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Every six months or so, our lists buzz with excitement about the AlphaSmart line of products. For some reason, authors get misty eyed and positively cheerleaderish about the tiny machines and their influence on productivity. For the uninitiated, the AlphaSmart is your basic keyboard with memory. You type frantically and upload your work to your computer for editing (the tiny screen on the various machines precludes serious revising). We continue to prefer pencil and paper, but those who use the AlphaSmart take it everywhere — apparently the battery life is amazing.

• Alphasmart.com