What do I think of the Freewrite Alpha Cosmic Edition?
The short answer is that it does what it is designed to do. If I were rating the Alpha purely on its ability to deliver on what Freewrite advertises, it would deserve an easy five-star rating. Its keyboard provides a satisfying enough tactile experience, and its limited functionality removes immediate distractions and encourages focus—provided you can leave your phone alone.
So, if functioning as a distraction-free writing device is all you care about, feel free to stop reading now and add it to your cart. Your money will not be wasted. If, however, you seek a more complete review, consider persevering.
I originally purchased the Hemingwrtie Edition of Freewrites full-size typewriter. Its striking appearance, beautiful leather carrying case, and obvious homage to its namesake were enough reasons for me to accept its $1000 price tag. My opinion, however, changed rapidly upon receiving the device and briefly trying on its keyboard. The keys were made of thin, cheap-feeling plastic and made a rather unpleasant and unsatisfying sort-of klacking sound with every press. The keyboard on mine specifically arrived with a broken tab button. My initial impression was also not helped by the fact that mine arrived already tarnished, with marks indicating previous use of the Folder and WIFI switches. Overall, the device just gave the impression of being a used return quickly repackaged and resold. I hope I am mistaken.
It took me about 10 minutes to conclude that the Hemingwrite was not worth its price and to return it. A day or two after shipping it back, I ordered the Alpha Cosmic edition, and after a couple of days of use, I can report that I do not regret giving Freewrite a second chance.
The Alpha delivers in a way that the Hemingwrite could not. It fulfills its desired purpose while providing a solid typing experience and a straightforward user experience, where the most challenging part of the setup is remembering your WIFI password. It also benefits from not leaving me feeling like I paid drastically more than the device is worth.
Let me be clear: the price of the Alpha Cosmic edition is steep for what you receive - an all-plastic device with a solid keyboard connected to a small backlit Kindle-style display. It may be made of heavy plastic. It may even be quite durable, but the materials are nothing exceptional. It only makes up for its mark-up by living up to its purpose. Put another way, when used as intended, the Freewrite Alpha Cosmic Edition is greater than the sum of its parts. If you understand and accept that, then I see little reason for you to be unsatisfied with your purchase.
Happy typing.
Yes, this review was drafted using my Freewrite.
I have tried writing at home, but distractions are everywhere. I tried taking laptops to coffee shops, but my first writing laptop had a small, flat keyboard that slowed me down and I was prone to mistakes when using it. I tried a windows tablet with a nice bluetooth keyboard, but the battery didn't last long, it was hard to see in daylight, and I found that I spent most of my time plotting out my work in tools like Milanote, Scrivener, Novelpad, etc. When I first saw the Freewrite, I thought it was an outrageously expensive luxury item that would collect dust in the corner, honestly. But over the months, I've found myself watching more and more review videos and thinking about how I might use it, and after feeling like I was getting nowhere with my laptops, I found myself ordering the most extravagant of the Freewrite models, and believe me I am as shocked as anyone about this. What I found was exceptional build quality, and exceptional design. Those big white letters on the dark green keys stand out so I never get lost on the keyboard, even in the dark, and the mechanical switches are a dream to type on. The front light means I can use it anywhere, day or night. It's actually fun to use. The documents sync to the web so seamlessly and I love that. And the result is that I take it everywhere I go and I have been cranking out 1000 words a day by just spending one hour at the coffee shop on the way home. If I can stop for only half an hour, I still get over 500 words. Like clockwork. This thing is a miracle machine. All it does is move you forward in your writing, and if you sit down in front of it often enough, a completed book is pretty much the only possible outcome. My only gripe is that after a few days of use, the power button won't bring it out of standby anymore and I have to hold it down for a fresh reboot. May be something that can be addressed in firmware, hopefully. Possibly a memory leak in sleep mode. Overall, this is my favorite gadget I own, and even for the Hemmingway edition, it was worth every cent. I would not trade this thing for the world.
Even though I still gotta pay the thing down, the Smart Typewriter is the last piece of the puzzle. Now I have what I call the 'Freewrite Trifecta':
- The Alpha, used for my English classes
- The Traveler, used for my thoughts
- The Smart Typewriter, used for school/work
Overall, the Smart Typewriter is SUPER. Thank you Freewrite!
(There is trouble connecting to Wifi and the E-Ink feature is annoying, but I don't care.)
What a wonderful product, and such a perfect way to disconnect from all the distractions and get back to just writing!
Adding the Alpha Cosmic to my writing toolbox was an easy decision…a simple, dedicated drafting device. I am loving it. As a truck driver, it’s the perfect form factor, always at the ready in my home on wheels. No distractions. Instant on…lightweight…perfect.
An investment in my creativity…no regrets. The rest is still unwritten!
I’m not joking when I say that sitting down and letting my emotions unleash on this device brought me unexpected feelings of excitement, as well as a sort of cathartic release of sadness because I’d stopped writing for so long. Thank you, it feels good to finally re-acquaint myself with my dreams and inner dialogues.
I bought this a couple weeks ago and I've used it everyday since it arrived. I was initially worried about the price, but this is the first time that I've ever written without worrying about it being perfect. I'm just getting my words, my ideas, my story on paper and it feels freeing. If you're on the fence, consider purchasing the Traveler! It really has made such a big difference in the way I approach my writing.
