Thoughts on Portable Word Processors?

Never mind, misread question.

Computers can be frustrating at times, but, really, in today's world you just about have to put up with them (even though they take time, money, and, at times, you want to throw the damn thing out the window).

That said, there are those AlphaSmart word processors; and some people seem to really like them. I'm surprised they haven't just about been replaced by netbooks.

I'm not sure why you've had so many document files lost (are you using Word?). Over the past 20 or 30 years I really haven't lost that many Word-type files (my day job was in engineering and we worked with huge graphic files; there were often problems with those kinds of files for one reason or another--some of them are 50 to 100 Mb each).

Maybe we can help you set up a system for saving and backing up your files.

My experience with personal word processors was miserable. I'd rather not talk about it. I'd much rather have a decent computer. Pay attention to what is happening when you save things, and BACK UP.

I bought an Alphasmart Neo back in 2006 before Netbooks were the rage. Cost me something like $200, might have been a bit less, they'd just dropped the price, and was worth every penny.

It's a great first draft machine. AA batteries last me about 9 months to a year. Lightweight, more than any laptop at the time, and so much cheaper. Can't edit on it or do anything but write. I wanted a portable device to write on without the expense of a laptop, and it was perfect.

I still use it sometimes, even though I also have a laptop. I also bought my daughter, who was 10 at the time, an earlier version from Alphasmart off eBay. It's the model just before they developed the Neo, I think the Alphasmart 3000, that has a see-through blue shell and looks a bit like a Speak-N-Spell. It was very old with stiff keys, and worked like a charm for her. She used it to write stories on long car trips. It still works. I've written on it, too. The Neo keyboard is far superior, but the 3000 is usable.

The Neo is only about $169 dollars now, far cheaper than a Netbook. It's just important to remember that it's only for writing. You can only see a few lines at a time, so I find it impossible to edit on. It's a durable, lightweight, portable writing machine. My only cheaper option would have been pen and paper, and I can't read my handwriting. It uses a USB cord to attach to your computer to download the text from one of 8 different files. It's a brilliant little machine. You'll still have to have a computer, though. Backup frequently, save things online somewhere and maybe on a thumb drive or external media. Backups are the key to not hating technology.

I expect the Neo will last for several more years--it'll outlive this laptop, I know. When it's time to replace this old Dell, I'll probably go with a netbook of some kind that I can write and edit on, as long as the keyboard isn't too small (the Neo keyboard is full-sized). I won't give up my Neo, but if/when it eventually dies, I'm not sure whether I'll replace it if I have a lightweight netbook at that time.

Shelley

Honestly, What the hell is a portable word processor? I own a $350 Acer subnotebook with a 7-hour battery life that I take everywhere. I have OpenOffice on it, and I use it almost exclusively for word-processing (plus as a backup storage device for other business files from elsewhere). How much did this "portable word-processor" cost?

caw

blacbird said:

Honestly, What the hell is a portable word processor? I own a $350 Acer subnotebook with a 7-hour battery life that I take everywhere. I have OpenOffice on it, and I use it almost exclusively for word-processing (plus as a backup storage device for other business files from elsewhere). How much did this "portable word-processor" cost?

caw

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My reply contained a pretty lengthy explanation of when, why and how much.

Shelley

Isn't a laptop a portable word processor?

Shadow_Ferret said:

Isn't a laptop a portable word processor?

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In the way a car is a portable chair.

Shelley

Not quite. A car was never used as a portable chair.

We can discuss the differences and similarities between word processors and computers, but I thought it was clear what the OP was referring to: a dedicated portable word processor like the AlphaSmart. A laptop can be used as a portable word processor, but there are other devices that are just used as word processors; that is their only function.

I bought an AlphaSmart about a decade ago. I was excited about the possibilities, but I found it much less useful than I thought it would be. It turns out that I like being able to re-read my previous paragraph, and I like being able to edit on the fly, and the AlphaSmart is awkward for both. Personally, I much prefer writing on a laptop.

