The Freewrite Alpha - thoughts and ramblings

I have long been a fan of the "distraction-free writing" principle, using as I do an AlphaSmart 3000 amongst other devices to write without the distractions/complexity/faff of a full-sized laptop. Indeed, I used that very machine to draft this as I can just about use it whilst my back recovers, whereas sitting with a laptop is still a no-no at present. Once again, thank you to my good lady for doing the transfer and layout. Anyhoo, amongst the hardware that I have mentioned in the past (but have never purchased) is the Freewrite range of writing tools from Astrohaus. The full size Freewrite and the more portable Traveller have been on the market for a while now and, whilst reviewing reasonably well, have always fallen foul at the cost-benefit analysis stage. You may be more productive but for what are effectively electronic typewriters, they are pricey - the Freewrite is £576, the Traveller £433 respectively on Amazon UK at the time of this post. According to the latest news from Astrohaus, that may be about to change. 

Screenshot of the Alpha website.

Having been teased for the last couple of weeks, Astrohaus have finally announced their latest device, the Alpha. Taking its cue from the long-dead AlphaSmart brand (including using the domain name), the Alpha is a slate style writing device that brings the concept of the AlphaSmart into the modern day. Or so it appears. 

As you can see, it's not a bad looking device, although it could be equally at home in the bathroom as well as a table top. It very much looks functional. Spec wise, it has a claimed 100 hour battery life, a reflective 6 or 4 line display (dependent on text size), low profile key switches, a kickstand for angling the device, a one million page internal storage and a weight of less than two pounds. Dimensions are 215x320x18mm. Connectivity is either via USB-C or Wifi. So what's not to like?

Buckle up, gentle reader!

Let's go with the price first. When you eventually get to this page here, you can see that the price for early bird buyers in $249, rising to $349 later on. That's about £210 and £295 (at the time of writing). For an early bird price, that's something I'd be prepared to pay, albeit at the upper limit. However, there are two issues with this: firstly, does that price include tax - in the UK, that would be VAT which is charged at 20%. If I buy either of the other Freewrite machines on Amazon, VAT is included in the price. Secondly, what are the postage costs? 

Another important question is: does this device actually exist? Aside from the images on the website, there is nothing to say that these aren't just renders. Also, Astrohaus are taking $1 payments as an expression of interest that, should you choose to, you can cancel before production begins. The website does not state how or when you will be told this - I really think they should detail the whole purchasing process. Additionally, there is no release date. Ok, you say, it's only $1, but I am still handing over money on the expectation of receiving goods when I pay the rest of the balance, but Astrohaus haven't given any indication as to when that will be. 

This very much feels like Astrohaus are trying to get a product out without using a crowdfunding site. I can understand why. Both Kickstarter and Indiegogo charge fees which would impact the overall amount they would have to earn before being successfully funded. But here's the thing. If this were a Kickstarter, there would have to be proof of hardware before the funding could begin - that proof is lacking at the moment.

Speaking of the hardware, I would like to see and hear how that keyboard performs - after all, the typing experience is a key (oh dear!) part of using such devices. I'd also like to know more about that screen - the six line 15pt option would seem to be tiny on the images displayed. I'd probably use the four line 26pt option, but I really want to see this in action before dropping the best part of three hundred quid on the Alpha. A demo video of real life hardware to go with the slick website would be wonderful.

It is not my intention to give the Alpha a kicking, nor Astrohaus' approach to selling new hardware. My concerns are valid - as any potential purchaser would want to know: what's the device like in action, how much am I on the hook for, and if I do sign up, when will I get the goods? I dearly love using my AlphaSmart 3000 but it is slowly on its way out so a replacement is going to be needed. I have emailed Astrohaus an asked about the pricing, delivery, timeline and cancellation process. If I get a reply, I'll share that on Twitter. I'll also pop it into the AlphaSmart, QuickPAD and Portable Word Processor Enthusiasts Group on Facebook here. For the time being, this is definitely a "maybe" product. If more information is forthcoming and the potential price stays closer to £200 rather than £300, then I am tempted. If not, all I can say is that I wish them the best of luck.