I have been using a device called the AlphaSmart Neo for quite some time as a writing tool. For its intended purpose, it is really hard to beat.
First of all, it has a wonderful keyboard. A keyboard that a writer would enjoy using everyday. Secondly, it has an amazingly simple interface. All you have to do to activate the device is to hit the on button and begin typing. It has eight different workspaces that you can use to store your work. You can also name your files and store several of them independently of the workspaces and load them into the available workspaces as needed.
The screen is an old school LCD display with no backlight, but that is not a problem especially considering the fact that you have a battery life of 700 hours with the Neo. You read it right -- 700 hours!
Of course, many writers would probably prefer to use a notebook computer for serious writing and editing. But the Neo is a wonderful input device with storage capabilities that will free the writer from the distractions a computer would generate.
One of the drawbacks to the Neo is it only has 512 kilobytes of storage space -- enough for only a few hundred pages of text. However it does have a USB port that can be connected to a computer to download the text. Using the human interface device capabilities of the computer, it can be made to literally type the text into any program that you choose.
The current price of the Neo is only $169 U.S. and that is really a good deal. Of course, you can find a netbook computer for less than $100 more, but the Neo is a specialized device that does what it does quite well. The feel of the keyboard is much better than that of any netbook that I have tried. I heartily recommend the Neo to any writer that is looking for a rugged, fast and easy to use writing device.
http://www.neo-direct.com/
