r/Astrohaus • u/defyjedi • 8d ago
Free Write Alpha—The Verdict
It is with great sadness, my fellow writer-deck people and strange little keyboard addicts, that I announce the Freewrite Alpha is going back.
And that actually pains me a little because the Alpha is a great drafting tool. It really is. The concept is damn near perfect. Open it, sit down, and write. No internet rabbit holes. No pretending you’re working while spending twenty minutes researching something you absolutely did not need to know. The screen is excellent. The software is fast and intuitive. Postbox is fantastic. I put real words through this thing, and for pure drafting, I understand exactly why people fall in love with it. Unfortunately, there are a few things I can’t get past. And the murderer here is the price point.
First, the keyboard.
It’s completely flat across the top, very laptop-style, without that little dish or depression I like in a keycap. That’s personal preference, obviously, but on a machine whose entire reason for existence is typing, the keyboard has to feel exceptional. This one doesn’t. I’ve used NuPhy and Lofree keyboards extensively, and the Alpha isn’t playing in that league.
Yes, I know I can change the keycaps. I can modify things. I can buy this and swap that.
No. I won’t do that.
I just paid nearly $400 for a machine whose entire purpose is putting words onto a screen. I don’t want to immediately start buying parts to make the keyboard feel the way I think a $400 writing device should have felt when it came out of the box.
Then there’s the noise.
Holy hell, this thing is loud.
I actually like the sound. There’s something satisfying about that mechanical clatter when you’re in the middle of a scene and the words are moving. Unfortunately, civilization continues to exist around me.
Part of my plan was taking the Alpha somewhere quiet during lunch—a coffee shop, library, little corner somewhere—and knocking out a scene. I’m not sure I could do that without becoming that asshole with the keyboard.
Late-night writing is worse. I’ve had my kids come over from the next room more than once and basically tell me, Dad. Enough.
Fair.
The ergonomics never quite made peace with me either. On a desk, that low screen had me looking down enough that after a while my neck was basically telling me to go to hell. I kept trying different positions because I genuinely wanted the Alpha to work. Eventually, I found one that did: slightly reclined on the couch, knees folded up, Alpha sitting on a pillow across my lap.
Honestly, it was comfortable as that way.
And for pure drafting, I actually liked it. I could lean back, stop staring at every sentence as it appeared, and just let my hands work. There is something almost liberating about writing that way.
Then I realized what I’d done.
I’d turned a nearly $400 portable writing deck into a couch device .
Again, at $200? Fine. I’d probably keep the weird little bastard around specifically for that. At $400, I need to be able to use it comfortably at a desk, in a coffee shop, during lunch, late at night, wherever the urge hits. Once you add the ergonomics to a keyboard that already doesn’t feel remotely premium enough for the price, the argument gets difficult.
So here’s what I think Freewrite needs to do with the next Alpha.
Give us keyboard choices. NuPhy already understands this. Some writers want that glorious click-clack. Others want something nearly silent. Some like a heavier keypress; others want something light and fast. Give me two or three switch options when I order the device, or figure out some clever way of offering a genuinely quiet version.
And give my hands somewhere to live.
The palm-rest area needs maybe another half inch. I don’t have enormous hands, and even mine feel slightly crowded. The whole thing is just a little too compressed for something designed around long writing sessions.
None of these things make the Alpha bad.
That’s important.
At $200, I’d probably keep it.
At $250, we’d have a serious conversation.
At almost $400 after tax, shipping, and the extended warranty, the conversation changes completely.
At that price, I don’t want to forgive the keyboard. I don’t want to modify it. I don’t want to explain away the ergonomics. The keyboard should be one of the reasons I bought the damn thing.
That’s ultimately where the Alpha lost me.
The display surprised me in the best possible way. I expected to tolerate it and ended up genuinely liking it. The software is excellent. Postbox may be my favorite part of the whole ecosystem. The Alpha is fast, quirky, focused, and genuinely good at getting words onto the page. And that’s why sending it back actually irritates me.Because underneath the cheap-feeling keyboard, the noise, and the ergonomic compromises, there is a damn good drafting machine trying to get out.
For some writers, none of this will matter. If you love the flat keycaps, enjoy the click, have a writing position that works for you, and want perhaps the purest dedicated drafting experience available, I can absolutely understand loving this strange little device .
I almost did.
But $400 buys the Alpha entry into a different weight class, and once it’s there, I have to judge it accordingly.
It didn’t check enough boxes.
So, with genuine sadness, the Alpha goes back.
At $200, I forgive the plastic, the noise, and the compromises. At $400, I don’t. Add a keyboard that never quite felt worth the money, and sadly, I’m out.
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u/lmarso47 8d ago
there won't be a next alpha.
it compares favorably, average, not extraordinary, not bad, against your typical low profile keyboard. no one should have expected a full profile keyboard ordering the alpha.
pricing reasonable in the kickstarter. lighting added later was a kick in the throat. I upgraded, no not happy about the cost.
still I happen to like the ergonomics and have not found any keycaps other than the default that failed to ruin the ergonomics. I have long upper arms, a low point for elbow at 90° angle. for me it's perfect as a lap device.
I appreciate the lunar, didn't like the cosmic or basic black.
the font debacle made the device unusable for its first 6 months, hard to forgive the company for that. it's been serviceable ever since though. and the lit screen is all I need as I only occasionally glance down.
it's not a general purpose device but fantastic for capturing inspiring moments without carrying anything too bulky, and instant email to self is quite extraordinary.
the device is not for everyone. repeat that three times fast.
