Meet Alpha | Demo of Freewrite's Newest Distraction-Free Drafting Tool

Weighing less than 2 lbs, with an instant-refresh LCD display ready to write in an instant, Alpha is your new distraction-free drafting solution. Join Colin from Freewrite for our very first in-depth look at Alpha.
Get in writing flow and develop more prolific writing sessions by separating the drafting process from the editing process. Get Freewrite.
getfreewrite.com/products/alpha

[@nathanstrik]

I'd love a future version of this with a few more lines of text, and a more reflective LCD screen, like the amazing Sharp Memory LCD for instance. The Alpha does seem to solve the laggy e-ink screen problem that kept me from buying previous Astrohaus products, but the chosen screen seems like it's pretty dim and could also be a tiny bit taller.

[@getfreewrite]

Thanks for the feedback, Nathan!

[@MrsBennett67]

OMG YES!!!!! I’m SO excited! Mine is shipping today! 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉 P.S. you guys totally should have used this video as the launch video instead of “Jane”. This actually gives me a real feel for how the keyboard sounds, and what the screen will display in much more realistic terms. Also… don’t listen to all the whining babies full of false entitlement that cry about what y’all should have or could have done to make them happy. Those people will never be happy! #writeon

[@getfreewrite]

Thanks for the kind words! We can't wait to see what you and Alpha create together. ❤️

[@user-xb5je7cv5e]

Can't wait to get that Alpha. My production should increase exponentially.

[@getfreewrite]

We can't wait to see what you and Alpha create together!

[@JensAndJovie]

Can't wait to get my hands on Alpha. I preordered it in July; now we are getting closer to shipping?

[@getfreewrite]

Yep! We started shipping today. You'll get a notification email when your order ships. 😊

[@LpSC2online]

@@getfreewrite how many million keystrokes will the keyboard last?

[@getfreewrite]

Hi! Alpha's key switches are rated for 50 million presses.

[@LpSC2online]

thank you very much!

[@jessikahoffman8627]

I understand this is blue-light free. Is there any back light for writing in a dark/shaded environment?

[@getfreewrite]

Hi, Jessika! There is not. Our Smart Typewriter model has a front light for that purpose, though.

[@TanBlue17]

I’d love an alpha but I’m worried about the angle of the screen. With the kickstand up, can you see the screen clearly?

[@getfreewrite]

Hi there! With the kickstand open, the screen viewing angle is 15 degrees, the same as our Smart Typewriter. Users find it very comfortable!

[@skippergin2695]

I have one as of yesterday. I found the angle gave me a double image, so I balanced it on a pencil sharpener which works surprisingly well and somehow doesn't slide. I also have a strong prescription, so it may just be how my glasses distort the screen. Putting my knees up on the couch and balancing it also works alright.

[@evanfarrar7226]

don’t worry it really isn’t readable at any angle

[@milosflaca]

Can the ñ be written with this keyboard? I ordered mine and I see the sign in the upper left corner. But, since it is English international, can it be written? I have a regular freewrite and that has the spanish layout, so I don't need that. But I was hoping I can actually type ñ on this device, knowing the hat above the n is right there (using shit maybe?).

[@getfreewrite]

Hi there. On an English keyboard, the ~ is a tilde and does not produce ñ. At the time of initial shipping, Alpha only has an English keyboard layout, not English International as expected. It is a focus of our dev team to expand that, but we can't give a time frame or guarantee at this moment. (Both our Smart Typewriter and Traveler models do have full language support at this time.) Please reach out to our customer support team at [e-mail] to discuss further. We appreciate your support!

[@milosflaca]

@@getfreewriteoh! :( When it was first advertised description mentioned English international (I pre ordered mine. Waiting for the alpha to arrive atm). Pitty. I have a freewrite (lemon one). I was hoping this portable device would be able to type ñ as the sign is there. Many thanks for your reply

[@gorosemonde]

It says the keyboard supports English only. Do I understand you can’t make it work in other languages (ex French Canadian) even if you keep the US layout?

