<s>
AlphaSmart	B-Application
,	O
Inc	O
.	O
was	O
an	O
education	O
technology	O
company	O
founded	O
by	O
Apple	O
Computer	O
engineers	O
Joe	O
Barrus	O
and	O
Ketan	O
Kothari	O
,	O
and	O
Kothari	O
's	O
brother	O
,	O
Manish	O
,	O
in	O
the	O
early	O
90	O
's	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
time	O
of	O
their	O
initial	O
release	O
in	O
1993	O
,	O
the	O
first	O
AlphaSmart	B-Application
models	O
were	O
marketed	O
as	O
smart	O
keyboards	B-Device
designed	O
to	O
promote	O
writing	O
in	O
the	O
classroom	O
as	O
an	O
alternative	O
to	O
expensive	O
computer	O
labs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
their	O
initial	O
public	O
offering	O
in	O
2004	O
,	O
AlphaSmart	B-Application
,	O
Inc	O
.	O
was	O
quickly	O
acquired	O
by	O
Renaissance	O
Learning	O
,	O
Inc	O
.	O
in	O
2005	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
last	O
AlphaSmart	B-Application
branded	O
device	O
,	O
named	O
the	O
Neo	O
2	O
,	O
was	O
released	O
by	O
Renaissance	O
Learning	O
in	O
2007	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
6	O
years	O
later	O
in	O
late	O
September	O
2013	O
,	O
production	O
of	O
all	O
AlphaSmart	B-Application
branded	O
devices	O
was	O
discontinued	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
AlphaSmart	B-Application
no	O
longer	O
exists	O
as	O
a	O
brand	O
,	O
a	O
cult	O
following	O
of	O
distraction-free	O
writers	O
has	O
kept	O
a	O
healthy	O
secondhand	O
market	O
for	O
Alphasmart	B-Application
devices	O
alive	O
to	O
this	O
day	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
August	O
2022	O
,	O
Freewrite	O
,	O
a	O
manufacturer	O
of	O
single	O
purpose	O
distraction-free	O
writing	O
tools	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
Hemingwrite	O
and	O
the	O
Traveler	O
,	O
revived	O
the	O
alphasmart.com	O
domain	O
for	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
a	O
product	O
called	O
the	O
Freewrite	O
Alpha	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
AlphaSmart	B-Application
was	O
a	O
keyboarding	O
device	O
that	O
enabled	O
a	O
person	O
to	O
work	O
on	O
the	O
go	O
,	O
much	O
like	O
a	O
laptop	B-Device
computer	I-Device
,	O
but	O
it	O
was	O
strictly	O
for	O
word	O
processing	O
,	O
as	O
it	O
functioned	O
essentially	O
like	O
a	O
simple	O
digital	O
typewriter	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Dana	O
(	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
last	O
devices	O
made	O
by	O
AlphaSmart	B-Application
)	O
was	O
an	O
exception	O
,	O
as	O
this	O
device	O
also	O
ran	O
Palm	B-Operating_System
OS	I-Operating_System
applications	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
the	O
AlphaSmart	B-Application
,	O
Dana	O
,	O
and	O
NEO	O
were	O
specialized	O
for	O
limited	O
purposes	O
,	O
they	O
were	O
generally	O
much	O
cheaper	O
than	O
a	O
standard	O
laptop	B-Device
computer	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
All	O
of	O
these	O
devices	O
were	O
meant	O
to	O
be	O
plugged	O
into	O
an	O
ADB	B-Device
,	O
PS/2	B-Protocol
,	O
or	O
USB	B-Protocol
port	O
for	O
transferring	O
the	O
written	O
text	O
into	O
a	O
computer	O
's	O
word	O
processing	O
document	O
for	O
further	O
editing	O
(	O
such	O
as	O
indentation	O
and	O
font	O
preference	O
)	O
or	O
printing	O
if	O
so	O
desired	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
saved	O
every	O
keystroke	O
directly	O
to	O
the	O
machine	O
's	O
RAM	B-Architecture
,	O
which	O
was	O
maintained	O
by	O
a	O
battery	O
backup	O
even	O
when	O
powered	O
down	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
AlphaSmarts	B-Application
could	O
transfer	O
data	O
either	O
by	O
a	O
special	O
program	O
that	O
communicated	O
with	O
the	O
AlphaSmart	B-Application
or	O
by	O
the	O
simpler	O
method	O
of	O
transmitting	O
the	O
keystrokes	O
of	O
the	O
written	O
text	O
as	O
if	O
it	O
were	O
the	O
computer	O
's	O
keyboard	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
not	O
transferring	O
text	O
,	O
the	O
AlphaSmart	B-Application
could	O
