This Does Not Compute | Apple ALMOST made this portable word processor! @ThisDoesNotCompute | Uploaded September 2023 | Updated October 2024, 6 minutes ago.
The AlphaSmart text editing device was originally designed by Apple engineers. When they couldn't get their employer to build it, they decided to do so themselves -- and ended up being a rather clever, long-lived device.
Sources:
Computer lab photo: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/computinghistory/maclab.html
Ketan Kothari photo: https://www.usfca.edu/faculty/ketan-kothari
Joe Barrus photo: flickr.com/photos/richardspics/14799355
Apple Infinte Loop campus photo: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Apple_Headquarters_in_Cupertino.jpg
AlphaSmart Pro owner's manual: archive.org/details/AlphaSmart_Pro_Owners_Manual_alt
"AlphaSmart: A History of One of Ed-Tech's Favorite (Drop-Kickable) Writing Tools": hackeducation.com/2015/07/25/alphasmart
PC computer lab photo: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Students_working_on_class_assignment_in_computer_lab.jpg
"AlphaSmart Pro 2.1," Macworld, March 1997.
"Smart Keyboard for the Classroom," Computerworld, July 6, 1998.
AlphaSmart 2000 photo: journaldulapin.com/2018/03/07/alphasmart-adb
3rd-party SmartApplets: https://www.spectronics.com.au/catalogue/smartapplets-for-alphasmart-3000
"Lightweight Note-Taker," PC World, March 2003.
AlphaSmart Neo photo and ad: hackaday.com/2020/11/05/alphasmart-neo-teardown-this-is-the-way-to-write-without-distractions
"AlphaSmart files $58 million IPO," MarketWatch: marketwatch.com/story/alphasmart-files-ipo-as-latest-tech-player
Renaissance Learning acquires AlphaSmart press release: sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1264388/000119312505129967/dex991.htm
AlphaSmart Neo 2 photo: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AlphaSmart_Neo_2.jpg
Laptop charging cart photo: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Classmate_PC_charging_trolley.jpg
AlphaSmart Neo discontinued: web.archive.org/web/20131114042404/neo-direct.com
AlphaSmart 3000 with modded keyboard photo: reddit.com/r/AlphaSmart/comments/kn84w4/finished_my_3000_mechanical_keyboard_mod
LazyDog's AlphaSmart keyboard mod kit (no longer being sold): tilde.club/%7Ejy4m/alphasmart/index.html and geekhack.org/index.php?topic=91504.0
Freewrite devices: getfreewrite.com
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Music by Epidemic Sound (https://www.epidemicsound.com).
Intro music by BoxCat Games (freemusicarchive.org/music/BoxCat_Games).
The AlphaSmart text editing device was originally designed by Apple engineers. When they couldn't get their employer to build it, they decided to do so themselves -- and ended up being a rather clever, long-lived device.
Sources:
Computer lab photo: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/computinghistory/maclab.html
Ketan Kothari photo: https://www.usfca.edu/faculty/ketan-kothari
Joe Barrus photo: flickr.com/photos/richardspics/14799355
Apple Infinte Loop campus photo: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Apple_Headquarters_in_Cupertino.jpg
AlphaSmart Pro owner's manual: archive.org/details/AlphaSmart_Pro_Owners_Manual_alt
"AlphaSmart: A History of One of Ed-Tech's Favorite (Drop-Kickable) Writing Tools": hackeducation.com/2015/07/25/alphasmart
PC computer lab photo: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Students_working_on_class_assignment_in_computer_lab.jpg
"AlphaSmart Pro 2.1," Macworld, March 1997.
"Smart Keyboard for the Classroom," Computerworld, July 6, 1998.
AlphaSmart 2000 photo: journaldulapin.com/2018/03/07/alphasmart-adb
3rd-party SmartApplets: https://www.spectronics.com.au/catalogue/smartapplets-for-alphasmart-3000
"Lightweight Note-Taker," PC World, March 2003.
AlphaSmart Neo photo and ad: hackaday.com/2020/11/05/alphasmart-neo-teardown-this-is-the-way-to-write-without-distractions
"AlphaSmart files $58 million IPO," MarketWatch: marketwatch.com/story/alphasmart-files-ipo-as-latest-tech-player
Renaissance Learning acquires AlphaSmart press release: sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1264388/000119312505129967/dex991.htm
AlphaSmart Neo 2 photo: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AlphaSmart_Neo_2.jpg
Laptop charging cart photo: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Classmate_PC_charging_trolley.jpg
AlphaSmart Neo discontinued: web.archive.org/web/20131114042404/neo-direct.com
AlphaSmart 3000 with modded keyboard photo: reddit.com/r/AlphaSmart/comments/kn84w4/finished_my_3000_mechanical_keyboard_mod
LazyDog's AlphaSmart keyboard mod kit (no longer being sold): tilde.club/%7Ejy4m/alphasmart/index.html and geekhack.org/index.php?topic=91504.0
Freewrite devices: getfreewrite.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please consider supporting my work on Patreon: patreon.com/thisdoesnotcompute
Follow me on Twitter and Instagram! @thisdoesnotcomp
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Music by Epidemic Sound (https://www.epidemicsound.com).
Intro music by BoxCat Games (freemusicarchive.org/music/BoxCat_Games).
