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= AlphaSmart =
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Introduction
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AlphaSmart, Inc., formerly Intelligent Peripheral Devices, Inc., was
an education technology company founded in 1992 by Apple Computer
engineers Joe Barrus and Ketan Kothari, and Kothari's brother, Manish
Kothari. At the time of their initial release in 1993, the first
AlphaSmart models were marketed as smart keyboards designed to promote
writing in the classroom as an alternative to expensive computer labs.
The units' durability, long battery life, and limited functionality
made them ideal for K-12 classrooms. Later models expanded
functionality to spell-checking, running applications, and accessing
wireless printers.
After their initial public offering in 2004, AlphaSmart, Inc. was
quickly acquired by Renaissance Learning, Inc., in 2005. The last
AlphaSmart branded device, named the Neo 2, was released by
Renaissance Learning in 2007. 6 years later in late September 2013,
production of all AlphaSmart branded devices was discontinued. While
AlphaSmart no longer exists as a brand, a cult following of
distraction-free writers has kept a healthy secondhand market for
Alphasmart devices alive to this day.
AlphaSmart Neo
Background
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The AlphaSmart was a keyboarding device that enabled a person to work
on the go, much like a laptop computer, but it was strictly for word
processing, as it functioned essentially like a simple digital
typewriter. The Dana (one of the last devices made by AlphaSmart) was
an exception, as this device also ran Palm OS applications. Since the
AlphaSmart, Dana, and NEO were specialized for limited purposes, they
were generally much cheaper than a standard laptop computer. All of
these devices were meant to be plugged into an ADB, PS/2, or USB port
for transferring the written text into a computer's word processing
document for further editing (such as indentation and font preference)
or printing if so desired.
The AlphaSmart saved every keystroke directly to the machine's RAM,
which was maintained by a battery backup even when powered down.
AlphaSmarts could transfer data either by a special program that
communicated with the AlphaSmart or by the simpler method of
transmitting the keystrokes of the written text as if it were the
computer's keyboard. When not transferring text, the AlphaSmart could
be used as a standard keyboard.
AlphaSmarts were very popular in schools for their affordability and
durability. Elementary schools and high schools used them; and they
were particularly popular among special education departments for use
by students with graphomotor challenges.
The machines were also popular among journalists and writers, who
found them easy to carry and appreciated the full-size keyboard and
long battery life. AlphaSmarts continue to be popular with small
groups of writers, despite attempts by other companies as early as
2014 to produce other low-distraction writing tools.
Company
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Intelligent Peripheral Devices, Inc. was founded in 1992 by two
previous Apple Computer engineers, Ketan Kothari and Joe Barrus, with
the mission to "develop and market affordable, portable personal
learning solutions for the classroom" and to "deliver affordable,
lightweight, rugged portable computing devices that are expandable,
easy to use and manage, and provide exceptional battery life." Shortly
after its founding they were joined by Ketan's brother Manish. Later,
they changed the name of the company to AlphaSmart, Inc.
Barrus and Kothari also hold a US patent on a "portable keyboard
computer", applied for in 1992 and granted in 1995.
AlphaSmart, Inc. completed its initial public offering (IPO) on the
NASDAQ on February 6, 2004 and started trading under the symbol ALSM.
In June 2005, it was acquired by Renaissance Learning (NASDAQ: RLRN).
The name changed again in the Spring of 2009, this time to NEO Direct,
Inc. They went on to release the Neo2 and 2Know Responder hardware
products.
AlphaSmart
============
The original AlphaSmart computer companion was shipped in August 1993,
and worked only with Apple Macintosh and Apple IIGS computers,
plugging into the Apple Desktop Bus (ADB) port. This model provided
customers with 16 "pages" of memory (32,000 bytes) for eight separate
files (2 pages per file), that were accessed by pressing the
corresponding function key. The AlphaSmart took on the aesthetics of
the computer it was intended to be partnered with - it had a boxy,
durable beige plastic case like the IIGS and Macintoshes of that era.
It had a four-line LCD character display similar to what one would
find on some appliances. Each character was displayed in its own LCD
"box," making the point size and font type fixed. The AlphaSmart could
not display graphics, except for ASCII art. It ran on 2 AA batteries
and could be used for days at a time due to a power-saving technique
that effectively allowed it to "sleep" between keystrokes. There was a
rechargeable nickel-cadmium battery (NiCad) pack add-on that a
customer could purchase separately.