be	O
used	O
as	O
a	O
standard	O
keyboard	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
AlphaSmarts	B-Application
were	O
very	O
popular	O
in	O
schools	O
for	O
their	O
affordability	O
and	O
durability	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
machines	O
were	O
also	O
popular	O
among	O
journalists	O
and	O
writers	O
,	O
who	O
found	O
them	O
easy	O
to	O
carry	O
and	O
appreciated	O
the	O
full-size	O
keyboard	B-Device
and	O
long	O
battery	O
life	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
AlphaSmarts	B-Application
continue	O
to	O
be	O
popular	O
with	O
small	O
groups	O
of	O
writers	O
,	O
despite	O
attempts	O
by	O
other	O
companies	O
as	O
early	O
as	O
2014	O
to	O
produce	O
other	O
low-distraction	O
writing	O
tools	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Later	O
,	O
they	O
changed	O
the	O
name	O
of	O
the	O
company	O
to	O
AlphaSmart	B-Application
,	O
Inc	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Barrus	O
and	O
Kothari	O
also	O
hold	O
a	O
US	O
patent	O
on	O
a	O
"	O
portable	O
keyboard	B-Device
computer	O
"	O
,	O
applied	O
for	O
in	O
1992	O
and	O
granted	O
in	O
1995	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
AlphaSmart	B-Application
,	O
Inc	O
.	O
completed	O
its	O
initial	O
public	O
offering	O
(	O
IPO	O
)	O
on	O
the	O
NASDAQ	O
on	O
February	O
6	O
,	O
2004	O
and	O
started	O
trading	O
under	O
the	O
symbol	O
ALSM	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
original	O
AlphaSmart	B-Application
computer	O
companion	O
was	O
shipped	O
in	O
August	O
1993	O
,	O
and	O
worked	O
only	O
with	O
Apple	B-Device
Macintosh	I-Device
and	O
Apple	B-Device
IIGS	I-Device
computers	O
,	O
plugging	O
into	O
the	O
Apple	B-Device
Desktop	I-Device
Bus	I-Device
(	O
ADB	B-Device
)	O
port	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
AlphaSmart	B-Application
took	O
on	O
the	O
aesthetics	O
of	O
the	O
computer	O
it	O
was	O
intended	O
to	O
be	O
partnered	O
with	O
–	O
it	O
had	O
a	O
boxy	O
,	O
durable	O
beige	O
plastic	O
case	O
like	O
the	O
IIGS	B-Device
and	O
Macintoshes	B-Device
of	O
that	O
era	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
AlphaSmart	B-Application
could	O
not	O
display	O
graphics	O
,	O
except	O
for	O
ASCII	O
art	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
early	O
AlphaSmart	B-Application
models	O
included	O
a	O
couple	O
of	O
jokes	O
,	O
including	O
a	O
reference	O
to	O
The	B-Application
Hitchhiker	I-Application
's	I-Application
Guide	I-Application
to	I-Application
the	I-Application
Galaxy	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
February	O
1995	O
,	O
the	O
AlphaSmart	B-Application
Pro	O
was	O
launched	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
looked	O
almost	O
identical	O
to	O
the	O
original	O
but	O
had	O
a	O
PS/2	B-Protocol
port	I-Protocol
as	O
well	O
as	O
an	O
ADB	B-Device
port	I-Device
,	O
making	O
it	O
compatible	O
with	O
both	O
Windows	B-Application
PCs	I-Application
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
Apple	B-Device
IIGS	I-Device
and	O
Macintoshes	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Third	O
,	O
the	O
AlphaSmart	B-Application
Pro	O
was	O
able	O
to	O
receive	O
text	O
from	O
a	O
computer	O
through	O
"	O
Get	O
Utility	O
"	O
software	O
installed	O
on	O
a	O
Mac	B-Device
or	O
Windows	B-Application
PC	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
October	O
1997	O
,	O
AlphaSmart	B-Application
introduced	O
the	O
third	O
generation	O
of	O
the	O
AlphaSmart	B-Application
family	O
,	O
the	O
AlphaSmart	B-Application
2000	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Along	O
with	O
a	O
more	O
ergonomic	O
design	O
,	O
the	O
case	O
of	O
the	O
AlphaSmart	B-Application
2000	I-Application
was	O
curvy	O
and	O
blue	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
year	O
later	O
,	O
the	O
company	O
added	O
infrared	O
capability	O
to	O
the	O
2000	O
,	O
enabling	O
users	O
to	O
transfer	O
text	O
to	O
a	O
computer	O
or	O
another	O