I am enjoying the backlight when I'm typing at night. It's just what I want. I thought getting info on my document would be difficult, but so far it's easy. I'm glad I made the purchase. I needed another place to type and the Alpha fits the bill. I love reaching for it to type more.
A long time ago, i used the AlphaSmart 3000 for years. It was my everyday writing companion, but some day the keyboard broke due material fatigue. Today, the Alpha is channeling the old AS 3000-feeling. But familiar is back! Thank You for that!
The only thing i miss is a clipboard (the AS 3000 had one ...).
If this were my first Freewrite device, it would be the perfect solution to distraction-free writing. And considered as a device in a vacuum, it is. It is lightweight, easy to carry, and, so far, has enough battery for most writing styles. The “cons” are more in mechanics and expectations than any flaw of the device. My first Freewrite device is the Traveller. There are two key differences. The first is the form factor. The Alpha is like a single piece of paper (it measures just a bit larger than a single piece of paper.) The Traveller is half that size (although double the thickness). Depending on the bag I have at hand, the Alpha or the Traveller is the device I pick up. This is good, but if your EDC bag is not a backpack, you may find the Traveller a better form factor. The second is mechanical. The Traveller supports three “folder” models. Most writers will probably not care, but with Postbox, you can set the folders to different outputs - personally, I use DOCX for my A folder, MD for my B folder, and FDX/Fountain for my C folder. The Alpha does not support this - it only has one storage “folder” and thus one output type. It’s not a huge deal, given the multiple send styles, but it’s a minor annoyance if you have a working style already.
I recommend the Alpha as a platform if you want a solution to encourage you to write more. If you don’t wander far from home or work in established locations (desks, good light), it will do the job. If you tend to work in odd and unusual places, you may find it is not the perfect solution. This weekend, I am taking it to the woods to see how it performs.
Although this is supposed to be a pretty distraction free writing experience, I’m very OCD, and when I can’t scroll back to certain portions of my text to edit it directly on Freewrite, it’s slightly agonizing, and at times I have to delete large portions of text to go back and fix a word or two.
Perhaps in time I’ll fix myself and fix my rating from 4 stars to 5 for the smart freewrite, but greater editing functionality would be desirable for me.
Lags straight out of the box. Emailed for help and got this response:
Hey there,
Thanks for reaching out. There was previously a lag with longer documents that has since been fixed with a firmware update. However, there is a very brief lag when typing, which is due to the refresh rate of E Ink technology. Most Freewrite users report not noticing it — and some say it helps prevent editing-as-you-go so you can reach that flow state. Please make sure you are on the most current firmware version.
Hope this helps!
Best regards,
I received my Alpha Freewrite a few days ago, and it’s magic. I absolutely love it, my writing productivity has shot up and I’m hoping that through practice, my creativity will too.
I really love my Freewrite. I am just waiting on the firmware update that will make my display show the accurate battery percentage.
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!
I’ll make this quick: I broke the screen on my old Freewrite. I got fast, helpful help from the company, and a very substantial discount on a replacement. I use my freewrite for journaling and FKR game design, and I hardly miss my laptop. Keep up the great work, Astrohaus!
I look forward to writing every day now bc of this product and the keys sound so satisfying!
I wasn't sure if this device was what I needed. Now I know it's exactly what I needed. The technology is smart enough to be useful with multiple folders and documents stored on it. I don't know how much memory is on the actual device but the storage online is amazing. I enjoy the E Ink display and the fact that I can just type away without distractions from other app notifications is awesome. It's light weight so I carry it in my tote bag with my other writing supplies on the go.
So far so good! I have two typewriters but my wife hates the sound, so I decided to give this a shot. Nice and compact, distraction free, and ready to go at a moment's notice.
such a wonderful book, a super helpful guide to freewriting and the freewrite typewriter.
I am a PhD student in a writing-heavy program, and recently lost thousands of words in work due to an app glitch (not associated with Freewrite). I've also been sick and tired of AI infiltrating all writing software that I've sampled over the years. Purchasing the Freewrite Traveler was the best decision I ever made in terms of investing in a machine that I can use that is solely dedicated to my craft. I love its beautiful simplicity: the e-ink screen is so easy on the eyes, and the absence of obnoxious suggested words or phrases or other distracting elements present on other apps or smart devices makes me weep singular tears of peaceful gratitude. The Traveler's internal storage, the automatic synching to Postbox, its capabilities to export elsewhere, and the ability to 'SEND' documents to your email tied to your Freewrite account has absolutely alleviated all anxieties associated with the fear of losing work. This is something I wish I'd invested in sooner. I use it everyday, and it has helped me frame my dissertation as a much more managable project where I can hyperfocus on getting words out rather than going down the inevitable endless research rabbit holes that happens when working on a device that can connect to the internet. The Traveler's portability is wonderful. I take it everywhere in my Kanken bag, and still have plenty of room for everything I need--it takes up a fraction of space that a laptop normally would. I'm not someone who ever writes reviews on products, but felt compelled to share here for those who may be on the fence.
Oh, I absolutely love my traveler!! It's so lightweight and I can bring it anywhere with me. I've already written so many short stories with it. I am so glad I decided to buy myself one