The Ernest Hemingway Freewrite Signature Edition, a.k.a. "Hemingwrite," pays homage to the most iconic literary personality of the last century.
The Hemingwrite is an officially licensed collaboration with the Ernest Hemingway estate.
An explorer at heart, Hemingway lived a rich, legendary life. He won a medal for his bravery in WWI, was adopted into the “Lost Generation” writers’ circle in Paris, ran with the bulls in Spain, and caught giant marlins off the coast of Cuba.
Beyond his worldly travels, Hemingway whet his appetite for adventure through the written word. On the Hemingwrite, the only limit to your exploration is your imagination.
Now, there’s no need to travel to Paris to create a distraction-free atmosphere. Hemingwrite is designed to help you focus, so you can enter writing flow wherever you go.
Hemingway wrote directly and concisely. His perceptive style became known as the “iceberg theory,” influencing subsequent generations of writers. The principle of minimalism is at the very core of Hemingwrite. Its clean aesthetic, minimalist features, and singular purpose as a drafting tool will help you do what you do best: just write.
To conquer the blank page, Hemingway advised writers to first “write the truest sentence that you know.” From that first sentence, the Hemingwrite encourages you to embrace authenticity by focusing on productivity over perfection – let your story emerge.
Control where your drafts sync, change device settings like font size and lock screens, and enable new languages and keyboard layouts, all from Postbox.
The Hemingwrite is a beautiful, expensive creation. The question many seem to ask is, "Is it really worth the price?" and, for me, the answer is "Yes," with a few notable reservations:
Overall, I wish that, for the price, Astrohaus / Freewrite had included a few internal bells and whistles unique to this machine, because, beneath the fantastic aluminum chassis, it's identical to the standard Freewrite Typewriter, which is a little disappointing considering it's $350 more. Also, it would have been nice if a better battery had been provided; if you accidentally (or purposefully) leave the WiFi on, your machine runs out of juice in 2-3 days of nonuse, which is a dramatic difference from the company's claim that it can coast on one full charge for about a month--with WiFi off, at 30 minutes of use per day. Regardless of whether my battery is a bit weak or this is the standard with WiFi left on, it's a pain to try to turn on your Hemingwrite and find that its battery is completely dead.
Here's the good news: It's a (mostly) brilliant invention that has truly helped harness my strong ADHD, and it's gotten some great, undistracted work out of me. That's true regardless of which Freewrite machine you choose. But the pretty obvious added bonus here is that anybody just looks damn-good at work on a Hemingwrite. The aesthetic details (if you're buying the Hemingwrite, you're going for aesthetics) are wonderful. The attache case is just cool, with a classic, retro flair. Both it and the Hemingwrite itself are solidly, thoughtfully constructed. Bottom line: If you think these look dope and you're choosing between it and the standard-edition Typewriter, pick the Hemingwrite--that is, if it's in your budget to do so (a word on that in a sec). It's the same on the inside, but there's no comparison when you're looking at the facade.
Regarding cost, I want to defend Freewrite (a little), because on social media, those who are critical of Freewrite tend to obsess over why someone would spend "X" on one of these machines when you can do everything it does on a computer. Fair enough--of course you can, although I have two retorts:
(1) A computer also has endless distractions and there's a lovely, austere simplicity to using a Freewrite, regardless of the model or how it looks. To get to a Zen-like place where it's just you and the words, I find either a Freewrite machine or an old-fashioned notebook and pen to be the preferred, more pure methods. And I've really connected with using this to get serious writing done; I'm a professional screenwriter by trade and often find the "look" of industry-standard formatting on a page to be antithetical to creative writing; worry over formatting is the enemy of getting good writing done, and when you're looking at a Freewrite screen, it's just words -- in the best way possible.
(2) If you love fashion, you undoubtedly have invested in a designer item or two...or more--they probably set you back more money than most people spend on clothing or accessories. Same for music fanatics, who shell-out a lot to see live music or experience it from high-end speakers--the point it that everyone splurges on their passions, and they should! Writers, people who truly savor the act and art of writing, are no different. Whether you're a professional writer or someone who writes as a pleasurable pastime, I'd venture that you'll really enjoy the look and feel of a Freewrite device, in this case a Hemingwrite (although I recommend the Traveler as well), and you'll likely benefit from the no-frills, stripped-down experience that one provides.
Here's my hope from Freewrite: a robust firmware update, somewhere in the pretty-near future. There are some unpleasantries with the software -- as many users are quick to point out, there is notable lag when writing on a Freewrite, regardless of the model. The company should really squash that bug because it is, in and of itself, distracting to see words populate more slowly than you type them -- and eliminating distractions in Freewrite should be the paramount goal of any update. I'd also like a little more out of my additional subscription to Freewrite Plus, which is a necessity for screenwriters but doesn't really do much beyond its two or three basic features.
Important to know: Freewrite / Astrohaus are a quality product and company, and, because there are so, so many start-up companies and products that are cheap and have no passion for or investment in their customers, Freewrite / Astrohaus should be applauded for how distinct the difference is in their work. Their passion comes through in all the details of their products and services -- this isn't a take-your-money gimmick. It is pricey, but they really are invested in you, as a writer. To that end, their customer service is impressively quick and responsive if you have a question or can't figure out a feature.
*I wrote this review on my Hemingwrite and had a blast doing it!
Ernest Hemingway Freewrite Signature Edition
Ernest Hemingway Freewrite Signature Edition
What an excellent piece of art that helps you stay undistracted while writing your thoughts, plans, imagination, or whatever. It's a powerful tool that will help you focus and contemplate and then put it in writing. I love it!!! I cannot stop thinking, imagining, and writing. It's the best investment ever! Thank you, Freewrite, and I am a fan forever. The Hemingway edition is simply a classic, and one needs to own it to experience it. It’s once in a lifetime investment, and I cannot say any more than that. It will change your life because you will write more than you imagined.
Yes, it’s pricy, but it’s a typewriter. It’s designed to do one thing, and like an analog typewriter, it excels at it. And it’s super-classy looking!
| DIMENSIONS | h = 33.5cm [13.2 in] w = 26.7cm [10.5 in] d = 9.6cm [3.8 in] |
| MATERIALS | Cognac Genuine Leather Velvet Sherpa Lining |
| WHAT'S INCLUDED | Microfiber Cloth |
Write passionately and explore the world of Freewrite drafting tools.
Hemingwrite features a raw aluminum chassis that will develop a completely unique patina over time. Each unit is finished by hand, so no two are exactly alike. This, along with Hemingway’s official signature on the body, makes Hemingwrite a one-of-a-kind collector's piece.
Hemingwrite ships with a gorgeous customer leather attaché case, a monogrammed microfiber cloth, and booklet.
The Smart Typewriter Hemingway edition is an official collaboration with Ernest Hemingway’s estate. Each device features Hemingway’s official signature on the body. We’re proud to be able to offer this stunning device from a literary great.
Yes.