AlphaSmart	B-Application
without	O
a	O
cable	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Like	O
the	O
AlphaSmart	B-Application
Pro	O
,	O
it	O
had	O
a	O
128	O
kB	O
memory	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
January	O
2000	O
,	O
the	O
AlphaSmart	B-Application
3000	I-Application
was	O
released	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
3000	O
used	O
the	O
same	O
chassis	O
as	O
the	O
AlphaSmart	B-Application
2000	I-Application
,	O
but	O
it	O
was	O
now	O
encased	O
in	O
translucent	O
bondi-blue	O
plastic	O
,	O
matching	O
Apple	O
Computer	O
's	O
first	O
generation	O
iMac	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
was	O
meant	O
to	O
be	O
a	O
visual	O
indication	O
that	O
the	O
AlphaSmart	B-Application
3000	I-Application
was	O
a	O
USB	B-Protocol
native	O
device	O
,	O
as	O
many	O
other	O
USB	B-Protocol
devices	O
were	O
patterned	O
using	O
the	O
iMac	B-Device
's	O
design	O
in	O
the	O
same	O
way	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Designers	O
removed	O
the	O
ADB	B-Device
and	O
PS/2	B-Protocol
ports	I-Protocol
,	O
replacing	O
them	O
with	O
a	O
USB	B-Protocol
port	O
and	O
a	O
mini-DIN-8	O
serial	B-Protocol
port	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Also	O
new	O
was	O
the	O
SmartApplet	O
architecture	O
that	O
was	O
capable	O
of	O
extending	O
the	O
simple	O
functionality	O
of	O
an	O
AlphaSmart	B-Application
with	O
the	O
inclusion	O
of	O
SmartApplets	O
—	O
miniature	O
software	O
applications	O
that	O
extend	O
the	O
AlphaSmart	B-Application
's	O
functionality	O
to	O
give	O
it	O
features	O
beyond	O
basic	O
word	O
processing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Instead	O
,	O
it	O
used	O
a	O
new	O
optional	O
nickel	B-Device
metal	I-Device
hydride	I-Device
battery	I-Device
(	O
NiMH	B-Device
)	O
pack	O
that	O
lasted	O
longer	O
and	O
eliminated	O
the	O
memory	O
effect	O
of	O
NiCd	O
batteries	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
AlphaSmart	B-Application
3000	I-Application
had	O
the	O
customary	O
8	O
files	O
,	O
each	O
with	O
a	O
capacity	O
of	O
12.5	O
pages	O
(	O
about	O
25	O
kilobytes	O
)	O
,	O
for	O
a	O
total	O
of	O
100	O
pages	O
altogether	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
AlphaSmart	B-Application
announced	O
the	O
discontinuation	O
of	O
the	O
AlphaSmart	B-Application
on	O
April	O
30	O
,	O
2006	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
June	O
2002	O
,	O
AlphaSmart	B-Application
released	O
the	O
Dana	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
a	O
radical	O
departure	O
from	O
their	O
standard	O
product	O
line	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Similar	O
to	O
Apple	O
Computer	O
's	O
1997	O
Newton	B-Device
eMate	B-Device
300	I-Device
(	O
a	O
laptop	B-Device
running	O
Newton	B-Device
OS	I-Device
)	O
,	O
the	O
Dana	O
,	O
FCC	O
ID	O
KV2DANA001	O
,	O
is	O
a	O
fully	O
fledged	O
Palm	B-Operating_System
OS	I-Operating_System
Version	O
4	O
device	O
complete	O
with	O
a	O
touch-screen	B-Device
,	O
allowing	O
a	O
user	O
to	O
write	O
directly	O
on	O
the	O
screen	O
via	O
Graffiti	B-Application
in	O
addition	O
to	O
typing	O
on	O
its	O
built-in	O
,	O
full-size	O
keyboard	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
has	O
8	O
or	O
16	O
mebibytes	O
(	O
MiB	O
)	O
of	O
storage	O
and	O
two	O
expansion	O
slots	O
for	O
cards	O
in	O
Secure	B-Device
Digital	I-Device
(	O
SD	O
)	O
or	O
Multimedia	O
Card	O
formats	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dana	O
runs	O
nearly	O
every	O
Palm	B-Operating_System
OS	I-Operating_System
program	O
for	O
version	O
4.x	O
or	O
earlier	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Dana	O
's	O
touch	B-Device
screen	I-Device
is	O
extra-wide	O
with	O
a	O
resolution	O
of	O
560	O
x	O
160	O
pixels	B-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
Palm	B-Operating_System
OS	I-Operating_System
programs	O
can	O
make	O
use	O
of	O
the	O
entire	O
screen	O
width	O
,	O
including	O
the	O
standard	O