If you're having problems with losing files, might I recommend Dropbox? It'll automatically sync your writing folder to the cloud, so'll always have a backup if things go wrong.

Cheers.

Georgina said:

If you're having problems with losing files, might I recommend Dropbox? It'll automatically sync your writing folder to the cloud, so'll always have a backup if things go wrong.

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I came here to say this and it had been said. But, let me add- I never had a problem with a hard drive or anything until last year - then my laptop zorked and made the bad smoke and now I live and die by Dropbox. Learn it. Know it. Love it.

shelleyo said:

The Neo is only about $169 dollars now, far cheaper than a Netbook. It's just important to remember that it's only for writing.

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My netbook was $200, so I wouldn't say they are far cheaper. It's a 10" netbook and I think the keyboard is 92% the size of a regular one. My brother paid $250 for his 11" netbook, which has a larger keyboard.

Personally I don't have a use for a machine like that (only seeing a few lines at a time, no editing, etc.) I would probably rather just write in a notebook. The netbook has worked out well, though, and I use it to write when I travel.

Gray.Starr, I think the best thing for you to do would be to try to figure out why you were losing so many files, and to come up with a system for creating multiple back-ups. So for example if you write on your laptop, save it there, email it to yourself, use Dropbox, use a flash drive or external hard drive--pick at least two of those options and you should be okay. (I'm paranoid, I figure I can never have too many backups and I can always delete them later.)

polleekin said:

My netbook was $200, so I wouldn't say they are far cheaper. It's a 10" netbook and I think the keyboard is 92% the size of a regular one. My brother paid $250 for his 11" netbook, which has a larger keyboard.

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Do you mind sharing which netbooks you got at those prices? When I was in the market for one, I think the cheapest I found for a new one was $350, and I was basing on that--$169 is far cheaper. One for $200-$250 would have been ideal, but I didn't see any at the time. I opted for a cheap new Vostro laptop from Dell for $400 or so--did the job.

If my Neo or laptop went out and I could get a good, new one at that price, I'm sure that'd be my choice, because I'd be looking at convenience and cost-effectiveness. The OP has other motives (but really needs to remember that even with a wp, a computer of some kind is necessary). Of course, the OP hasn't checked back since asking the question, so I doubt it matters. I'm just dying to know which netbook costs only $200. That'd be ideal for my teenager.

Shelley

shelleyo said:

Do you mind sharing which netbooks you got at those prices? Shelley

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CVS had a Sylvania Netbook for $99.00 last year, but after the initial stock was depleted, they didn't restock more. These doorstops are now for sale on Ebay - I bought one used and cheap, but the seller conveniently forgot to include the power cord, making it useless, although I did play with it for a while before I dumped it, because at least it arrived with a fully charged battery. I wasn't impressed.

Right now, Amazon has an ASUS Netbook for $229.00. Do a search for "ASUS Eee PC 1001PX-EU37-BK 10.1-Inch Netbook" and you'll find the product listing. Free shipping, and you're buying directly from Amazon with this one.

Edited to add: The Sylvania Netbook is available for $69.99 right now, from a company called 1 Sale A Day. (1saleaday, dot.com). I really wasn't happy with my Sylvania netbook, which I bought from a seller on Ebay, but you asked about netbooks under $200, and yes, they do exist.

alleycat said:

I'm not sure why you've had so many document files lost (are you using Word?). Over the past 20 or 30 years I really haven't lost that many Word-type files

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This, exactly, emphasized 100 times. If you are routinely losing files, you're doing something wrong, and it's not your computer's fault. I have worked with computers for thirty years now, for business reasons, and I work with lots of other people who do the same, and while there are complaints about some things computers do, NOBODY routinely loses files. Nobody.

But if you really want a low-cost portable word-processor, I suggest a yellow legal pad with a portable operating system called a pen. I use this every day, just about.

caw