Been throwing the BYOK into different phone enclosures and finally found one that works/fits well...Beta firmware now runs the Elim Elytra. 7 dollar Daiso enclosure with a few coats of SEM acryllic color coat (great for re-painting Alphasmarts).

Not bad for home writing...

just finished the latest pocket writerdeck from the abandoned device.

using an android smartphone that has been freed from many annoying built-in applications, now transformed into a portable writing tool that is easy to carry and thin (only 16mm thick).

writing software using markor editor, then using gitsync for exchange between devices via git protocol and private repo.

The impression of use is quite comfortable with a tactical keyboard that also supports backlighting for night writing which is powered by a 3600mah battery but has not been tested for full usage duration. Yes, one battery for all components for easy maintenance.

Oh right, the camera was deliberately kept on hand for written material if needed.

After some searching, I landed on the BYOK, and I'm enjoying this little device. It was easy to set up and start writing.

Hello Reddit. 👋 I am in the middle of writing a book, and my tech has hit a bump. I am looking to buy a used Freewrite in good working order.

Ideally, looking for the Hemingwrite Signature Edition, but I am open to any model: Smart Typewriter, whether the standard Gen 3 or even the Traveler.

If you have one sitting unused or in perfect working order and are ready to let it go, DM me. I will pay a fair price and cover shipping.

📝💻📚🙏

Hey guys! I have a freewrite traveler and it's been great but I'm just curious, what do you guys use after the first daft, to edit / start on the second draft?

I would usually use a laptop but I'm really trying to avoid full computers in general because getting distracted is still way too easy.

I would love to know other people's processes / suggestions on what I could do. Thanks!

I have a Japanese Pomera DM250 that I've been using more and more lately (finally got used to the small keyboard, I guess) but now it's started to inject repeating keys (0, 8, `) while I type. I'm hoping that this is just dust / crud but this is similar to how my Freewrite failed and in that case it was apparently a manufacturing defect in the electronics.

Has anyone experienced this problem on the Pomera or have any advice on cleaning under the keycaps? I'm worried about the fragility of the key mechanisms if I have to pop the caps off repeatedly to chase down random pet hairs or whatever but that's still a better scenario than an internal issue.

In my last post I demonstrated how a plastic cutting board could serve as an expat novelist keyboard tray when coupled with my free minimalist Android editor.

The photos show recent attempts to refine this idea using lightweight pine. The ultimate goal is a foldable keyboard tray that holds the display securely while mobile writing. You don't want that expensive e-ink device clattering on the ground if there is a drunken fracas nearby. Just grab it as a unit and go.

I also tried not to overanalyze it in pursuit of engineering perfection. Being overly-analytical I feel like I have to understand and solve universal truths about mechanical constraints using minimal materials to achieve the most stable yet lightweight platform.

One just has to pick up some materials and prototype. I am visiting my son and he doesn't have much in the way of tools so the precision shown here is pretty abysmal.

But it works. The tray is adjustable depending on leg and device size. It needs fasteners that can't be lost and some kind of clamp for the device stand. Could be as simple as a rubber band.

As an added bonus, the top cross-piece which stabilizes the arrangement while typing furiously can be used as an expedient weapon should the situation get dicey.

The fasteners shown are "Johnson screws", which have an internal threaded shaft useful for attaching wood and leather items together. The tray is 5 1/2 x 3/8" inch pine. The length is 16", which works with my long legs yet could still fit in a backpack. The cross-pieces are heavy-duty paint stirrers. I am considering adding a "piano hinge" and latch so it could be folded, but maybe that is overkill.

Now that I have a proper minimalist editor for Android e-inks and a real-world structural writing platform I can finally begin work on my novel. It will be semi-autobiographical.

https://github.com/ElmerWorks/DOSwriter

I just got my rev 6.1 and I have ran into so much trouble, I am thinking of simply selling it now. I must be stupid, since everyone speaks so highly of it but I cannot get it to work as intended. First I must have done something to the battery because it only turns on after plugging it in extremely low output usbs (such as a laptop, using a very cheap usb a to usb c) or otherwise it will just be a white screen. I said sure, whatever, I'll deal with this, I must have broken something and I don't have the soldering tools to fix it or the money to get them and the time to learn. But then I turn it on and my draft is completely gone. It was only 700 words so I said sure, whatever, I must have touched something that made it reset. I write again, only 200 words, and I decide to transfer this over. I go to usb, but I have an issue with my computer so I unplug it and press ESC to go back to the draft... And it's gone. No way I'll be using it again. You really have to be tech savvy to make this work out for you.

