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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The AlphaSmart is a brand of portable, battery powered, word-processingkeyboards manufactured by NEO Direct, Inc. (formerly AlphaSmart,Inc.), currently owned by Renaissance Learning, Inc.
AlphaSmart Neo
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Background
The AlphaSmart is a keyboarding device that enables a person towork on the go, much like a laptop computer,but it is strictly for word processing, as it functions essentiallylike a simple digital typewriter. The Dana (a newer devicemade by AlphaSmart, Inc.) is an exception, as this device can alsorun Palm OS applications.Since the AlphaSmart, Dana, and NEO are specialized for limitedpurposes, they are generally much cheaper than a standard laptopcomputer. All of these devices are meant to be plugged into an ADB, PS/2, or USB port fortransferring the written text into a computer's word processingdocument for further editing (such as indentation and fontpreference) or printing if so desired.
The AlphaSmart saves every keystroke directly to the machine'sRAM, which is maintained by a battery backup even when powereddown. AlphaSmarts can transfer data either by a special programthat communicates with the AlphaSmart or by the simpler method oftransmitting the keystrokes of the written text as if it were thecomputer's keyboard. When not transferring text, the Alphasmart canbe used as a standard keyboard.
AlphaSmarts are very popular in schools for their affordabilityand durability. Elementary schools and high schools use them; they areparticularly popular among special education departments for useby students with graphimotor challenges.
The machines have also developed a type of cult following amongjournalists and NaNoWriMo novelists, who find them easy tocarry and appreciate the full-size keyboard and long batterylife.
Company
Intelligent Peripheral Devices, Inc. was founded in 1992 by twoprevious Apple Computer engineers, Ketan Kothari andJoe Barrus, with the mission to 'develop and market affordable,portable personal learning solutions for the classroom' and to'deliver affordable, lightweight, rugged portable computing devicesthat are expandable, easy to use and manage, and provideexceptional battery life.' Shortly after its founding they werejoined by Ketan's brother Manish. The company's first product wasthe AlphaSmart Keyboard followed by the Dana and then the Neo. Asthe product line expanded they changed the name of the company toAlphaSmart, Inc.
AlphaSmart, Inc. was acquired by Renaissance Learning in June2005. The name changed again in the Spring of 2009, this time toNEO Direct, Inc.
AlphaSmartProducts
AlphaSmart
The original AlphaSmart computer companion wasshipped in August 1993, and worked only with Apple Macintosh computers, plugging intothe AppleDesktop Bus (ADB) port. This model provided customers with 16'pages' of memory (32,000 bytes) for 8 separate files (2 pages perfile), that were accessed by pressing the corresponding functionkey. The AlphaSmart took on the aesthetics of the computer it wasintended to be partnered with—it had a boxy, durable beige plasticcase like the Macintoshes of that era. It had a four line LCDcharacter display similar to what one would find on someappliances. Each character was displayed in its own LCD 'box,'making the point size and font type fixed. The AlphaSmart could notdisplay graphics, except for ASCII art. It ran on 2 AA batteries, andcould be used for literally days at a time due to its clever powersaving technique, effectively 'sleeping' in between keystrokes.There was a rechargeable nickel-cadmium battery (NiCad)pack add-on that a customer could purchase separately.
The early AlphaSmart models included a couple of jokes,including a reference to The Hitchhiker's Guideto the Galaxy. If, while using the calculator, the answeris 42, the words 'The answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything'appear. Or, if the input was 1+1, the calculator would say, 'That'stoo easy.'
AlphaSmartPro
In February 1995, the AlphaSmart Pro waslaunched. This looked almost identical to the original but had a PS/2 port as wellas an ADB port, making it compatible with both Windows PCsand Macintoshes. Second, the Pro had a 'find' feature to searchstored text. Third, the AlphaSmart Pro was able to receive textfrom a computer through 'Get Utility' software installed on a Macor Windows PC. Lastly, it included a password feature for securingcontent. The Pro model was able to store up to 64 pages of text(128,000 bytes), holding 16 pages in the first file, 8 pages infiles two through five, 6 in files six & seven, and 4 pages onfile number eight. The original rechargeable NiCad battery packcould also be used in the Pro model.
AlphaSmart2000
In October 1997, AlphaSmart, Inc. introduced the thirdgeneration of the AlphaSmart family, the AlphaSmart2000. Along with a more ergonomic design, the case of theAlphaSmart 2000 was curvy and blue. New features added werespell-checking, direct printing (allowing a user to plug into aprinter directly, bypassing a computer), auto-off power save, and akeyboarding timer. A year later, the company added infraredcapability to the 2000, enabling users to transfer text to acomputer or another AlphaSmart without a cable. This model needed 3AA batteries, but could still use the original rechargeable NiCadbattery pack. Like the Alphasmart Pro, it had a 128K memory.
