"Ink" Edition Freewrite Smart Digital Typewriter~Box Opening

Freewrite Smart Typewriter Limited Edition "Ink."
I am so excited for my latest Freewrite Digital Typewriter purchase from Astrohaus! I had been considering a purchasing another Freewrite model when the limited edition "Ink" model released! I had been hoping that an all black version might be made available at some point! The fact that they called it "Ink" was just all too perfect for me! So this is the same model as I already have and love. I decided to go with the full size model again not just because of the monochromatic lack of color scheme, but the keyboard is the easiest for me to use. I have tried their Traveler Model and I really like it, but with the loss of feeling in my finger on my left hand, this keyboard with the higher profile keys work better for me.
After opening this Freewrite I am IN LOVE with the finish on this model! They stepped it up a notch with the metallic black finish on the body of the device. It is a deeper black than their base model with a neat metallic glimmer in the paint. The buttons and knobs are a sleek solid black. The keys are black on black but can be read. I'm used to my Freewrite and where the buttons are, so I don't really need to read them. It could be a slight annoyance if you're new to the device. One quickly overcome I think. All around this is a stunning look for a favorite device!
Since I ordered with their Black Friday deal, I also received the Felt Sleeve along with the device. It is great for a dust cover. It fits tightly and closes with magnetic snaps. It is my personal recommendation that if your are going to be travelling with the device to get their Leather Case or keep it in a more protective bag.
Freewrite Smart Typewriter Unboxing: • Freewrite Smart Typewr...
Freewrite Smart Typewriter Do I Like it? : • Freewrite Smart Typewr...
Freewrite Leather Attaché Case: • Freewrite Smart Typewr...
Disclaimer: Contains affiliate links that help support my content on this channel. Clicking on and shopping with these links will incur no additional cost or fee. This video is not sponsored.
I have a referral code if you're interested in Freewrite! Feel free to use it. I helps keep the Freewrite content coming. Thanks so much!
getfreewrite.com/?...

[@caelointheclouds]

This is absolutely incredible! 4:57 Wow. It’s so cool to take along with you and type up anywhere!! It’s great because you, spilling your brains and type away! Wow. I love the startup! 6:25 😊 happy travels! ⌨️

[@curatedavalon]

Thank you! It is a great writing experience.

[@calebdragovar3472]

Backlit keyboard would be a game changer for me! Enjoy that beautiful beast!

[@ELDogStar]

Love these reviews. My Freewrite is due in 2 days. Hopefully. I look forward to the tutorials!

[@curatedavalon]

I'm excited for you to try it!

[@misstvland]

The cost was astronomical to get one of these dark beauties to me in Australia, but I placed an order anyway and can't wait to receive it. Thanks for the review! It was great to see one on video before purchasing.

[@user-eo9ek2hx2l]

I love it. I spent for the Hemingway version and love it! Got to admit though this one has me searching for reasons to get another one , that black on black is smooth... pricey though. Thx for the review.

[@curatedavalon]

This model will have you looking for a reason to buy! It's difficult to overlook.

[@SatanikanataS]

I already have a Gen3 with black keycaps and can’t justify buying this ink version, but holy hell do I want it.

[@NoticiasPeronistas]

Is the product slow to make revisions or correct text written in previous days?

[@KristynRene.]

Is the screen backlight able to be dimmed? Or turned off completely? 🤔

[@ScholarsRest]

Your intro story sounds oddly familiar 😅 I do not own a Freewrite device, but I have had my eye on the Smart Typewriter for some time. The reason I never committed to a purchase was because I found the current colourways too flamboyant, possibly distracting. Then they announced the Alpha and, not only was it cheaper but, the colourways were a bit more professional. I put in my preorder and was anxiously awaiting the shipment notification. Then Black Friday came around and they announced this gorgeous Ink model 😮 I quickly contacted the Freewrite team and asked if I could cancel my preorder for the Alpha and change the order to the Ink Smart Typewriter. It should be arriving sometime next week 😊

[@curatedavalon]

Congratulations! I am loving the monochromatic look of this one. It does give off a professional impression. I hope you enjoy yours!

