This is the best writing tool ever. I still have to get the hang of it, being used to writing on my computer keyboard which has a slightly different layout (different language too), but it has allowed me to write several pages already without realizing it!
The leather sleeve is the cherry on top, since it allows me to put the Traveler away without worrying about scratches or dust, it was worth getting it.
Keep up the good work!
I have suffered unaware for decades now. I learned to compose on a word processor with a small screen in the 1980s. I saw the sentences for a few minutes and then they were gone until they were printed.
I learned to write in flow.
And then computer software forced me to stare at the whole damned document and I became obsessed with editing while I typed. I got good at editing my writing in large chunks, but I missed the creative joy that came from writing in flow state.
Freewrite has returned that joy to my life and I know where and when to use it. Wonderful product!
One of the biggest things keeping me from writing for a while as just how easy it was to get distracted on my computer. I bought this thing to help me separate writing from playing, and as of this review I've cranked out 4000-odd words on a short romance story.
Will absolutely keep using it, and I may even get a Traveler later to compliment it.
Excellent distraction free writing tool. Easy to handle and navigate. Thank you.
Good material, and well crafted. There is something special about carrying my Freewrite typewriter in that Felt and leather sleeve. If I would suggest an option it would be for the typewriter handle to be accessible through the felt sleeve. Anyway, a great way to protect our favorite creative device.
I feel free of compulsive email checking and also revising instead of pushing forward with new scenes.
I am in love! So fun to use my Hemwrite- yes, you can write with a laptop, or pen and paper, but there is something about the Freewrite that makes it easier to write and stay focused while doing so. I went back and forth on whether or not to drop almost 1k on this, but thrilled that I did.❤️
I wasn’t sure if I would like the machine and jumped in as an incentive and reward to myself at a major life transition. My first impressions were mixed: I dislike the plasticky feel of the Traveler and I have a feeling that the light colored keys will get grimy fast. And, as many noted, the glossy cover is a famous fingerprint magnet. On the other hand, the feel of the keyboard is superb, indeed better than ThinkPad, which is high praise from me, because I have Hubert high-end mechanical keyboards connected to all my devices. The screen is excellent, too. And the device is indeed supremely portable and light, starts up quickly, and synchs to Dropbox without any issues. Despite the early misgivings about the plasticky feel, the experience of actually writing on this thing is transformative. Over the first few days I’ve written journaling entries, random notes, idea lists, and such. Something about being disconnected from the noise of the internet and yet writing on a keyboard (rather, than, say a fountain pen, another technology of choice for me!) is fantastically conducive to deep work. After a few days I’m certain that I’m keeping this thing and may be adding the bigger sister device soon.
Thank you for responding to my email and for sending the “Y” key cap. I just got home from work at 3:00pm on Friday March 10, 2023 and I saw a tiny bubbled plastic envelope addressed to me from Astrohaus. I did a double-take to make sure that this was real. Keep in mind that when I emailed your company, I was not kidding about my scenario, I could not find that damn “Y” key cap and it frustrated the living hell out of me, to have all those beautiful black keys and that one white one on the upper top center-right, even though I must confess, it was unique looking, it did irritate me immensely. I took a long shot, not knowing much about Astrohaus the company. I had researched your products for the better part of a year but was unfamiliar with the people working at your company and their business practices and models. I took a screenshot of my discolored keyboard and sent the email. I did not initially hear a response back but I wasn’t really expecting one simply because I felt that your staff would get a good chuckle out of this story the way I later did after being initially peeved. The laughter continued when opening the small parcel in near disbelief. It was great to see a company so willing to go out of their way to appease their clientele and actually listen to their complaints and comments regarding products and orders and address these issues instead of just pretending that we’re invisible like so many other companies have done in the past and then force us to voice our complaints elsewhere shuffling us off to next connection number and the next and the next. It’s the little things that sometimes make such a huge impact like when a CEO responds to a customer and treats them like a human being instead of cattle or a data statistic. Your products are not cheap and by cheap I mean in the money sense but your products are not cheap either meaning they are made of great quality. I can also say that the customer service relations that your staff relays to its clientele is not cheap either, meaning of great quality. Thank you for your support.
