A new type of typewriter -but they have got their target customer wrong!
11 Dec '14 17:213 editshttp://phys.org/news/2014-12-kickstarter-hemingwrite-writers-respite-internet.html
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Kickstarter Project Hemingwrite offers writers a respite from Internet noise
Entrepreneurs Adam Leeb and Patrick Paul had an idea—a new age typewriter that offered the comforting nostalgia of old fashioned typewriters with the connectability of modern computers, minus the distractions of current devices. They've built a prototype, and are calling it the Hemingwrite – a distraction-free digital typewriter. Also, it's now a Kickstarter Project, with the two hopefuls looking for $250,000 to further develop the idea leading perhaps to a sellable product.
The Hemingwrite is quaint, of that there is no doubt. Leeb and Paul have built a housing and put in a keyboard that immediately reminds of old faithful typewriters. Instead of typing onto paper, though, keystrokes appear on a six inch e-ink display, and instead of paper output, the results of writing efforts are stored in the cloud (via WiFi). To give the device that old-world feel, they put in a mechanical keyboard with Cherry MX switches. The case is aluminum, giving the machine more durability than a typical laptop or tablet computer. The machine also has a bright red instant-on button, a left side knob for moving between three possible documents and a knob on the right-hand side for turning WiFi on or off. The keyboard also has a Print key and there's a status bar screen between the display and keyboard. The two builders claim the battery will last four to six weeks between charging.
The whole point of the Hemingwrite is to help writers get back to the business of real quality writing—there's no email, text messaging or cruising the web—all it does is allow a person to write a document they way it was done in the old days—in a peaceful, calm environment. They believe using the device to write will not only make writers more productive, but better, because they will be able to focus on honing their craft, rather than worrying about what is going on in the rest of the world. That's the good stuff. The not so good is that the thing weighs four pounds and costs $349 for a limited number of people now and ultimately $499 for everyone else once it's in production and made for general sale. That might seem like a lot to some, especially considering that it's in competition with laptops that offer a lot more, and can offer the same "silent" mode by a user simply turning off their WiFi.
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They say “Kickstarter Project Hemingwrite offers writers a respite from Internet noise ...” and “—all it does is allow a person to write a document they way it was done in the old days—in a peaceful, calm environment.” but I and others that know how to use word processors don't have a problem with so called “internet noise” and, as for “ in a peaceful, calm environment”, if you really trying to write something on a word processor and find e-mail etc distracting, the solution is simple and obvious -just disconnect your laptop from the internet while you word process! 😛 (although you don't even have to do that ). Thus their apparent reasoning here for this makes no sense whatsoever.
However, they may be on to something here but not for the reasons they say here; for elderly people that don't know how to use a modern computer and are too 'scared' (if that is the right word for it ) to learn how or simply feel they don't have the time to or feel they are just too old to learn that now but are familiar with the use of an old fashioned typewriter, providing this new typewriter is made to be simple, intuitive and as like an old fashioned typewriter as possible but with much of the advantages of a modern computer, this could be ideal for them! But this is apparently not what the authors of this development have in mind judging from the picture in this link showing the younger generation using it. If they get the target customer wrong right from the start, this could be a flop from the start even if it has great potential. They should target the elderly like my mum who just will not otherwise use a modern computer -that just might work!
“...
Kickstarter Project Hemingwrite offers writers a respite from Internet noise
Entrepreneurs Adam Leeb and Patrick Paul had an idea—a new age typewriter that offered the comforting nostalgia of old fashioned typewriters with the connectability of modern computers, minus the distractions of current devices. They've built a prototype, and are calling it the Hemingwrite – a distraction-free digital typewriter. Also, it's now a Kickstarter Project, with the two hopefuls looking for $250,000 to further develop the idea leading perhaps to a sellable product.
The Hemingwrite is quaint, of that there is no doubt. Leeb and Paul have built a housing and put in a keyboard that immediately reminds of old faithful typewriters. Instead of typing onto paper, though, keystrokes appear on a six inch e-ink display, and instead of paper output, the results of writing efforts are stored in the cloud (via WiFi). To give the device that old-world feel, they put in a mechanical keyboard with Cherry MX switches. The case is aluminum, giving the machine more durability than a typical laptop or tablet computer. The machine also has a bright red instant-on button, a left side knob for moving between three possible documents and a knob on the right-hand side for turning WiFi on or off. The keyboard also has a Print key and there's a status bar screen between the display and keyboard. The two builders claim the battery will last four to six weeks between charging.
The whole point of the Hemingwrite is to help writers get back to the business of real quality writing—there's no email, text messaging or cruising the web—all it does is allow a person to write a document they way it was done in the old days—in a peaceful, calm environment. They believe using the device to write will not only make writers more productive, but better, because they will be able to focus on honing their craft, rather than worrying about what is going on in the rest of the world. That's the good stuff. The not so good is that the thing weighs four pounds and costs $349 for a limited number of people now and ultimately $499 for everyone else once it's in production and made for general sale. That might seem like a lot to some, especially considering that it's in competition with laptops that offer a lot more, and can offer the same "silent" mode by a user simply turning off their WiFi.
...”
They say “Kickstarter Project Hemingwrite offers writers a respite from Internet noise ...” and “—all it does is allow a person to write a document they way it was done in the old days—in a peaceful, calm environment.” but I and others that know how to use word processors don't have a problem with so called “internet noise” and, as for “ in a peaceful, calm environment”, if you really trying to write something on a word processor and find e-mail etc distracting, the solution is simple and obvious -just disconnect your laptop from the internet while you word process! 😛 (although you don't even have to do that ). Thus their apparent reasoning here for this makes no sense whatsoever.
However, they may be on to something here but not for the reasons they say here; for elderly people that don't know how to use a modern computer and are too 'scared' (if that is the right word for it ) to learn how or simply feel they don't have the time to or feel they are just too old to learn that now but are familiar with the use of an old fashioned typewriter, providing this new typewriter is made to be simple, intuitive and as like an old fashioned typewriter as possible but with much of the advantages of a modern computer, this could be ideal for them! But this is apparently not what the authors of this development have in mind judging from the picture in this link showing the younger generation using it. If they get the target customer wrong right from the start, this could be a flop from the start even if it has great potential. They should target the elderly like my mum who just will not otherwise use a modern computer -that just might work!
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