If you missed PART I & II, here they are: QUEST FOR THE PERFECT WRITING MACHINE… Part I, Part II.

And the surprise winner is… NEO2 by Alphasmart. Was I surprised? Hell yes! The cheapest of the units I tested is the biggest winner. But why is it the best? I took it hiking!

It’s a quarter pound lighter than the Dana by Alphasmart. So slipping it into my backpack in exchange for the 5 lb. tent I didn’t need this time was less painful. I brought unnecessary extra batteries. The only disadvantage was that it does not have a back-lit screen. However, with my decades of touch-typing skills, I don’t really need the light. 

It has less software issues perhaps because it has less software to have trouble with. I converted it to a Dvorak keyboard layout in about twenty minutes. It can also be adapted for one-handed typing left or right.              

Here are pictures of my two primary new NEO2s. Note the Dvorak layout on B7.

I also have to admit to loving the way it transfers data to a computer. You plug it in with an old school USB printer style cable, open your favorite word processor/text editor and hit send… It types the words in one by one. Not the fastest, perhaps, but certainly the most charming.

Next step? Further customization. I’m thinking about taking the cover off and painting it with some heavy duty auto paint. Candy Apple Red might be cool.

The battery life is such that I am using them to run out my AA batteries that don’t have enough power to run a more high tech device. And yes, I did type this entire post on my Dvorak keyboard layout NEO2! So cool.

I’m sure your’re wondering how much I paid f or these wonders… $55 on eBay. Each? No, for five of them. I sold one for $15 and a money back guarantee, leaving me with four for forty dollars. $10 bucks! They’re school district surplus and the keyboards interchange with THE PERFECT WRITING MACHINE runner-up Dana Palm-based units. I am planning on continuing to test these more expensive units (two for thirty dollars) and report back over time,  but at the moment the more advanced operating system is more of a hindrance than a benefit.

Excuse me while I go plug this into my computer to have it typed directly into my blog. Oh, I’m already done.