Freewrite Traveler // A Tool for Writers- Review and Honest Opinion
Вставка
- Опубліковано 20 січ 2024
- Last NaNoWrimo, I got myself a little writing upgrade- the Freewrite Traveler. If you're not familiar with the device, it is a digital typewriter in the same vein as the Alphasmart Neo but more advanced. And cuter... lol.
After using the Freewrite for over a month almost every day, I have some thoughts.
With that said, welcome to our first tech review of the year! In this video, I am walking you through the features of the Freewrite Traveler and giving you an honest opinion of what I think of the machine.
Will I keep it? Watch to find out!
Thanks for watching!
Freewrite store: getfreewrite.com/
// READ MY BOOKS:
ansage.ca
✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: MY ETSY SHOP ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:
www.etsy.com/shop/glitterfritter
// GET ACCESS TO MY FREE RESOURCE LIBRARY:
ansage.ca/resource-library
// GET A FREE COPY OF ONE OF MY BOOKS:
ansage.ca/newsletter-1
// NEED A BOOK COACH OR EDITOR?
www.inessasage.com
// TAKE ONE OF MY COURSES:
cauldron-press-academy.thinki...
Looking to join a fun community of like-minded book lovers? Join my Facebook group for extra content and giveaways! ➤ / 945090619339423
Subscribe to the channel if you’re into seeing more of my writing life ➤ / ansagewrites
// MY COVER DESIGN BUSINESS:
www.cauldronpress.ca/
// MY GO TO PLANNERS AND NOTEBOOKS:
○ Hobonichi: www.1101.com/store/techo/en
○ Erin Condren: www.erincondren.com/referral/...
○ Happy Planner: thehappyplanner.com
○ Filofax: us.filofax.com
○ Wonderland 222: wonderland222.com/
// MY FAVE WRITING BOOKS AND RESOURCES:
○ Strangers to Superfans: amzn.to/3efpmGG
○ On Writing: amzn.to/3FoJ12L
○ Save the Cat Writes a Novel: amzn.to/3qmcoMW
○ The Emotion Thesaurus: amzn.to/3ey17E1
○ The Positive Trait Thesaurus: amzn.to/3ehTIIB
○ The Negative Trait Thesaurus: amzn.to/3J9Opcz
○ The Emotional Wound Thesaurus: amzn.to/3ey15vT
// MY FILMING GEAR:
○ Camera: amzn.to/3H0vNd0
○ Microphone: amzn.to/3ejQ6Wt
○ Microphone: amzn.to/3qgzjte
○ Ring Light: amzn.to/3sAND2a
○ Vlogging tripod: amzn.to/3yViacf
// CONNECT WITH ME:
Website: ansage.ca
Instagram: / a.n.sage
Facebook: / ansagewrites
TikTok: / ansagewrites
// ABOUT ME:
I have spent most of my life waiting to meet a witch, vampire, or at least get haunted by a ghost. In between failed seances and many questionable outfit choices, I developed a keen eye for the extra-ordinary.
When not writing, I spend my free time reading and binge-watching television shows in my pajamas. Currently, I reside in Toronto, Canada with my husband who is not a creature of the night.
I am a Scorpio and a massive advocate of leggings for pants.
// HAPPY MAIL:
P.O. Box 15316
Queensway High PO
Toronto, Ontario, M8Y 1H0
Canada
Disclaimer: Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you! Thank you for supporting my channel so I can continue to provide you with free content each week!
Make sure to subscribe to my channel for more indie author and writing tips!
#authortube - Розваги
Thank you. That lost work red flag you discuss around 7 minutes in is all I need to know.
It was a heartbreaking moment. I managed to rewrite and found a way to back it up regularly but it takes more conscious effort which is not great. Glad I could help make a decision one way or another 😊
@@ANSageWrites i spose it's not beefy enough to run an instance of syncthing, i saw a build of one based on a pi, that'd do syncthing and borg, as well as local temp files... better to build i spose.
Thanks so much for these tips! I just ordered mine and waiting for it to arrive 💖
Nice! I hope you love yours!
Definitely wanted one of these but even with the NaNo winner coupon, was out of my price range. After seeing your review, though, I think I'll be better with an AlphaSmart. Aside from the potential for word loss, I HATE finger prints on things. Thank you for pointing that out because I'd waste so much time trying to clean my old laptop that accumulated finger prints 😅
You might prefer the regular freewrite smart typewriter then- not as travel friendly, but if you are just writing at your desk it works just fine.