The early AlphaSmart models included a couple of jokes, including a
reference to 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'. If, while using
the calculator, the answer is 42, the words "The answer to Life, the
Universe, and Everything" appear. Or, if the input was 1+1, the
calculator would say, "That's too easy."
AlphaSmart Pro
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In February 1995, the AlphaSmart Pro was launched. This looked almost
identical to the original but had a PS/2 port as well as an ADB port,
making it compatible with both Windows PCs and Apple IIGS and
Macintoshes. It was able to receive text from a computer through "Get
Utility" software installed on a Mac or Windows PC, and was able to
store up to 64 pages of text (128,000 bytes), holding 16 pages in the
first file, 8 pages in files two through five, 6 in files six and
seven, and 4 pages in file number eight. The original rechargeable
NiCad battery pack could also be used in the Pro model.
AlphaSmart 2000
=================
In October 1997, AlphaSmart introduced the third generation of the
AlphaSmart family, the AlphaSmart 2000. Along with a more ergonomic
design, the case of the AlphaSmart 2000 was curvy and blue. New
features added were spell-checking, direct printing (allowing a user
to plug into a printer directly, bypassing a computer), auto-off power
save, and a keyboarding timer. A year later, the company added
infrared capability to the 2000, enabling users to transfer text to a
computer or another AlphaSmart without a cable. This model needed 3 AA
batteries, but could still use the original rechargeable NiCad battery
pack. Like the AlphaSmart Pro, it had a 128 kB memory.
AlphaSmart 3000
=================
In January 2000, the AlphaSmart 3000 was released. The 3000 used the
same chassis as the AlphaSmart 2000, but it was now encased in
translucent bondi-blue plastic, matching Apple Computer's first
generation iMac. This was meant to be a visual indication that the
AlphaSmart 3000 was a USB native device, as many other USB devices
were patterned using the iMac's design in the same way.
Designers removed the ADB and PS/2 ports, replacing them with a USB
port and a mini-DIN-8 serial port. Also new was the SmartApplet
architecture that was capable of extending the simple functionality of
an AlphaSmart with the inclusion of SmartApplets--miniature software
applications that extend the AlphaSmart's functionality to give it
features beyond basic word processing. For example, it included a
simple 5-function calculator. Additionally, the battery life and
memory were increased (although it still ran on 3 AA batteries), and
cut/copy/paste functions were introduced. The original rechargeable
NiCad battery pack was not compatible with this model. Instead, it
used a new optional nickel metal hydride battery (NiMH) pack that
lasted longer and eliminated the memory effect of NiCad batteries. The
AlphaSmart 3000 had the customary 8 files, each with a capacity of
12.5 pages (about 25 kilobytes), for a total of 100 pages altogether.
AlphaSmart announced the discontinuation of the AlphaSmart on April
30, 2006.
Dana
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In June 2002, AlphaSmart released the Dana, which is a radical
departure from their standard product line. Similar to Apple
Computer's 1997 Newton eMate 300 (a laptop running Newton OS), the
Dana, FCC ID KV2DANA001, is a full-fledged Palm OS Version 4 device
complete with a touch-screen, allowing a user to write directly on the
screen via Graffiti in addition to typing on its built-in, full-size
keyboard. It has 8 or 16 mebibytes (MiB) of storage and two expansion
slots for cards in Secure Digital (SD) or Multimedia Card formats.
Dana runs nearly every Palm OS program for version 4.x or earlier.
The Dana's touch screen is extra wide with a resolution of 560 × 160
pixels. This is 3.5 times the normal width of Palm handheld PDAs. Some
Palm OS programs can make use of the entire screen width, including
the standard Palm OS apps Memo Pad, Datebook, Todo and Address Book.
Those that cannot run inside a central 160- by 160-pixel window. The
Dana's screen has a backlight and is capable of displaying complex
graphics (though only in 4-bit grayscale), unlike the original
AlphaSmart line. The screen can be used in either landscape mode or
portrait mode, though there is no auto-detection of how the Dana is
positioned; the user has to tap a menu selection to choose the mode.
Larger fonts and boldface fonts can be selected from within Alphawrite
(see below) to compensate for the low-contrast screen display's being
somewhat difficult to read.
