Cosmic Edition

The Cosmic Alpha surpassed my expectations.

I owned the original Alpha, which I found unusable because of the way I work. I write from a recliner chair in a dimly lit space; I couldn't comfortably read the Alpha's screen. I gave the unit to a friend. The Cosmic Alpha completely changed everything, because of the improved type and backlight.

Astorhaus's distraction-free first-draft philosophy doesn't apply to me. I use the Cosmic for quick notes while writing fiction and screenplays on my Macbook Air or iPad Pro 13, using Ulysses, Final Draft and other word processors. It's easier, faster, and much more pleasurable for me to reach for the Cosmic to make a note than note-taking on the Apple devices. Once a week I view the big picture in Postbox; copy, paste and edit the relevant entries in Ulysses. The send-to-email feature is a super-fast way to backup the original raw copy.

What I like best about the Cosmic is the feel, a combination of the light weight, mechanical keyboard, and the clean well-lighted place afforded by the bright screen.

I love everything about my Alpha Cosmic Edition – the keyboard, the screen, and the colourway! It's absolutely gorgeous, and helps me bring a more playful mindset when I sit down to write with it. Plus, no distraction! I love the fact that I can only write and do nothing else on it. And that tiny screen – which I was afraid at first that I would struggle with – has been amazing at helping me go into a flow state. I'm excited about writing again!

I'm sure you've all heard the positive things about Freewrite Alpha. It's a great tool! Forgive me then for using most of my review on focusing on the negatives. I'm still a satisfied client – though there are some things worth improving.

I'm a Polish user therefore I use "alt gr" key a lot to access special characters (I press it let's say once each four words). The issue is that "send" button is located just next to it (exactly where "option/alt gr" key is located on my MacBook Air) and I hit it a lot on accident. When you press "send", you can't go back to the text for a couple of seconds which at times can be enough to stop my flow. Plus it sends you an irrelevant email to the Inbox. The keys can't be swapped nor customized as of now. I hope for an update. I understand that with time I'll get used to the keyboard to a degree when I may stop making this mistake however for now it disturbs me a lot, therefore for me it's not as distraction free as I hoped. Anyways, if you don't use "alt gr" key as much as Polish users, you're fine!

Shipping: I waited for three weeks until the package had arrived to Poland. It could be due to the holiday season. Anyways, the customer service team was not fast in responding nor helpful in estimations when more or less shall I expect the delivery. There was also no clear information on the website about shipping times. Eventually I got it so it's fine!

Other than that, it's a lovely drafting device. When I write on Freewrite Alpha, I focus solely on writing my thoughts down without editing. I look back less despite an urge to revise which I struggle with as a person with undiagnosed ADHD. It's a neat gadget, though it cost a small fortune, especially after paying shipping and taxes to ship it to Poland.

The case is not as solid as I'd like it to be therefore I put it aside and use Thule Gauntlet 4 MacBook 14". I feel much more confident with it in case of physical damage or any liquids. Maybe I'm extra cautious but that's how I feel.

I’ve tested typing while lying down – it's a bit uncomfortable. It puts more strain on my tendons. It works very well when put on desk or on the knees though. The keyboard is very aesthetically pleasing! It’ll be exciting to use it and see if, in fact, it improves my drafting process. So far, this colorful keyboard is making writing much more exciting!

Oh, and the backlit screen is a game changer! Without it it's pretty much useless to me even on a sunny day.

I am very happy with the device. The LCD is clear and evenly lit. The case feels sturdy, and the keys have a nice touch and pressure point. The battery also lasts very long—so long, I can allow myself to forget it! So far, so good.

The ecosystem behind the device, however, is bad and restrictive. Why is the device over USB read-only? Why can't I upgrade the firmware or change keyboard layouts without the postbox service? Also, it sometimes takes a very long time until an email is sent (if at all). I want to love the device, but the cloud ecosystem makes it hard. I want to write, not work around your system!

Final impression: The Alpha is awesome for writing undisturbed, but the cloud ecosystem is a problem.

I love the way it feels to type, the way it looks. My one issue is that when I stick it in my backpack to travel with it…I will power it up to find pages of random characters like it turned on while it was in the pack.