smart? (I just went onto the website, because this sounds like a great product.) It's got internet in it as well as more computer-type programs, running on a Palm OS. A bit more money, but it sounds like a viable option if you're traveling.

nancy sv · Jan 13, 2008

We're not sure exactly what we will find as far as internet in South America, but in Mexico last year we had no problem finding internet cafes with actual computers. We did not have a laptop of any kind with us and relied on them exclusively. It makes sense really - the people there don't have money for their own computers in their houses, so there are a lot more internet cafes where people can pay a small amount to check email and whatnot. That being said, we never had any idea what we would find on those computers and there were a lot of times when we had trouble getting our photos uploaded - we posted hte blog entry and then added photos later. It would be more convenient to have a laptop, but there are drawbacks to that too....

benbradley · Jan 13, 2008

pdr said:
You can download into any computer without the Alph Smart manager.

You cannot upload stuff without the Manger programme.

I have done this but I advise you to check at the makers' site and ask there.

How exactly does it connect to the computer? USB cable? Something else?

JeanneTGC · Jan 13, 2008

Here's a link to Alpha Smart's site.

http://www.alphasmart.com/Retail/

pdr · Jan 13, 2008

Yep!

USB cable. Very quick and easy.

nancy sv · Jan 14, 2008

Wow. OK - I'll think on that and decide what we really need!

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