People who struggle to get written work done without being distracted by the Internet or games on their notebooks and desktops now have a solution that does not necessitate reverting to non-digital methods such as typewriters or pen-and-paper.
The Freewrite calls itself a "smart typewriter", and has drawn furious discussion on tech news sites. The device is essentially a laptop that only allows users to create and edit text documents and save them on-board or to the cloud.
The device combines a full-size mechanical keyboard with a smartphone-sized, Kindle-like monochrome e-ink screen, and has WiFi connectivity - operated by a simple on-off switch - to allow users to save their work to the cloud. Another manual switch lets users decide which cloud folder they want to save their work to, whether Google Drive, Dropbox or Evernote - iCloud compatibility is still in the works. Users can also save their work on the Freewrite's internal drive, which allows users to store over one million plain text pages.
While the Freewrite is bulkier than a laptop and archaic in functionality, its rugged design and low-energy consumption make it more versatile in some senses. It weighs less than a 15-inch MacBook Pro, according to Wired, offers four weeks of battery life, and its "rugged construction" includes a built-in handle for carrying it.
Trash or treasure?
While Mashable has minced no words in calling the Freewrite "pretentious hipster nonsense", many point out a specific and vital function it offers that a laptop does not perform well: helping writers avoid distractions and short-circuit their poor self-control in the Internet age.
"If you're a writer, you probably get it," says Wired's Tim Moynihan. "Writing on a Web-connected laptop [is] as easy as trying to meditate in a casino."
"We are quickly seeing people becoming more disenchanted than ever with the nag of constant consumption... The millennial generation understands that we now have to fight for our own attention from the outside world," says Adam Leeb, co-founder of Freewrite's manufacturer, Astrohaus, suggesting that what seems like a leap backwards for older users could present as a step forward for digital natives.
Yet the device's specific, singular purpose and simplistic functionality are not reflected in its price tag of $499 - about R7 800.
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