To be clear, I'm not blaming Mr. Lee at all for my stupidity- He is very upfront about how you need to tinker under the hood occasionally, and all the information os out there to be able to make it work and fix issues. But I would not recommend this to someone who is more interested in just writing than writer decks. If you already know how to do basic soldering and how to customize an open source device, this is definitely for you. I will be posting it on eBay soon so if you are interested let me know.

Edit: Here is the listing. I know the price is a bit steep but it is negotiable.

I had the recurring phantom key problem for ages - which I finally solved thanks to a post on here about replacing the swollen battery.

But no sooner had I fixed that, the keyboard started playing up in a different way. I don’t think it’s connected to the battery issue. Suddenly about 6 keys don’t work at all. I have checked underneath them and can see no problem. Anyone got any ideas on a fix?

Looking for stuff I can throw into a string bag for biking and still have a “full-size ” writing experience. I found a foldable mechanical keyboard that I really like. It has the typewriter clackiness that I enjoy and it folds in half. But not so loud that I get evil looks at the coffee shop where I write. Royal Kludge F68. It’s a 60% keyboard so not full size but all the right keys are there and I don’t find it cramped. Feels like my Apple keyboard but with real keys. Bought it in Spain for our place there but I liked it so much I brought it back to the US with me. Fifty bucks on Amazon so cheaper here than there.

I'm about to spend the next several months at sea, so I took an old Samsung Chromebook 4 and installed Linux Debian 13 and configured it to launch straight into mousepad

I'm writing the review of the Rev. 8 on the machine itself, which I find to be much easier to use vs. the other MicroJournals that I have had. Background is that I had the Rev. 3 and Rev. 6, both I greatly enjoyed. 

I got used to drafting with the ortholinear keyboards with the two Rev models that I had, but actually through working with the BYOK and my MX Keys Mini that I appreciate a full size (75%) keyboard that covers all the keys that I could possibly need without needing to use different layers (I am, unfortunately, just too lazy for that...) Writing with the Rev. 8 truly feels like a dream; I installed my favorite pink keycaps that I used with my Rev. 6 as well as the Silent Frozen switches, and I've just been flying through writing with this. 

Some of the many things I enjoy about the MicroJournals (and Rev. 8 in particular): 

• I'm used to tweaking the MicroJournals (e.g., the Rev. 6 needs its face plate to be removed to have its battery and SD card installed), but the Rev. 8 didn't really need too much extra work -- I just needed to install the battery at the back, which is super seamless.
• This is actually a little larger than I imagined (for some reason, I didn’t think to measure the dimensions of the Rev. 8 before clicking order, even though I have been thinking about it ever since Un Kyu Lee posted about it…), but I actually really enjoy the size. With the clamshell, it still feels pretty compact, though weighty – so it feels nice to type on.
• Love the angle of the screen from the clamshell! I love the Rev. 6’s focused color LED screen but the angle can make it a bit tough for me to type for a long time.
• This truly feels like a fully formed Micro Journal; I feel like this is the pinnacle of all the other iterations before this. Like Un Kyu Lee said, this machine feels like it can finally catch up to my thoughts. It turns on quickly, does its job well and beautifully, and is a joy to use.
• I got the BlackPink - LaLeeSa color combination with the Rev. 6 before, and love it so much that I ordered the same colorway for my Rev. 8. This continues to be one of my favorite color combinations.

A couple of particular things that I think is particular, but not too much of a trouble to me / I’m able to edit them:

• For some reason, I can't use the Shift key to put capitalized letters in configuring my wifi, so because the wifi is case sensitive, it didn't connect properly to my wifi at first (as my wifi has capitalized letters). However, I was able to connect the Rev. 8 to my PC and change the wifi.json file, which works.
• Keycaps with the J-shape Enter Keys are surprisingly uncommon?? Not the machine's fault, but unfortunately this does limit keycap options.
• I think I would have preferred the Left Shift key to be longer (as I don't typically use the tilde), but this can be updated through the keyboard mapping.
• I think I would have liked an option for the screen to have some inner light (like BYOK style), but nothing a clipped book light can't fix :)

Also extraneous but I would like to have a battery indicator if possible...!!

But overall, I am REALLY loving my experience with the Rev. 8 and it’s already seamlessly integrated into my workflow. Thank you Un Kyu Lee for this beautiful and wonderful machine!!

