Thursday - Writing Tool of the Day

Give us a tool tip that really helps you with your writing.

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I don't think anything has changed the regularity and consistency of my writing quite as much as my Alphasmart. Like most owners, I fondly refer to him as Alphie.

Alphie goes everywhere with me. For several years now, I've made it a point to toss him into my tote everywhere I go that takes more than a few hours. He's with me in restaurants, the library, visiting relatives, in bed, and I can't imagine not having him at the tip of my fingers when riding in a car.

I don't think I truly appreciated Alphie and what he does for me until I got Bella, my new whore-red laptop. Bella is a hefty gal. Alphie weighs hardly anything compared to her. No wonder he's still a more frequent piece of carry-on luggage.

So what other outstanding characteristics of my Alphasmart quickly pop to mind? Here's a list:

• Alphasmarts cost 1/3 or less than a laptop


• They run on three AA batteries that last at least six months


• They are virtually indestructible since they were made for school kids


• They have eight 50-page files that upload easily to a Word file


• Alphasmart customer service is excellent... if you should need it


• They donate Alphasmarts to NaNoWriMo - how cool is that?

Here's a photo of my Alpie. Look at those sleek lines. I have the Neo version which comes without email capability. I chose this model in large part to eliminate that distraction, but the Dana version does have this added function among others. Go check it out. For just over $200, the Alphasmart Neo quickly becomes indispensible for any serious writer.

Since I bought my Alphie, two things have happened - they are now marketing directly to writers .... smart! and they have dropped the price... even smarter!