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Combining an Alphasmart Neo with a Samsung Galaxy Tab for Writing On The Go

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Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 and Alphasmart Neo
Chet Chin’s Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 and Alphasmart Neo Combined
As a writer, we all have machines that we favor for one task or another. When I am drafting a new novel or short story, my machine of choice is the Alphasmart Neo from RenLearn. It is a sturdy device designed to be used by children in classrooms. The keyboard is the most comfortable one that I own and it has a nice feel and sound that reminds me a little of the old Selectric typewriter that I grew up writing on. The text screen is very small. This aids me in drafting because it helps to keep my inner editor at bay and simply put down the words. I credit the Neo with helping me achieve higher word counts during NaNoWriMo writing sessions.

However, once drafting is completed, the Neo’s usefulness comes to an end. Instead of being able to use this comfortable keyboard that I prefer, I am forced to move to other machines to do my editing and revising. The Neo’s interface is antiquated enough that it doesn’t interface well with modern devices and while it can be used as a keyboard if you hook it up via a USB cable or connect to a device via InfraRed, most tablets these days interface with keyboards via bluetooth, which the Neo does not support.

I belong to an Alphasmart User Group and one of our members discovered a way to interface her Alphasmart Neo with her Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7. Chet Chin used the proprietary Samsung Galaxy Tab connection kit and the USB cable that she normally uses to interface with the Neo. The tablet recognized the Neo as a keyboard with no issues. Other tablets will force you to purchase a blutooth enabled keyboard if you wish to use it for writing on the go. That was step one of the connection puzzle. There was still the problem of positioning the tablet so she could see it while typing and finding a word processor app before she could combine the tablet and Neo as a travel writing suite.

At first, Chet tried writing with the Neo in her lap and placing the tablet on a nearby table. This created neck strain and was uncomfortable for her. To put the two machines together, she found a rubber surface cover for her tablet and then placed the tablet on top of the Neo. The Neo has a slight curve where its screen resides and the plastic shell has a textured surface. Chet discovered that the tablet would not slide down from the screen section of the Neo and was at an angle that was comfortable to see his text.

As a writer on the go, Chet not only needs to write text, but she needs to incorporate photos into her articles. Chet recommends the following apps to turn her Neo and Samsung Galaxy Tab into a writing suite:

StyleNote – A writing app for Android
Android PDF annotating app – Adobe Reader
Android photo editing app for cropping, resizing and adding text to his photos

If you would like to join the Alphasmart community, please join us at Flickr. You will learn much about these wonderful writing machines and hopefully become a convert to them as I have.

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Alphasmart Neo

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Alphasmart Neo and Samsonite Shuttle Case
Alphasmart Neo

Getting out of my studio to write is one of the best ways I have to break writer’s block.  Finding a new location that is free of the daily distractions that I find at home fosters a higher word count and writing productivity.  When I am working on a rough draft, there is nothing I enjoy better than sneaking off to the local coffeehouse to enjoy a cup of coffee and to write for a few hours.

I am a convert to using an Alphasmart Neo for my drafting hardware.  The machine is lightweight, coming in at around 2 pounds and is extremely sturdy.  Originally, the machines were designed to be used in classrooms for students to practice their typing and writing and therefore can withstand a great deal of abuse.  They are still used in the classroom today, but the Alphasmart Neo has also found a favored place among professional writers.

The Neo’s main advantage is that it offers distraction free writing.  With no internet connection on this device, there is nothing to get between you and the written word.  The Neo has a rudimentary word processor that allows you to see only 8 or 9 lines at a time. It is supplemented by a dictionary, a thesaurus and a word count feature.  The machine instantly switches on or off at the touch of a button and it runs for 700 hours on 3 AA batteries.  To power my machine, I put in fresh batteries once a year and never think about finding power for my Neo again.  It is a real pleasure to not have to worry if there is an available outlet at the coffeehouse or to take my Neo to the park and write outside if I choose.  The Neo battery life sets you free.

Getting the text out of the Neo is simple.  You can use the Neo Manager software to upload or download files or use a cable to send your data to any word processor you happen to have open.  You could send directly to an email file, to your blog post manager or any open word processor.

The Alphasmart Neo is my drafting machine of choice.  Which machine do you use?