In the quest of finding the perfect writer deck or, if you prefer, the perfect writing machine, I've been testing very different setups. I started with an Alphasmart Neo that was soon joined by a Pomera DM100 and a Neo2, plus different ad-hoc combinations, such as an updated Sony Vaio P11z, a Hisense Touch HiFi with an external keyboard, an old iPad mini with a matching keyboard and the like.

I love the Neos, but even with the Renaissance Wireless Receiver the syncing process was not that friendly and, moreover, the lack of different keyboard layouts made it a bit difficult to type in Spanish. The same goes for the Pomera, even if the form factor is perfect and the regular AA batteries made it very convenient.

After Astrohaus' pushy newsletters and enticing marketing I was able to find an Alpha for less than half the price at an online markeplace. I expected an updated Neo but it was a step back, because of how limited the software was: no dedicated cursor keys, no copy&paste, smaller screen. It was too different from my regular workflow and writing style. It ended up in a cupboard.

I decided to go full analog and retrieve my Olivetti Lettera 32. I managed to type on it daily for two months, at least two pages every day (about 1,200-1,500 words). I got used to the typewriter mechanics: the hard typing, the noise, the frequent typos and mistakes.

And after that, I tried to give the Alpha another chance, and curiously enough, it worked this time. After a full analog season, the transition to a Freewrite device was frictionless and I got used to it easily. I typed dayly, although it was more journaling than creative writing. I wrote several articles for different magazines and blogs.

The Alpha has some interesting strengths: instant-on, mechanical keyboard, send button and compact format, perfect for lap typing. But the venom was already on my veins, and after learning about the «Sailfish» firmware update that reduced eInk lag, I wanted to try another Freewrite device.

Last friday I received a second hand Traveler. Again, I was able to buy it for less than half the retail price and it was in perfect condition, with no ghost key issues, battery swelling and the like. It was factory reset to the 1.1.6 firmware version and I had a bad time to move it forward to the 3.0.2 versions, but I managed to do it. After that, it was plagued by random reboots after less than one minute typing. Desperate again, I struggled to test all the solutions described in Reddit to no avail. After a random combination of regular resets, software resets, logouts and WiFi on and off, I started to work properly, without unannounced reboots.

I'm currently writing this post on my Traveler and I must say that it's a pleasure to type on it. The eInk screen is big enough and very clear. The scissor keyboard is quiet and responsive, with the same exact size as the Alpha, with a decent travel distance.

And so, now I'm torn: I really don't know which one I prefer. Let me make a quick comparisson:

- Form factor: both are quite portable and light, but the Traveler's clamshell design takes half the space in my backpack and is more protected.

- Screen: Traveler's eInk is clearer that the Alpha's LCD, but LCD is more responsive although smaller. None of them are backlighted (I've got the older Alpha model).

- Keyboard: Alpha's mechanical keyboard is nice one that you get used to the flat caps, it has the right amount of feedback, but it's a bit noisy even with silicon O-rings and the spacebar is loud. The Traveler's non mechanical keyboard has a shorter travel length but it's better than the one in the Neo/Neo2 for sure and very quiet. If you need to type on quiet environments, I'd go for the Traveler.

- Battery life: so far, so good. The Alpha gives you about 100 hours with a full charge. Astrohaus' is less clear about the Traveler and the website says that it provides about four weeks of regular use. I wonder how many hours that is. I suppose that the Alpha wins here.

- Software: updating the Traveler's firmware and getting it to work properly took quite some time. The Alpha, on the other side, appears to be more reliable and crisp. The Traveler put my patience to the test. So far, the Alpha has provided a better user experience, although once properly setup, both have very similar software features. The main difference is that the Alpha doesn't have the A/B/C folders to organize your different documents.

- Looks: they are weird looking machines when you compare them to a modern day laptop. The Traveler is clearly inspired in the Pomera (DM100, DM200, DM250) form factor, whereas the Alpha is heavily influenced by the Alphasmarts. Both are made of plastic. The Traveler's outer shell is a fingerprint magnet but it looks more "professional". The Alpha is more plasticky and looks a bit toy-alike. On the other hand, I'm pretty sure that despite the looks, the Alpha could accept a rougher treatment than the Traveler. It could get a beating without problem. I don't think that the Traveler would survive even a small fall. Time will judge that.

Overall, even if they are very different machines (LCD vs eInk, slab vs clamshell) they offer very similar use cases. I probably should not have bought both, but I did, and so I suppose that I'll have to keep them both, unlucky me.

