Side Quest Publications

AlphaSmart Dana
(Amazon “smile” link with affiliate code included)

My second attempt to find a good portable word processor has led me to the AlphaSmart Dana.

I find it strange that these things have been advertised in Writer’s Digest magazine (the Neo has, anyway), but AS touts its business as centered around schools.
Anyway.

I certainly would not buy a Dana for the price they want new. At nearly $400 for the cheap variety (no WiFi), I’d be better off just getting a netbook.
But another used one off eBay, for around $30, is another story.

Continue reading →

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.
Continue reading →