The Dana's primary software is the built-in Alphawrite word processor.
This is a licensed version of Wordsmith for Palm OS by Blue Nomad,
customized for the Dana's wider screen. Up to eight Alphawrite
documents can be resident at one time, each instantly accessible via
the Dana's eight function keys. Any number of Alphawrite documents are
accessible via the File menu, up to the limit of the computer's
memory. Also, it is simple to switch between the Alphawrite documents
and any of the four built-in apps native to Palm OS (Memo Pad,
Datebook, Todo, Address Book).
The screen is physically taller than that of the original AlphaSmart
products, and the Dana's casing is made from opaque dark-blue
plastic--a change from the iMac-esque clear blue of the AlphaSmart
3000. It uses either a NiMH rechargeable battery or 3 AA batteries for
up to 25 hours of usage. Its AC adapter is rated at 7.5 VDC, center
negative, 1000 mA.
Danas produced near the end of its production run were modified
because many users complained that their Danas were frequently turning
themselves on when carried in a container, such as a backpack,
depleting the battery charge. This was because the on-off switch was
getting depressed and switching the device on. Version 1.5 of the Dana
OS provided a way to require both the Enter and On/Off keys to power
it up, making it less likely that both keys would be depressed
accidentally. This is accessed through the system Keyboard App.
The Dana has an IrDA-compatible infrared port for transferring (or
"beaming") documents and files. This is a convenient way to back up
files to another Dana or an IrDA-equipped PC. Being a Palm OS
computer, files may be transferred to or from a PC over the USB port
using the Hotsync feature of the included Palm Desktop software. This
is also how third-party programs are loaded into the Dana. Another use
for the USB port is to trickle-charge a rechargeable battery pack, in
lieu of the AC adapter.
Dana Wireless
===============
One year later, in 2003, AlphaSmart added the Dana Wireless model (FCC
ID KV2DANA002), which added built-in Wi-Fi connectivity for internet
use and interaction with other Danas, doubled the RAM capacity from 8
MiB to 16 MiB, doubled flash ROM from 4 MiB to 8 MiB, quadrupled the
number of shades of gray displayed from 4 to 16, and added SDIO
support to the SD card slots. It used 3 AA batteries (standard, NiMH,
or NiCad) for up to 20 hours of usage.
Neo
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The Neo model was introduced in August 2004 and could hold more than
200 pages of text. Its LCD was 50% larger than the AlphaSmart 3000's
display. Unlike the 3000, it didn't use fixed blocks for each
character and therefore could display different font/point sizes,
along with simple graphics. The Neo also ran a newer operating system
that allowed for modular control of SmartApplets and a new version of
AlphaWord (the word-processing SmartApplet), which allowed dynamic
file resizing. The CPU was a 33 MHz DragonBall VZ, which is a
68000-based processor made by Freescale/Motorola. The Neo's chassis
was a dark opaque shade of green with its form factor based on the
Dana. It used the same optional NiMH battery pack as the AlphaSmart
Dana. Initially, the Neo had several software bugs, such as a
hard-to-see cursor and a text-stacking file corruption problem.
In 2007, the Neo 2 added several minor upgrades to the original Neo
and was the first unit released after AlphaSmart was acquired by
Renaissance Learning. It added quiz functionality, using the 2Know!
Toolbar, which was developed for the 2Know! Classroom Response System.
Teachers could create, distribute, and score quizzes using the Neo 2.
Neo 2 could also access Accelerated Reader quizzes and allow students
to use network printers, when using the Renaissance Receiver
accessory.
Both the Neo and Neo 2 were discontinued by Renaissance Learning in
late September 2013, although the company still offers support and
software to existing users .
See also
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* Astrohaus
External links
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* [
http://www.renlearn.com/ Renaissance Learning, Inc.], parent
company
* [
http://www.slackware.com/~msimons/dana/hackingdana.txt Dana hacking
FAQ]
* [
https://www.flickr.com/groups/alphasmart/ AlphaSmart Forum] -
flickr
* [
http://www.andybrain.com/extras/alphasmart-neo-review.htm
AlphaSmart Neo review]
License
=========
All content on Gopherpedia comes from Wikipedia, and is licensed under CC-BY-SA
License URL:
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
Original Article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AlphaSmart