[@felixtrismegistus7489]

I had a Freewrite Traveller and changed it to Dvorak. I'm excited to try Alpha and I'm sure that it would be able to do the same.

[@getfreewrite]

Hi! At the moment, Alpha only has an English keyboard layout. It is a focus of our dev team to expand that, but we can't give a time frame or guarantee at this moment. However, our Smart Typewriter and Traveler models both have full language support.

[@milosflaca]

Hello, @@getfreewrite I'm seeing the Alpha has the "hat" of the Ñ in the upper left part of the keyboard. So, can it be written pressing shift? (as in english international keyboard) or is the ˜ just a fancy dash?

[@getfreewrite]

Hi there. On an English keyboard, the ~ is a tilde and does not produce ñ. At the time of initial shipping, Alpha only has an English keyboard layout, not international English. It is a focus of our dev team to expand that, but we can't give a time frame or guarantee at this moment. (Both our Smart Typewriter and Traveler models do have full language support at this time.)

[@saffirechanning7286]

How many lines of text can you see on the display at once? How does it compare to the Alphasmart Neo 2, which is what I have? How much do they cost?

[@getfreewrite]

Hi there! You can see between 2-4 lines of text, depending on the font size you choose. Alpha is $349 on our website.

[@MichaelHplus]

I’m likely getting mine tomorrow, apparently 😊 My only concern is pet hair and dander in the keys. I have a cat and dog who are often in my bed, where I’ll be doing a lot of typing.

[@getfreewrite]

Hi, Michael! No worries - you should be able to clean Alpha's keyboard like any other keyboard. A can of compressed air works wonders!

[@NegativeReferral]

This is essentially an AlphaSmart.

[@ResistanceQuest]

and hey look, they're both called Alpha. what a coinkydink

[@eKoush]

My first thought is that I would prefer a little bit bigger screen, so I can read whole paragraphs. Also, can I use it as a keyboard connected to my PC?

[@getfreewrite]

Hi there. Freewrite is a dedicated drafting device intentionally designed to reduce distractions, separate the drafting process from the editing process, and help writers reach that flow state. For that reason, the screen isn't designed for lengthy reading, editing, or reviewing, but instead, focus. Users can, however, choose from three different font sizes to help readability. As for the keyboard, it cannot be connected to your PC to function as a keyboard - only to move files over. Thanks for commenting!

[@noahblorm2990]

I have a blind friend that would love to use one of these. Could you make a model that has a speaker which reads all text?

[@getfreewrite]

What an interesting idea! I'll pass this along to the team, Noah.

[@jkz3000]

Very smart design, can it support multiple languages?

[@jkz3000]

As far as I know, currently there seems to be only an English version available, looking forward to support for other languages in the future.

[@getfreewrite]

Hi there! We do have plans to expand Alpha to support more languages. In the meantime, it has English and English International options. But our Smart Typewriter and Traveler models both support 80+ keyboard layouts and languages!

[@coolakin]

Whyyyyy do they make the screen so small on all these? Even a typewriter lets you read the whole page at once

[@getfreewrite]

Freewrite is a dedicated drafting device intentionally designed to reduce distractions, separate the drafting process from the editing process, and help writers reach that flow state. For that reason, the screen isn't designed for lengthy reading, editing, or reviewing, but instead, focus. Users can choose from three different font sizes to customize readability. Once a draft is ready for editing, it's already available in the cloud to be easily transferred to your preferred software for editing!

[@coolakin]

@@getfreewrite thats a good answer and makes sense but I still would prefer a larger screen. Modern devices have small bezels and the extremely large bezels on these devices makes them instantly feel out of date and old to me.

[@getfreewrite]

Sometimes "old" isn't a bad thing. Especially when we're uniting the best aspects of technology of the past with the conveniences of modern technology - without the distractions. 😉

[@coolakin]

@@getfreewritethere are better designed e ink products out there imo.

[@austinhackney3906]

Isn't this just an expensive version of the AlphaSmart? You've even cheekily called it Alpha!