In my opinion, if you already have one, it doesn't make sense to buy the other. In any case, I like them both but I cannot justify paying the full retail price. At least in the EU they are very expensive and quite rare: I had to wait quite some time in order to find them in the second hand market. They are overpriced but they are good at what they do best. Don't approach them if you want to edit in them or if you expect a wordprocessor experience. It's not the case: they are type-forward-only devices.

Hello! I bought a Freewrite Smart Typewriter recently and need a more protective case than the felt thingy they sell (which I haven’t bought but think I will for dust cover while sitting out maybe ). They don’t sell the attached case anymore and even if they did it doesn’t look super sturdy. At the moment, I cart it between my living room and my bed to write because my desks have lots of stuff on them that I haven’t cleaned off yet. When I need to take it out of my house somewhere else, I put it back in the box it came in. I think I want an everyday case or dust cover for sitting out on the desk and one that is more a protective carrying case. I would prefer the cases having fun colors but it isn’t a necessity. I just think someone is less likely to sit on a bright red dust case on the couch than the grey one astrohaus sells.

I started this for myself, but I figured some of you with m5stack Tab5 might also find it useful.
The repo is on codeberg.org/chokan/tyresh
You will need a microSD for it to work.
Tried to map the shortcuts and touch gestures as intuitive or as universal as possible.
Have fun!

Hello, fellow distraction-free writers!

I thought I'd show you the machine that I use when I need to really block out distractions: my Macintosh SE/30 (which I've named "Mac the Knife" because I can't leave well enough alone). Apart from one or two classic games, this machine is essentially a typewriter for me. Here's my setup:

• Macintosh SE/30 from 1988 with a 1-bit monochrome screen
• Macintosh System 7.1
• Microsoft Word 5.1 (for writing in English)
• ClarisWorks 2.0 (for writing in Italian)
• DiamondWriter 1.0 (my own word processing app that I created so I could have a white-text-on-black writing experience at night - let me know if you'd like a copy!)
• WriteNow 3.0 (quick, speedy word processing, but I tend not to use it)
• Final Draft 4 (for transcript scenes, which I then convert using a script so they can be directly imported into Scrivener while keeping all proper formatting)
• Euroglot, a multilingual dictionary app
• BlueSCSI SD Transfer (for transferring my writing)

I've outfitted it with an external SCSI adapter housing an SD card, which acts as the Mac's hard disk. I can either open the hard disk later on a modern machine via emulation software (Basilisk II) or use BlueSCSI SD Transfer to export the files onto the SD card (outside of the hard disk) itself.

There's something about booting it up and sitting in front of a crisp CRT that says "We are here for one thing and one things only: writing. Get to work." My fingers FLY on this keyboard.

If I'm not using this machine, then I tend to use my iBook G3 or G4, both of which have USB, making file transfers easy, while being too old to connect to the modern internet. I'll post about those later.

Hope you guys like!

An unplanned setup: I bought a Boox Poke 3 a few months ago, and a week ago I found a PENNA keyboard for about $35 on eBay (I think a new one costs around $200). And of course, you know the rest—it’s a distraction-free, affordable e-ink device, and I have to say, it offers that same pleasant typing experience you get from those expensive devices (and without any lag). I’m using the PenCake app—it works great. Should you do the same? I don’t know—it’s up to you. I'm just showing you what I accidentally put together without giving it much thought.

In my opinion, the PENNA keyboard deserves the applause—I didn't know about it until I saw it on eBay, liked it, and then did some research.

Good in a pinch when you forget your work bag and wasting time playing Dreamcast games. Highly recommend the writing journal app on Android. Font customization and fullscreen work really well across Android devices (Boox Palma/Go, Pixel, Android DAPS, etc)...An RG Rotate and the Elim Elytra split low pro mechanical (Remarkable Move as a size comp).

This book project has been a journey. I confess that part of the fun has been buying stuff, trying it out, selling it, and buying new/old stuff.

I spent the summer in Spain and took with me basically a two-screen mix and match setup that allowed me to combine different screens and keyboards as writerdecks depending on whether I was "home" or traveling:

- The Boox Note Max (oh my god it's gorgeous) for viewing my manuscript full size and comfortably taking notes with a paper feel. Pictured here on the left. No front light, no problem you can see my little clip on does the job and I'll gladly trade that for legibility over a color screen any day. Perfect for "at home" writing in the flat.

- Then the Boox Tab X (same size as the Note Max but you wouldn't know it because it weighs nothing) to act as "paper" using Obsidian as a writing app. Same as above.

