Newton eMate
(Amazon “smile” link with affiliate code included)

I kept saying on various sites that I’d mention my writing machines, so here we are.

First off is the eMate, an Apple product discontinued back around 1997.
I bought one off eBay for $25 about a year and a half ago.

This product features a touch screen and maybe laptop-sized keyboard–full alphanumeric keyboard, no numeric keypad, plus a few buttons typical of Apple products but not of Windows.

I wanted this one for two reasons:
One, it would give me a portable word processor that didn’t cost an arm and a leg for features I didn’t want.
Two, I figured I could practice drawing with that touch screen.

The device had several problems, though.
One, as an older Apple product, I had no way to connect it to my computer to transfer or print files. It did not support USB or SD cards, nor any other more recent device. Nor could I get it connected to my wireless network. I bought it used, and it didn’t come with any of the necessary cables or software.
Two, it did not retain battery power. I’d charge it one day, keep it plugged in while I was using it, but if I unplugged it overnight (for example), the batteries would be dead the next morning. I don’t know if that’s typical of the product or if mine was just in bad shape.

I tried to find ways to get more use out of the device.
I tracked down cables and software that might have done the trick, and researched the batteries.
However, I was not interested in paying $80 for a set of batteries for a device I paid $25 for, and the cables and software went unused, because….

The eMate quit working.
I stopped using it myself about six months ago. I decided to let my nephew use it, only to find that the touch screen wouldn’t respond.
I retrieved the batteries and left them with our other used batteries, and a few days later, I threw away the device.

The cables and software will be up for sale to a good home once I sort out exactly what I have.

Related articles

• Writing Devices – AlphaSmart Dana (sidequestpublications.wordpress.com)
• Writing Devices – AlphaSmart Neo2 (sidequestpublications.wordpress.com)
• Writing Devices – AlphaSmart Neo (sidequestpublications.wordpress.com)