Alphasmart is really a great little machine. Very dependable and if you only need the basics of typing without any distraction it is really amazing. And no fingerprints! Huge plus. Lol
Oh yes! Good point. Those models looks really pretty too so that’s a huge draw. A friend of mine has the original and loves it so a very good choice as well.
I have an ancient Toshiba netbook running Linux and vim (a terminal based text editor) for first drafts.
That’s awesome! Basically the same thing as the traveler but way more budget friendly 😊
That is the way; if you want something distraction free, a terminal window is all you really need
This was very helpful for me thank you very much
Glad it helped! Thank you for watching!
For $500!?! I like the concept, really do, but for $300, I can buy a cheaper laptop, with better responses and be saving $200 with web and scribbler available. Maybe even $200 new/preloved system on backmarket 😂😂😂
The price tag is very hard to justify indeed 😳
I love back market. My phone is from backmarket and a refurbished laptop is next.
They have no business charging $500 for what is essentially a kindle with a keyboard. Ridiculous
Definitely a hefty price tag for what it is.
Thanks for this, it's really helful! I wondered how you find using the screen on the aplhasmart vs the traveller? basically the only thing that really draws me to the traveller over the alphasmart is the screen (and otherwise it has some downsides!)
I really like the traveler screen. The extra space is quite nice to have and I like the look of it. But that lag can get annoying and takes some getting used to if that helps.
@@ANSageWrites Yeah it does, thanks 💜
@@ANSageWrites I've actually seens someone make a homemade version called the 'zerowriter'. It's not as polished or as featureful but I know one thing they got nerdy on was reducing lag, I might try cobbling together a basic version and see what it's like!
Excellent review! Thank you. The Freewrite Traveler and Smart Typewriter both have many terrible customer reviews on Amazon, with dozens of 1-star ratings. Many users have reported that their Freewrites suddenly and unexpectedly died, and the devices had just passed their warranty deadline. Go figure. Others report that certain keys become completely unresponsive, while still others say that their machines would no longer turn on or charge at all. IMHO, the safer option would be to upload your files to your desktop computer and not even bother with the WiFi connection, just as you would do on the Alphasmart. Considering just how bad many of these user reviews are, I'm going to stick with my Alphasmart Neo2!
I still love my Neo2! It's a great machine that is very dependable. Great choice!
I’ve been using the Remarkable 2 with its Type Folio keyboard cover and it’s a great writer’s experience. Your documents save to the actual device, so you can write without WiFi. Once it’s connected it syncs your document updates to the Remarkable app, which you can have on your phone, iPad or tablet and on a browser. So you can copy and paste it into Word or Scrivener etc from there. Really nice distraction-free typing as well. Device costs $299 right now, and Type Folio cover is $199, with free shipping, is it’s probably a good deal cheaper than the Freewrite. Plus you can load your drafts on as PDF to mark up using the Marker, so it has multiple uses.
A friend of mine just got it and she loves it too. How do you find the space on it? Is it enough to hold plenty of documents?
@@ANSageWrites Yes, it can hold probably 40 novels at least.
@@ANSageWrites personally I use Onyx Boox devices. cheaper and better.
I just got mine. It was a great deal on eBay. After using it, I think it might go back on eBay. It’s a good product, but I am not a good customer for this product. I suspect that the Smart Typewriter would be a better fit for me. If only I were willing to part with my money on get one…
You're like me in this I think. The smart typewriter is very tempting. If I had the desk space, I'd sell the traveler and get it for sure!
I do want to get something akin to this platform for sure as Ive always had trouble getting anywhere writing on a computer screen. And pen and paper is slower than this lag. But I dont have wifi. I would be writing my works and then printing it at my girlfriends place or elsewhere. Does it not save any documents unless wifi is on? Or is that solely for backup and printing?
It does save the documents offline. I would be worried because of what happened to me and not being able to back up but you don’t have to use cloud until you have access to wifi.
@ANSageWrites Yeah one reviewer said he lost 46,000 words. I havent fully decided yet but I may get this model or the newest version of it at a later stage in life and get the Pomera 6 inch for now as it seems more suited for me with the SD card and QR-code creator to instantly access your words written to your phone.