[@ScholarsRest]

@@curatedavalon quick question: do you ever type on the device from your lap? If yes, how is that experience? I'm curious if the lack of a place to rest your wrists would prevent me from using it on my lap. Thanks.

[@lawlesslulu]

Any chance your making a follow up tutorial on this? Just got mine and it would be wonderful to see. Thanx

[@geekanoids]

Excellent video. For someone who looks down occasionally to check finger position on keys, would you say the symbols on this version are visible enough in daylight?

[@curatedavalon]

For me they are easy enough to see in daylight. I thought it was going to be more of a struggle.

[@geekanoids]

@@curatedavalon thank you so much. I appreciate you replying.

[@user-gl5ld9vm7i]

Hi Logan! Thank you for your wonderful video! Are you a Writer by occupation?

[@curatedavalon]

It is a part time gig for me right now. I actually had no interest in becoming a writer. I do however enjoy the puzzle-like quality of working with an authors vision. Balancing the potential of insulting an author while helping to keep their ideas going in a good direction, is an interesting challenge!

[@raddestnerd]

Do you write in coffee shops? How’s the keystroke noise? Does it bother other patrons? (I hope not, cuz i want one 😅)

[@curatedavalon]

I have used it and haven't had an issue so far but I think that's just going to depend on the space. Typing anything in public wasn't considered but so annoying until more recently. I find it so interesting that we put up with people's phone noises and kids watching TV shows in the middle of everywhere but simple noises seem to drive people crazy.

[@ietefiet]

Amazing! I'm waiting for my Traveler which is due in 10 days, but I'm planning to purchase a Typewriter as well. Because just like you said: one for at home and one on the go. Glad I'm not the only one who's wired that way. I was all in for the original Typewriter but Ink looks beautiful too. Oh well, I still have two months to decide. Have fun with your Freewrites!

[@Zeus-ik5gn]

Does your device wobble when you sit it flat on a desk? I had that issue with a Hemingwrite and I sent it back. I’m thinking of ordering this ink, but I want to make sure there is no widespread wobble.

[@curatedavalon]

I have two of the full-size models and haven't had either wobble. Loving my Ink edition!

[@Zeus-ik5gn]

@@curatedavalon have you had any battery issues with this device?

[@curatedavalon]

@@Zeus-ik5gn none. It holds battery life for a good long while. And charges just fine.

[@saffirechanning7286]

Now I like the LOOK of that Freewrite model because it's all BLACK! I just HATE white typing keys! That's what I don't like about the other Freewrite models-----that and the EXPENSIVE pricetag!

[@ricky865]

This device would be even more perfect if it had micro SD card support to save my files too because I seriously don't want to use cloud storage to save my files or connect the device to my computer to retrieve my files. That's the only reason I haven't bothered getting one and that I personally think the screen is a little bit small for my taste, that's the reason I went instead with a Pomerera DM30 which I still use. I was originally planning on upgrading to a reMarkable 2 with the type folio but it suffers from the same problem no expandable or external storage and worst no OTG functionality so I instead recently got a Kwuamsi K3 keyboard with an integrated touchscreen to use in conjunction with a small palm size computer I had lying around with a Linux Operating System called Endless OS which can be used as a distraction free and offline operating system.

[@curatedavalon]

I would love for this to have an SD card slot. That's what kept me from buying for a few years. I'd like to keep my work completely off the internet but the nature of my writing now demands the use of internet anyway so it works for me.

[@Oldsmobile69]

Is the back plastic?

[@curatedavalon]

It is a thick plastic material.

[@anthonyt219]

I wish it had white letter print on the black keycaps.

[@curatedavalon]

They do make additional caps in that color I believe.

