Those of you who have been reading this blog for a while know that I've talked about my little green writing companion more than once. A year and a half ago, I got out the credit card and ordered a brand new AlphaSmart NEO from the manufacturer, after reading dozens of gushing reviews from other writers. It arrived, I started using it, and it has since become my most indispensable gadget, and the best $219 I've ever spent on anything.

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Paul and I have completely different interests, but we share that common goal of writing. This made me start to think about other people that might like the Neo. I talked to the very courteous and very helpful people that make the Neo and they told me that one of their markets is the classroom. And a great fit it is.

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I will admit it, I am a bit of a Ludite, and I am proud of it. My Telephone makes phone calls, it does not take photos, play videos, or even MP3’s, it just makes phone calls. My watch tells me the time, and it does it in easy clear to read numbers, it does not have GPS, a pedometer, or an altimeter in it. My printer prints, it does not fax, copy, scan, or make coffee. I am a firm believer in keeping things simple, with simple there is less to go wrong.

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Ok, lets deal with what the Neo is not, it doesn'’t internet, it doesn'’t email, it doesn'’t MP3, and it doesn'’t make cell phone calls or take pictures, it doesn'’t even Wi-Fi at Starbucks! So what use is this device, I hear you ask?

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Work/life balance: Valley Moms Share Their Best High-Tech Tools
November 8th, 2007

by Karina Bland

Daphne Atkeson of Paradise Valley carries her NEO, a portable keyboard by AlphaSmart, just about everywhere she goes. "It's perfect for brainstorming, catching odd thoughts and draft writing," she says. Atkeson is the author of 20 romantic comedies (she uses the pen name Dawn Atkins), including her most recent, Swept Away.

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A new smart phone has changed my traveling life
October, 2007

by Brian Byrne

As part of my work as a journalist I travel a lot. And to make best use of my time, I need to be able to communicate back to the office fairly easily, often sending back stuff I've worked on while in an airport or on a plane.

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Tough Times in Lebanon
by Robert W. Easton

Wednesday, July 19th, 2006
The NEO goes to war

I have moved to an energy conservation mode for these posts. That means that my writing will be on an Alphasmart NEO, and downloaded to my laptop, as power allows. Energy efficient, portable, sturdy, they are terrific. Is this a commercial for Alphasmart? Well, I have used them in classrooms on three continents, and I think they are the greatest piece of technology to come into the classroom since Apples first invaded, but no, I am not advertising, just advocating.

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Have Neo, will travel far
by Brian Byrne

After five weeks in often very difficult conditions when NEO was my constant writing tool, it is time to record just how it performed. To recap, I was traveling with the Land Rover G4 Challenge, one of only four journalists who covered the whole four weeks of the event from among some 250 of my colleagues who otherwise did a week of the gig apiece.

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NEO Review
May, 2006

by Sam Cox

Sam Cox of Education Today has been reviewing the Neo for the past two months within the office environment.

"The Neo has been fantastic, it is quick, simple and fun to use. I have taken it away on various business trips because it is so lightweight. When I have been interviewing clients, it's been so handy to use as it saves me having to keep opening and saving files!

"My mum, dad and fiancée are all teachers and they have each in turn taken the Neo into school with them. They have received positive feedback from their students and believe that it is definitely great value for money."

Battle for hearts and minds
March 30th, 2006

by Pete Henshaw

English teachers will be well aware of the amount of government pressure and media attention towards attitudes to reading and writing. Developers of classroom technology are taking advantage of schools’ battles to get their students writing with enthusiasm. One such piece of kit is AlphaSmart’s futuristically named Neo – a lightweight computer companion that can be handed out to children in the classroom for them to work on.

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Laptops are dead - long live AlphaSmart
July 23rd, 2005

by Jack Barker

I used a Neo on a recent trip to Jordan and found it a fabulously versatile travel tool. I type about as fast as I write and used to take notes on the road, to record interviews as I chatted to people, and to use idle moments to fill type in impressions. Usually I read books during dead travel time: with the Alphasmart you can use the same time to write one.

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NEO by AlphaSmart
January/February, 2005

by Charles Dee

I think every elementary school should have at least one classroom set of these excellent devices. The Neo by AlphaSmart also has some home and/or home-schooling applications. Some users may even like to use it instead of a laptop or handheld device for note-taking, as it is smaller and more portable than a laptop and has a nicer keyboard than most handhelds. Highly recommended.

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A NEO experience
January/February, 2005

by Brian Asbury

Like its predecessor, the Neo combines affordability with robustness and practicality to provide word processing functionality just about anywhere.

AlphaSmart have come up with a real winner in this new addition to its range, and this is a worthy successor to the AlphaSmart 3000. The larger display is a real plus point, and its lightness and the legendary robustness of the AlphaSmart product, coupled with its ease of use, make it perfect for any classroom but doubly so for special needs use, while its portability and long battery life make it a valuable tool to take along on field trips.

I predict that we'll be seeing a lot of these in schools before very long.

Tomorrow's world, today
January 11th, 2005

by John Davitt

Alphasmart (W60, www.alphasmart.com), which makes rugged, portable word processors, has produced a new version and offers a trade-in-for-cash scheme for early models. The new Neo word processor is a significantly improved device with a full-sized keyboard and all-day battery. It also features a 50% larger display area and double the memory of earlier models. Screen display is excellent and the font is suitable for younger learners. At just over £200 each, the idea of a set of word processors for the primary classroom suddenly looks more affordable.

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The NEO word processor from AlphaSmart
January 6th, 2005

by John Galloway

The Neo is the latest addition to the range of portable word-processors from Alphasmart.
Like its forerunners, it is small and light, with tremendous staying power - 700 hours on 3 AA batteries.

The Neo is a tool that pupils of all ages and abilities could benefit from, not just those with a range of special needs.

NEO AlphaSmart
December, 2004

by Pam Turnbull

The Neo is very portable: it is light, with robust keys and solid feel. The typeface is clear and child-friendly, whichever size you choose. A spellchecker and thesaurus are included. A nice touch is that you can add to the spellchecker, and it's in British English, not American English.

Test Drive - AlphaSmart NEO
December 1st, 2004

by Jeffrey Hastings

If Henry David Thoreau were alive today and planning a little pondside self-reflection, what writing tool might he choose to tuck into his Spartan rucksack? Obviously, a desktop or laptop wouldn't do; both have an appetite for power and a level of complexity that would exceed his basic needs and thus offend his personal philosophy. How about pencil and paper? Nah. The man was a pragmatist, not a Luddite. My guess is that he'd tote an AlphaSmart Neo.

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NEO Creates New Possibilities
November 29th, 2004

by Catherine Roseberry

The Neo from AlphaSmart provides mobile professionals with an alternative to using a laptop or PDA when collecting information or creating data driven documents. Companies that rely on data input from their mobile workers but don't need Internet access will find the Neo is up to the task. Take a closer look at what the Neo offers and how it can benefit your mobile work-style.

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