P.S. The Freewrite looks complete with its slick black “Y” cap now.
All wonderful except the key cap removal tool was missing from the shipment. I bought one on Amazon.
Am very happy with the new look.
Received the device last week. Easy setup. The only confusing part was Postbox but figured that out quickly.
Love how it backs up to Postbox and automatically syncs content over to GoogleDocs. It reduces effort on my part and is a great backup.
I can easily take it anywhere.
Love how I can open the lid and start typing.
A few downsides:
The lack of cursor keys. The shorcut keys for it are there. I prefer the actual keys as a touch typist so I don't have to break flow.
Spellcheck would be nice to have.
The pricepoint is a bit high. Overtime, I believe it will be worth it with the time saved by auto syncing and the lack of distraction in getting my thoughts down.
The screen could be bigger given the wasted space around it.
Overall, very happy.
I love my traveler. I use it to type what's on my mind. It is another process I use to help cope with PTSD I developed in the military..
I wasn’t sure this little device was going to work for me. I thought I’d be unable to cope with not having the ability to do major editing, but I was wrong. It turns out that I have it in me to write freely, to go deeper, to let the words pour out of me in ways I hadn’t thought possible, and I never would have known had I not taken the chance on FreeWrite. Grateful.
My writing process has gotten back to a level of focus I had pre-COVID thanks to this device. Love the Traveler!
The words show slightly slow for my typing speed, which is consistent with other reviews. I will say it’s not a huge issue, especially for confident typists.
I love writing but dislike hand writing (I’ve got wrist issues) and the trouble I go through having to boot my laptop up in the morning and then see all of my work documents before opening up a fresh google doc just to do my personal writing can feels so troublesome (especially as someone who is getting back into the habit of writing) This typewriter makes it SO EASY to just turn on and let the words flow out. I’ve been using this for my morning pages every day (stream of consciousness writing from the Artist’s way book) and it’s literally been the best part of my day.
The price seems to be the biggest downside for some people which is fair. For large purchases like this I like to ask myself regularly—would I rather have the $650 in cash right now or would I rather have this typewriter? And I would choose the typewriter every time. So that = great investment for me personally.
Over all, I love love love what this brand stands for and I love what make. And it has inspired me to write 10x more than I used to simply because of its ease and simplicity. In a distraction prone world—this is of high value. I highly recommend this!
I’m really enjoying your product. I suffer from depression and anxiety, and the Freewrite takes the anxiety away and just brings my mind somewhere else. I love writing on it, and I’ve already pre-ordered the Alpha. Keep on doing great things.
I wasn’t sure why I even bought my Freewriter, but they caught my eye, and kept coming back to look at them over and over. So I bought one. I don’t really need it, but I LOVE it! It has such a nice feel to the keys, the screen is easy on the eyes, and it’s nice and portable. Aside from writing book chapters on it, I find myself using it for short pieces, like pattern instructions, item descriptions, etc.
Everything about this product is the most satisfying thing ever. The build, feel, weight, design, it’s all money. Solid. Love it.
But the seamless boot-up-and-start-writing is the real cream of the crop. The screen is just big enough that you can see what you just wrote, but not so large that you’re constantly looking back and trying to correct or edit as you go (the death of productivity). The whole philosophy of this product is beautiful and it’s allowed me to just WRITE for what feels like the first time in a long time, since I couldn’t stop self-editing as I went.
I’m 4000 words into my project after less than a week and I look forward to sitting down with this thing every single day.
10/10; 5/5; ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I considered my purchase of the Hemingway freewrite as an investment to my mental health. As a nurse, I am able to use this distraction free keyboard to reflection on my experiences at the bedside. This premium product makes that process enjoyable. I plan to use this for the rest of my life and will hand it down to my child for future generations!
Love this product! So much fun to use!
Really enjoying my time with the Freewrite. Writing more and loving it! High price point, but makes getting back into the flow of writing much easier.
The stainless steel. the Vermont green. the Tan case.
and ofcourse the satisfying click of those keys 🤤