AlphaSmart3000
In January 2000, the AlphaSmart 3000 wasreleased. The 3000 used the same chassis as the AlphaSmart 2000,but it was now encased in translucent bondi-blue plastic, matchingApple Computer's first generation iMac. This was meant to be a visual indicationthat the AlphaSmart 3000 was a USB native device, as many other USBdevices were patterned using the iMac's design in the same way.
Designers removed the ADB and PS/2 ports, replacing them with aUSB port and a mini-DIN-8 serial port that allowed users to plug theAlphaSmart directly into a printer. Also new was the SmartAppletarchitecture that was capable of extending the simple functionalityof an AlphaSmart with the inclusion of SmartApplets—miniaturesoftware applications that extend the AlphaSmart's functionality togive it features beyond basic word processing. For example, itincluded a simple 5-function calculator. Additionally, the batterylife and memory were increased (although it still ran on 3 AAbatteries), and cut/copy/paste functions were introduced. Theoriginal rechargeable NiCad battery pack was not compatible withthis model. Instead, it used a new optional nickelmetal hydride battery (NiMH) pack that lasted longer andeliminated the memory effect of NiCadbatteries. The AlphaSmart 3000 had the customary 8 files, each witha capacity of 12.5 pages (about 25 kilobytes), for a total of 100pages altogether.
AlphaSmart announced the discontinuation of the AlphaSmart onApril 30, 2006.[1]
Dana
In June 2002, a radical departure from the standard AlphaSmartline was released. Similar to Apple Computer's NewtoneMate 300 (a laptop running the Newton PDAoperating system), the Dana is actually a fullyfledged Palm OS devicecomplete with a touch-screen, allowing a user to write directly onthe screen via Graffiti in addition to typing onthe built-in, full-size keyboard. The Dana's screen has a backlightand is capable of displaying complex graphics (though only in16-bit grayscale), unlike the original AlphaSmart line. It has 16Megabytes of storage and two expansion slots for cards in Secure Digital(SD) or Multimedia Card formats. It is compatiblewith nearly every Palm OS application, and some Palm apps can takeadvantage of the Dana's extra-wide screen, which is 3.5 times thenorm (560 x 160 pixels). The screen is taller than that ofthe original AlphaSmart products, and the Dana's casing is madefrom opaque dark-blue plastic—a change from the iMac-esque clearblue of the AlphaSmart 3000. The Dana optionally comes with Wi-Fi connectivity for internet useand interaction between other Danas, and it runs off a Ni-MHrechargeable battery or 3 AA batteries for up to 25 hours ofusage.
Neo
The Neo model, introduced in August 2004, canhold more than 200 pages of text. Its LCD display is 50% largerthan the AlphaSmart 3000's display. Unlike the 3000, it doesn't usefixed blocks for each character and therefore can display differentfont/point sizes, along with simple graphics. The Neo also runs anewer operating system that allows modular control of SmartAppletsand a new version of AlphaWord (the word processing SmartApplet),which allows dynamic file resizing. The Neo's chassis is a darkopaque shade of green with its form factor based on the Dana. TheNeo also uses the same class of CPU as the Dana. It uses the same optional NiMH batterypack as the AlphaSmart Dana.
The Neo had several software bugs, such as a hard-to-see cursorand file corruption problems, but the most serious of these issueshave been fixed in AlphawordPlusNeo 3.0B and C. The remainingproblems (the-hard-to-see cursor and a text-stacking bug) werecorrected in an update to the operating system, System 3.2,but thisseems to only apply to USA Neo's. A software update for UK/EuropeanNeo's is due out in September 2008.
The Neo 2 has been released by AlphaSmart, the first new designto be released after being acquired by Renaissance Learning. It has addedquiz functionality, using the 2Know! Toolbar, which was developedfor the 2Know! Classroom Response System.Teachers can create, distribute, and score quizzes using the Neo 2.Neo 2 can also access Accelerated Reader quizzes and allowstudents to use network printers.[2]
References
- ^Alphasmart.com
- ^Alphasmart.com
Externallinks
Companypages
- NEO Direct homepage(formerly www.alphasmart.com)
- Renaissance Learning, Inc., parent company ofAlphaSmart
Reviews and personalstories
- The Alpha Smart Pro
- Dana hardware andnetworking