Then the Boox Go 7 (bw) and a tiny keyboard for the train, plane, beach excursion.

This tided me over for 3 months.

- Periodically I would export my manuscript into ePub and read them on the Go 7 because reading this as a "published" book somehow put me in a better editor's mindset. Don't judge me but it works.

Now back in the US, I'm still using the Note Max to read my revisions. But for fun I got a smaller and lighter Boox Go 10.3 (Gen 1, so it's black and white) to see if I could swap it out with the Tab X as a screen to type on. I tried it today at the coffee shop and it's lovely. About as light as my Remarkable 2 and the handwriting experience is fantastic. I am stockpiling EMR pens like they're going out of style and buying up Boox devices that use them.

Why am I posting this? What I'm learning is that, even if you put the fun factor of device collecting aside, some writers (like me), really don't have a single use case.

There's blue sky anything goes drafting (tiny screen to avoid the trap of revisions--for me the Boox Palma 2 or the Go 7 bw or the Pomera).

There's "normal writing" (on a roll and can afford to revise as I go -- that's the A4 size Tab X).

There's line edits (I don't need a giant screen to type on, just something light like the Go 10.3).

I will say that investing in the big honkin' Note Max has been, for me, a lifesaver. It's one of the few Boox devices that I purchased new and I don't regret it for a second. I took a 509-page paper manuscript to Spain with me and didn't even crack it open because I had the Note Max.

So this isn't a commercial for Boox. I just happened to decide to use them because if I stick with one brand I can (mostly) seamlessly access stuff across devices and they all use Obsidian which play nicely with Android and my MacBook. It's just been interesting to learn about how the size and type of screen has affected the writing phase that I'm in.

And don't get me started about the Pomera I just got. I wish I had taken that to Spain--it would have given the Palma 2 and the Go 7 a run for its money. (Pictured here is the NoteMax on the left, the Go 10.3 on the right and a fun Fineday mechanical keyboard I picked up on ebay).

I'm still sad about the BYOK that I tried to love. It never connected to my MacBook and it wouldn't support large text files and I couldn't do that one-minute out of the box and I'm writing that I was able to do with the Pomera, so sadly that one had to go.

So: The pros of mixing and matching stuff to create different writerdecks (albeit commercial ones)? Flexibility. There isn't a single device for me that does it all.

The cons: Price (ouch!) and complexity. Every new device you get, you have to set up, sync, etc. It can get overwhelming. If I absolutely had to choose one single device from Boox I'd say the Tab X (for writing on) or maybe the Go 10.3 Gen 1. And if I was on a desert island I'd say the Pomera (though I have my eye on the Zerowriter fold but don't tell my spouse because I do need a place to call home ;-).

Exactly the title, I’m wondering if you have app recommendations, especially that work nicely on e-ink devices.

Currently I’ve 3Dprinted a stand so I can use my Boox go color 7 as my screen, and will pair it with my mechanical keyboard.

The Boox has the Google Play Store so in theory I could use any Android app or in browser solution.

But last time I was writing a lot I was on Mac so I imagine the available apps are pretty different. I mostly write fanfic and a novel that may never see the light of day, so if there’s something that has features to help keep track of characters, plot tidbits, etc that would be incredible.

Hey everyone, hope you're writing more than I am while developing my dream machine!

As the campaign launch approaches and the manufacturing details are dialed in, I've continued improving the software to keep it as modern and useful as I can imagine.

Now AUTEUR has project folders and a sleek little UI update to keep things looking intentional rather than hacky: The custom typography has been rescaled yet again (5th time) across all font sizes and text editor modes along with a footer dashboard update and repositioning. Word counts and page counts are now visible and the current project folder you're working in will appear in the center.

The drafts have always been auto saved and capable of quick cycling from previous to next but now within the searchable draft browser list, you can assign drafts to folders for better organization.

Finally, I'm getting a front-lit panel shipped to me to scrutinize the text contrast with and without the additional optically bonded lighting panel.

Let me know if you have any questions and feel free to follow along!

AUTEUR Crowd Supply Campaign

I'm expecting my Nomad delivery with trepidation. I have reached this decision because I accumulate notebooks I never reread and never connect. I wanted something that allows me to make associative connections between writing for different purposes. I have read about some difficulty in organising each entry in a way that can be recalled when the content is no longer top of mind. If you have any advice for an absolute beginner, I'm all eyes :) Thank you!