Traveler

I love this thing. I put over 15,000 words on it in my first week. I love the Keyboard, it’s excellent. It is distraction free, as advertised, but it does take some self-work. At first my perfectionist side wanted to backspace or back-arrow to go and fix everything. But as I’ve slowly forced myself to stop doing that, I’ve become even more productive. I have to just ‘let it flow’ out of me. My productivity as a writer has gone WAY up.

A couple of negatives, but these are far outweighed by the good.
- Needs a backlight. I had to buy one of those book lights for it, but that doesn’t fit in the case, so now I have to carry something extra. My best writing is done when there’s low light or no light.
- Typing response is slow. Sometimes I'll type 2 words before it catches up and I'll see the first word was a mistake. If I'm just typing away it seems to be fine, the slow response is if I'm doing something other than typing, such as if I have to backspace, then I start typing, I'll see a lack of space between a couple of words, or something similar to that.

I've had my for a week or so and used it each day, mainly for journalling but also for starting some more serious writing. Here are my thoughts:
1) The keyboard is fantastic. I've owned a dozen mechanical keyboards, an old Thinkpad, a new Thinkpad, several laptops, and worked on multiple office machines. I love the Traveler's keyboard. It reminds me most of the old IBM Thinkpad. The keys are the right shape and the touch just firm enough that I don't accidentally press keys. My typing is as good as I've done in a while.
2) The traveler is a great size. I can carry it with me easily, type on my lap or desk, and not have to carry a power source.
3) The battery seldom needs charging.
4) The eInk screen is easy on the eyes. SOme have complained about lag between hit a character and it showing on the screen. They are faster typers than I. I have not had an issue with lag.
5) The limited keys help discipline me. I'm not constantly editing as I go, something I got in the habit of years ago. I enjoy editing my writing, but it's very important to shut down the critic in my head when first getting thoughts on paper. A lack of capability to edit actually helps with that.
6) The cost is not cheap, and I held off for nearly a year in buying it. The big step was first committing to writing. I've attended a few writing workshops, and they cost as much or more as the Traveler and only last a few days. Each expense I consider an investment in my craft. Long ago, my dad poured a concrete slab in front of our garage and hung a hoop, a significant expense to help my basketball game. A Traveler costs less and the potential for me to continue to grow as a writer for many years dwarfs my basketball future.

The bottom line, ion my opinion, is that the Traveler is a serious tool that you should be committed to use before purchasing. But like any good tool, it will be a pleasure to work with.

I use the Freewrite Traveler for writing on the train and the bus. The small size and simple interface make it easy to get in some writing while commuting. Syncing to Dropbox works seamlessly for later editing.

I’m a writer living with severe ME/CFS. I have hyper sensitivity to screens, so I bought the traveler in hopes of being able to continue writing without using my laptop. The results are awesome.

I love the touch of the keyboard, it feels like I'm slapping the words onto the page. I love how easy the screen is on my brain -- no sensitivity what so ever and I love how lightweight it is. It sits by my bedside and I reach for it and write all day long.

Thank you so much. I’m a huge fan. Hal

Excellent product. I’m very happy with it!