: I used a Neo for several years for NaNoWriMo. I loved it for writing first drafts. The features I loved the most: It is (more or less) good only for typing. You can't play World of Warcraft

@Kevin153

Vote Up Vote Down

I used a Neo for several years for NaNoWriMo. I loved it for writing first drafts. The features I loved the most:

It is (more or less) good only for typing. You can't play World of Warcraft or Angry Birds on it. So the Neo itself doesn't offer swarms of distractions.
It is cumbersome for editing. Yes, this is a feature (as I'll describe at the end of this bullet). Its keystroke-based way of selecting, cutting, and pasting is functional, but awkward. Also, the screen shows only four lines (or six at most, and only using a special font that you have to find in the dark corners of the internet), which makes it tricky to see things in context while editing. What makes this a feature: The awkwardness discourages me from editing, which keeps me focused on drafting.
It's very small and light, which makes it terrific for writing on airplanes.
It turns on instantly.
Its full-size keyboard feels terrific. Just the right amount of finger resistance, and a quiet but satisfying clack.

I lost interest in my Neo when I bought my first smartphone. Though the Neo itself wasn't distracting me, its primary benefit—its "good only for typing" feature—was less useful to me now that my phone was a readily available, ultra-portable distraction machine.

Also, by that time I had learned to get myself into a drafting mood. So I could now write without interrupting myself for a few hours at a time, and I'd learned to draft without editing (much).

Finally, I had bought a MacBook Air, which wasn't much heavier, and which allowed me to write with the awesome power of Scrivener.

So I've moved on. Still, every now and then—when I find myself contorted in coach class behind a reclined seats, unable to fully open even my tiny MacBook Air—I find myself pining for my old Neo.

(0)

Login to post a comment!