[@getfreewrite]

Hi there! Nothing cheeky about it. The name "Alpha" is an homage to the AlphaSmart, whose creators we've spoken with. They respect the work we're doing and we're proud to bring distraction-free drafting to a new generation!

[@austinhackney3906]

@@getfreewrite Thanks for that information. My Neo2 cost 20 bucks and works great. I just can't convince myself that this offers an additional 360 bucks of value. Plus picking up an old Neo is more eco-friendly than getting a new gadget you don't need. Most of these will gather dust. What writers need are passion and discipline. And you can't buy those in a plastic box. Although your marketing people might persuade a lot of naïve aspirants that they can. I really think the entire Astrohaus project is all icing and no cake. Sorry!

[@getfreewrite]

You're entitled to your opinion. But our community of prolific writers proves otherwise. 😊 You can find just a few of the published works created with Freewrite here: getfreewrite.com/pages/written-on-freewrite

[@austinhackney3906]

@@getfreewrite No, that is disingenuous marketing. All these writers were prolific and successful long before they got their freewrites. And they would have been if all they had was a chalk and slate to write on. It's definitely a toy that writers who have already learned their craft and developed their discipline (and can afford the exaggerated pricing without missing a beat) can enjoy. But it's wrong to suggest that this device will make bad writers better. And the distraction-free thing is nonsense. An undiscplined writer who has a freewrite can just as easily check social media on their phone or realize they must clean the bathroom or whatever in the same way as all aspirants always have. It would be interesting to see how many owners of these products are still sitting on unfinished work or can't remember where their freewrite is. I have no doubt that the percentage is significantly higher than this handful of already successful writers with money to spare and a thing about clicky keyboards. My point is this keyboard will not solve the distraction problem for anyone incapable of solving it anyway and any suggestion otherwise is, let's be polite, misleading. The emperor has no clothes.

[@austinhackney3906]

@@getfreewrite All these writers were already successful and prolific before they owned Freewrite products. To suggest that they are successful because of the Freewrite (and by implication that non-successful writers will become successful if they buy Freewrite products) is disingenuous marketing. As you perfectly well know, these handful of authors who were already successful enough to be able to afford a "new toy" with a clicky keyboard are not representative of most aspiring or active writers who buy the products. And the "distraction free" writing thing is nonsense. Any writer who has not yet learned discipline and developed a consistent writing practice can just as easily look away from a Freewrite to pootle about on their phone or suddenly realize the urgency of cleaning the bathroom as any other novice with any other device. I'm sorry, really I am, but the Emperor has no clothes. Why not market these devices honestly as well-crafted typing machines for successful writers who like that sort of thing to play with?

[@dilley_esq]

Should have just called this the Alphasmart Neo 3.

[@SuperTrainStationH]

That would imply that it’s an actual word processor. The Alphasmart units were word processors, this is a drafting machine. I do sincerely hope Astrohaus some day puts out a word processor.

[@alicial4449]

I’ll pass. I just don’t like not being able to see more of what has already been written. Not to mention the angle of the little bit you can see.

[@kuen-wahcheung1863]

Why is the screen so terribly dull and the font size so tiny?

[@getfreewrite]

Hi there! Users can choose from three different font sizes for readability.

[@JJTech-life245]

He probably scripted this script on the Alpha.

[@ResistanceQuest]

did you block my "pledge" comment? Thanks a lot. wow. that hurts a little. you'll probably block this one too. What gives astrohaus? I bought your effing product and this how you repay me? Jeez.

[@getfreewrite]

Hi there. We're not sure what comment you're referring to, but feel free to drop it here again. We're here to answer questions.

[@ResistanceQuest]

​@@getfreewriteyou replied to it. The comment was "a freewrite sure is a pledge: "I paid 600 dollars for this thing. I better use it. Signed, -me"

[@getfreewrite]

That comment is still visible on this page, and others have responded to it.

[@m.underhill5989]

You don't seem to be a person who actually types a lot of words..

[@getfreewrite]

Interesting take.