[@saffirechanning7286]

Ha, for that EXPENSIVE PRICETAG, those writing devices should come CUSTOM-MADE for the customers! If I were gonna ORDER one, I would ORDER MINE to be all BLACK with BRIGHT WHITE letters on the BLACK typing keys. I would ORDER mine with BRIGHT WHITE letters because I have BAD EYESIGHT. Are the screens BACKLIT? What about PRICE-REDUCTION COUPONS?

[@curatedavalon]

Sounds like you know what you like. The screen is back-lit with adjustability. Check out their website for more specs.

[@Xingqiwu387]

Quite a number of Amazon reviewers have reported fatal flaws in these devices, e.g., sudden and unexpected death of the devices. Someone - some engineer out there - needs to make one of these WITHOUT the WiFi hook-up, without ANY internet / dropbox / google drive connection whatsoever! PLEASE engineers: make us an Alphasmart Neo2 with THIS screen and THIS keyboard!

[@PianoMan-hx3ev]

+SD Card!

[@Xingqiwu387]

Precisely!@@PianoMan-hx3ev

[@cynnfolc]

Just turn Wi-Fi off. This is how I use mine, works just fine for a year now. 🤷🏾‍♂️

[@provocateur-in-chief]

A remarkable 2 with the folio keyboard case would be a far better, more versatile option.

[@JennyEverywhere]