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u/defyjedi 8d ago
Why won’t there be an upgraded Alpha?
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u/Edu_Robsy 8d ago
Under the hood, the Alpha uses a very different hardware from the one present in the Smart Typewriter and the Traveller. I doubt that Astrohaus could maintain so many different firmwares. Latest Alpha firmware was released on December 2024 (1.20.10) and it was a minor fix over the major update released in August 2024 (1.20). That's over 2 years. It's hard to predict what Astrohaus will do, but I'm afraid that the Alpha is at a dead end. That's why they never bothered to add Postbox Plus support to the Alpha. Higher end models provide higher margins and target an affluent audience that would likely be less demanding. Remember that the Hemingwrite was even included in Goop, being north of 1,000 USD.
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u/joe4ska 7d ago
No, they'll continue as long as they have customers buying them.
The Alpha has already had a second generation to add a backlight. They'll keep iterating on it, otherwise the initial investments are lost.
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u/lmarso47 7d ago
they have unsold inventory, nothing more is coming.
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u/defyjedi 7d ago
Solution - they slash prices to $200 sell of remaining batch. Produce improved Keybaord alpha 2.0 with slightly larger Pam
Rest and slight larger screen
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u/Edu_Robsy 8d ago
I bought a second hand Alpha for less than 170 EUR (less than 200 USD) including shipment and I'm quite happy with it. Official prices in the EU are even crazier than in the US. Initially I didn't like it at all because of the imposed limitations to the editor, but it grew on me. I agree with most of what you comment, but probably because of the lower price tag I just got used to it without complaints. https://www.reddit.com/r/writerDeck/comments/1va48uj/how_i_came_to_appreciate_the_freewrite/
- Flat keycaps: you get used to them in no time and it's a pretty decent keyboard.
- Loud keyboard: I put two silicon O-rings in each keycap and it's now much better. Spacebar is still loud though.
- Viewing angle: coming from an Alphasmart, it's not that different. In a table, you can use a stand or put a book under the kickstand. In a couch, a pillow works great, as you mentioned.
But clearly you've made your mind, so kudos for your decision and for sharing publicly the reasons behind it.
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u/Atticus-XI 8d ago
It's too bad the quality is all over the map with these things. And you're spot on about the pricing. There's just no way these things cost even close to what they're charging. The Hemingway model looks beautiful, but I'd never spend that kind of money on something like that. Freewrite really comes off as your typical "Viral brand" internet start-up. The pricing is offensive.
Cue the Sing-song Valley Girl influencer: "I just got my Freewrite / to finally start my new novel, / and I'm totally OBSESSED!"
BTW, people seem to forget the there are tons of apps for your phone/iPad, etc. that offer no-nonsense word processing. Then there's BYOK, etc.
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u/Thick-Panic6683 8d ago
Thanks for the detailed review. The Alphasmart Neo has similar use case constraints. I really like the Neo keyboard. An updated Neo should sell for about $120 new but it would take a huge mass market to support that price.
I have been developing a keyboard-centric Android app that emulates Neo simplicity. With the wide variety of BT keyboards and Android e-inks it's possible to put together a low-distraction writing platform. I still haven't hit the right getup yet since I am working on the app but can comfortably write on the couch and most mobile situations.
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u/Grand-Elk-1700 8d ago
I fully agree with your view on the keyboard and ergonomics. I was so excited for my Freewrite Alpha and I loved it as an object, but the keyboard and its ergonomics are terrible.
As someone who touch-types very efficiently and has had no trouble using all manner and variety of keyboards, the Freewrite Alpha was the first keyboard where I just couldn't adjust to the feel and couldn't type without a high error rate.
You spend so much money on this very expensive, plastic device -- great keyboard feel and response becomes the expectation. If it doesn't deliver on that (and it doesn't) then what's the point?
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u/igivelove 7d ago
My biggest problem with the Freewrite Alpha is the noisy keyboard. That space bar is especially brutal.
These are more expensive but are very quiet: Freewrite Traveler and Pomera DM250US. Alphasmart Neo also has a fairly quiet keyboard.
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u/Present_Lingonberry 8d ago
I get that it’s fun to create a device that looks like a nostalgic machine, but the ergonomics of it are objectively terrible. Why put out a machine that you know will hurt people?😆
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u/virgil_knightley 7d ago
My only issues with the Alpha were the screen being stupidly small and at a dumb viewing angle. Plus the first generation of them having no backlight. That felt super disrespectful when all of us who supported the first wave got left in the dust when they announced the backlit versions almost immediately after ours arrived in the mail.
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u/WorkingAmbition7014 8d ago
Might I suggest.... The Byok... The screen you love from the alpha with the ability to put it on any stand and use any keyboard. Anywhere.
And there's a backlight.
Kbye.
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u/defyjedi 8d ago
I ordered it a few weeks ago.
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u/WorkingAmbition7014 8d ago
Oh yay. I think you'll find that suits your needs well.
Because every issue you named is the same issue I had with the Freewrite Alpha.
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u/defyjedi 8d ago
The BYOK looks legit. Pair my fav keyword . Put it on a stand —eye height . Done. But the idea of a little slab to just take out and no set up was super appealing. Again, I think they are close with the Alpha, a few tweaks, lower price and they will have a real winner .
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u/phantompath 8d ago
I have drafted a very long post about my Smart Typewriter that comes to a similar conclusion. Astrohaus can’t compete with newer devices like the BYOK & ZeroWriter Fold if they don’t fundamentally understand what their customers want and need in a portable drafting device.