Only CalcuScribers can shoot files back and forth between their machines via infrared -- great for collaborating (or invisibly passing notes) in class. And the 1.5kg CalcuScribe offers find/replace and word count commands.
On the other hand, the Calcu-Scribe holds only 50 pages' worth of text -- not much, considering the high price: US$240 for the Uno model, US$280 for the Duo (a four- or eight-line screen, similar to the PC6), plus US$75 for the optional infrared receiver. (A transfer cable is included with the keyboard.)
Note, too, that the CalcuScribe's DOS-like menu system lets you create unlimited password-protected folders and files within them but also requires many more keystrokes (at least five, in fact) to find and open a file you've created. And while the Uno model gets a respectable 300 hours per set of AAs, the Duo model sleeps after only 50.
All these smart keyboards are available for free two-week trials. But beware: Once you've tried one -- especially the cool, collected AlphaSmart -- you may not feel like returning it. These strange devices, populating a rarefied product space somewhere between handheld devices and laptops, require about as much power and maintenance as a Frisbee. Having one around can change the rules of the game for anyone who has to write -- whether it's a book report, senior thesis or implausible science-fiction novel.
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