@@1stbloodstoneLet me know what you think of the pomera. It was on my list of alternatives to this.
Will you be considering the Alpha by Freewrite?
Maybe in the future. Right now between the traveler and my Alphasmart I’m set. If anything, I might go for an original since it feels the most like a typewriter to me 😊
Y'know, if I could have one of those custom-made just for me, there are some changes I would like. First, I would like the outside of mine in a matte, not that glossy. Secondly, I would widen the display to the edges so writers could see more texts per line. Thirdly, I would want my keyboard keys in a darker color because I DISLIKE white typing keys. If that company who makes those devices would let customers order 'em to their INDIVIDUAL FEATURES. they would make a BUNCH more MONEY off 'em! Do you AGREE?
So true! I would have so much fun customizing this if it was an option. The glossy front would be the first to go. It is not great. Lol
Customs charges. Oh my goodness no. I bought digital stuff from a foreign seller before with no warning that there was an extra fee besides what I was paying. No way I’m paying $500 to get an extra charge in order to actually get the item. I understand it’s a writing only machine but you can pay someone to disable internet on a laptop for a lot cheaper.
Canada customs charges for overseas purchases are wild. It’s definitely something to think about when buying electronics.
What I don't get is the point of this gadget when laptops exist. Plus, the price is ridiculous, yet it still seems to pique some people's interest. 🤷♂
They’re definitely not for everyone. I have tripled my word count working on this and the alphasmart so it makes sense to me. But yes, a laptop works just as fine if you can manage not to be distracted 😊
Great hardware but crappy software. I’ll stick with my Neo.
Solid choice! Thank you for watching!
I'm not a writer, but I don't understand the appeal of these devices. A single, small, laggy display attached to a toy keyboard without all of the automated formatting that comes from using a word processer contradicts like all of the conventional wisdom among software developers.
It depends on what you need. I’m not a fan of laptop screens and distractions while I’m writing so this works well for me. I find I can get out double the words on one of these machines which in my case is well worth it. I wouldn’t use this if you need the latest software of course 😊
Thanks for convincing me to get a cheap laptop. That's an INSANE price for something that doesn't do a lot. You can't even plug in a USB drive. So, it's slow, expensive, has bad customer service, inefficient documentation, no ability to connect tangible external storage and a tiny screen. I think I'll pass.
Glad I could help make a decision. It is definitely overpriced in my opinion.
Nifty idea but it is horribly implemented.
Beside the lag, which just mess up your brain while typing, unless you just use this device; the fact you have to be online or even need cloud services is already a big no-no for a offline device. Add to that the lack of common word processing facilities that were added for QOL, and you got a recipe for disaster here. For 600 dollars, mind you.
If someone is easily distracted, that is their problem; you don't buy a lock with a timer for your fridge and pay it 1000 dollars, just because you can't avoid to snack; because what this product does is to sell as "distraction free" a device that is maybe produced with less than a 5th of what the price of the device is, and that is made poorly by choice, to remove any sort of complications from modern devices. If this is a good thing for anyone; please let me know as I have a ton of stuff from the last century and a horse carriage, which you may be interested in, that I can mark as "distraction free" or "lo-fi".
It is definitely pricey for what it does. They just came out with an alpha version that is less expensive but it appears to be a better looking version of the alphasmart neo and has cloud as well.
@@ANSageWrites Heard of it, but that device has a screen so small that a calculator may be bigger. If they would make a modern version of the Alphasmart neo with a decent size screen, that would make me happy to be honest.
@@ANSageWrites I was looking at the Alpha and felt like an Alphasmart pro with ironically worst keyboard and screen at 10x the price :) I get that they are going for a specific market segment, so these choices may be OK for that segment. But for me , person needing a device that I can just type on and for long time with batteries only, it is really hard to justify.
I compare these products to a cheap 100 dollars laptop running Linux in text mode only for example, and that does 1000 more than what these "smart" devices for writers do. If there were more laptop with Eink screen, we would not even see products like these to be made. Sadly eink tech is not made to do what a laptop does, so beside weird devices like Boox tablet, you don't see much in that area.
"One step forward, two steps back." Looks flimsy, tiny screen, delay when typing, need to be connected to Wifi..........this is a step forward in writing??
It’s good if you don’t want too much tech involved. I still write on a typewriter sometimes so for me it works. But definitely not for everyone. And it has some issues for sure.