It's pretty. But not $650 pretty. I have a boxful of AlphaSmart Neo 2 devices that do essentially the same thing, but is lighter and runs off 3 AA batteries -- a single set will work for MONTHS -- and space for around 200 pages of text across 8 files. This doesn't sound like much, but you export by plugging a USB cable into the Neo 2 and into your computer. Then you start up whatever text editor or word processor you use, open a new document, and start the export from the Neo 2. It then shoves the text into the keyboard buffer and "types" it very quickly into the word processor on your computer. Then you can clear that memory file in the Neo and reuse it. I spent an afternoon working on a story and didn't fill up a single file space, so it's more than you think. I paid about $20 for my first Neo 2, but being concerned that it might break in a way I can't fix, I bought a box of 6 of 'em. That box cost me $75. All were on Ebay, though not from the same seller. All of them worked except for one in the box, but that was because of a broken battery connector. I rebuilt it and replaced the corroded wire, and it worked like a champ. I paid less than $100 total for SEVEN AlphaSmart Neo 2 word processors. I just checked Ebay, and they've come way up in price, a single unit costing between $50 and $120, depending on condition and accessories included. I think that's because Freewrite bought the Alphasmart domain in 2022 for the sale of the Freewrite Alpha. The Neo 2 is nice to work on. I use it when I want distraction-free word processing. I take it to a diner or restaurant that will let me sit and work, so long as I get some food too. The "distraction free" part is slightly eroded given that I will usually bring up a nice music playlist on my phone and listen to it through headphones while I write. But that's not the same as being able to click away from the word processor and surf the net or read my email. I had a Brother electronic typewriter in college, a cute device that used a smaller LCD screen to present a buffer of characters you could edit. As they scrolled off the left edge of the LCD, they were printed on the paper. The idea was, if you made a spelling mistake in the 20 or so characters still on the screen, you could back up and change them. In theory, this meant you had no, or at least, fewer mistakes on the paper. The AlphaSmart is similar that it uses an LCD screen to display what you're working on, but it saves to a file in battery-backed RAM. The batteries will last for 700 hours or so of use (longer just standing by), but you still want to offload your work to a word processor file on your PC when you're able. The Brother typewriter, the EP-20 model, was a very nice and extremely quiet device, even given that it was an actual printing typewriter and had moving parts and motors and such. The worst problems with it were twofold: the printer was a THERMAL printer, so you had to have either the special thermal ribbons for the typewriter, or you had to have thermal PAPER. The thermal paper rolls used by a lot of fax machines and teletype machines like the Texas Instruments Silent 700, would work in the Brother, but then it was just a long scroll. You'd need to have it retyped onto sheet paper before you could turn it in to your professor, or even submit it as a manuscript. It was far better to have sheet thermal paper (I long lost the original Brother typewriter I had, but I recently got one on Ebay. I found a goodly supply of letter-sized thermal paper on Amazon that works in it just fine), if you could find it. You could slice up roll thermal paper, but it had an annoying tendency to curl, and it wasn't 8 1/2 inches across, only 8, as teletype standard was smaller across than letter size. If you didn't want to use thermal paper, you could get the mentioned ribbons, but those were tiny (about the size of a microcassette audio tape) and cost a lot of money, if you could find them. I occasionally see old new stock on Ebay, but the price is astronomical. It's a thermal carbon film ribbon that is only a single use, so it's distressingly consumable. But then, the SECOND problem with it reared its ugly head: The print quality was teh suck. It was effectively a 9-wire dot matrix printer. You could use a higher-resolution print size, but all it did was print a character, then shift the head a small amount, and print the same column again. It didn't have a denser vertical print ability, it just faked it by shifting the head a little. I'm fairly sure it was character by character, printing the entire character, then backing up, shifting a little, and printing it again. This made the print a bit fuller and a fair bit darker, but it wasn't the near-letter-quality of a 24-pin dot matrix printer. None of my professors would accept a paper printed by this thing in the standard 9-dot column typeface. They all complained it was too faint to read easily. I could use the doublestrike mode, but that ate ribbons at an insane rate. So I found myself with a typewriter I couldn't use for the purpose I got it, to type term papers. I wound up using the college library's Apple IIe computers and a 24-wire dot-matrix printer they had, to do my work. That's one reason I lost that typewriter -- it was a conversation piece, but barely that. It was a talking dog -- the amazing thing wasn't what it said, but that it said anything at all. I know, I could just use a Chromebook, or even my phone with an external keyboard (I already have a nice one, with a trackpad), or even a full-fledged laptop. I've done that from time to time, though I don't have a real laptop at present. Turns out I don't use a laptop enough to make one worthwhile. Nor do I make use of the Chromebooks I've got. I simply don't use them. What little portable word processing I do, I do with the Neo 2, then off-load to a word processor file when I get home. My word processing program of choice these days is Scrivener, as it lets me organize all of my notes, sources, outlines, images, and everything else that goes into the building of the story, all in the same project file. For lighter duty, I'll use Google Docs, and if those docs turn into a larger work, I'll import them into Scrivener. But I remember the old days of using Word Perfect, Microsoft Word, or even WordStar to create documents. One of my first actual desktop computers was an NEC 8001, with dual floppy disks and 64k of RAM. It ran the CP/M operating system, and WordStar was a fantastic word processor for the time, a real game-changer. I had a real hungry feeling when I first saw the Freewrite, but the loud mechanical keyboard and the YE GODS price tag cured me of that. I have a boxful of Neos I can work with until their electronics all crumble away. And even then, there's still laptops to use. I understand the concept of the Freewrite...but my Scots blood won't let me buy one when there's something less expensive that'll do what I want. And I LIKE retro things. Heck, I collect slide rules and fountain pens!

[@curatedavalon]

I'm glad I didn't pay $650 for just "pretty" then! It's neat hearing about what works for different writers.

[@AnxiousGary]

There's a DIY project called ZeroWriter that you might find interesting if you're not already familiar with it.

[@_gamma.]

Fwiw the Neo cost ~$300 at launch (a little over $400 adjusted for inflation). The only reason they’re cheap is because schools bought them in bulk for typing lessons

[@curatedavalon]

@@_gamma. So comparable the the Freewrite's "Alpha" model. Good to know! Thanks!

[@cynnfolc]

Comparing an alpha smart to a freewrite is like comparing an old Pinto to a new Bentley. Yeah, they both will take you to the grocery store but...