Palm	B-Operating_System
OS	I-Operating_System
apps	O
Memo	O
Pad	O
,	O
Datebook	O
,	O
Todo	O
and	O
Address	O
Book	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Those	O
that	O
cannot	O
run	O
inside	O
a	O
central	O
160	O
by	O
160	O
pixel	B-Algorithm
window	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Dana	O
's	O
screen	O
has	O
a	O
backlight	O
and	O
is	O
capable	O
of	O
displaying	O
complex	O
graphics	O
(	O
though	O
only	O
in	O
4	O
bit	O
grayscale	O
)	O
,	O
unlike	O
the	O
original	O
AlphaSmart	B-Application
line	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
is	O
a	O
licensed	O
version	O
of	O
Wordsmith	O
for	O
Palm	B-Operating_System
OS	I-Operating_System
by	O
Blue	O
Nomad	O
,	O
customized	O
for	O
the	O
Dana	O
's	O
wider	O
screen	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Also	O
,	O
it	O
is	O
a	O
simple	O
matter	O
to	O
switch	O
between	O
the	O
Alphawrite	O
documents	O
and	O
any	O
of	O
the	O
four	O
built-in	O
apps	O
native	O
to	O
Palm	B-Operating_System
OS	I-Operating_System
(	O
Memo	O
Pad	O
,	O
Datebook	O
,	O
Todo	O
,	O
Address	O
Book	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
screen	O
is	O
physically	O
taller	O
than	O
that	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
AlphaSmart	B-Application
products	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
Dana	O
's	O
casing	O
is	O
made	O
from	O
opaque	O
dark-blue	O
plastic	O
—	O
a	O
change	O
from	O
the	O
iMac-esque	O
clear	O
blue	O
of	O
the	O
AlphaSmart	B-Application
3000	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
uses	O
either	O
a	O
Ni-MH	B-Device
rechargeable	O
battery	O
or	O
3	O
AA	O
batteries	O
for	O
up	O
to	O
25	O
hours	O
of	O
usage	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
is	O
accessed	O
through	O
the	O
system	O
Keyboard	B-Device
App	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Being	O
a	O
Palm	B-Operating_System
OS	I-Operating_System
computer	O
,	O
files	O
may	O
be	O
transferred	O
to	O
or	O
from	O
a	O
PC	O
over	O
the	O
USB	B-Protocol
port	O
using	O
the	O
Hotsync	O
feature	O
of	O
the	O
included	O
Palm	O
Desktop	O
software	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Another	O
use	O
for	O
the	O
USB	B-Protocol
port	O
is	O
to	O
trickle-charge	O
a	O
rechargeable	O
battery	O
pack	O
,	O
in	O
lieu	O
of	O
the	O
AC	O
adapter	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
year	O
later	O
,	O
in	O
2003	O
,	O
AlphaSmart	B-Application
added	O
the	O
Dana	O
Wireless	O
model	O
(	O
FCC	O
ID	O
KV2DANA002	O
)	O
which	O
added	O
built-in	O
Wi-Fi	O
connectivity	O
for	O
internet	O
use	O
&	O
interaction	O
with	O
other	O
Danas	O
,	O
doubled	O
the	O
RAM	B-Architecture
capacity	O
from	O
8	O
MiB	O
to	O
16	O
MiB	O
,	O
doubled	O
flash	O
ROM	O
from	O
4	O
MiB	O
to	O
8	O
MiB	O
,	O
quadrupled	O
the	O
number	O
of	O
shades	O
of	O
gray	O
displayed	O
from	O
4	O
to	O
16	O
,	O
and	O
added	O
SDIO	O
support	O
to	O
the	O
SD	B-Device
card	I-Device
slots	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
used	O
3	O
AA	O
batteries	O
(	O
standard	O
or	O
Ni-MH	B-Device
or	O
Ni-Cad	O
)	O
for	O
up	O
to	O
20	O
hours	O
of	O
usage	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Its	O
LCD	O
was	O
50%	O
larger	O
than	O
the	O
AlphaSmart	B-Application
3000	I-Application
's	O
display	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
used	O
the	O
same	O
optional	O
NiMH	B-Device
battery	I-Device
pack	O
as	O
the	O
AlphaSmart	B-Application
Dana	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2007	O
,	O
the	O
Neo	O
2	O
added	O
several	O
minor	O
upgrades	O
to	O
the	O
original	O
Neo	O
and	O
was	O
the	O
first	O
unit	O
released	O
after	O
AlphaSmart	B-Application
was	O
acquired	O
by	O
Renaissance	O
Learning	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Neo	O
2	O
could	O
also	O
access	O
Accelerated	B-Application
Reader	I-Application
quizzes	O
and	O
allow	O
students	O
to	O
use	O
network	O
printers	O
,	O
when	O
using	O
the	O
Renaissance	O
Receiver	O
accessory	O
.	O
</s>
