The odds of ever being a successful writer are astronomical. At least with the Zerowriter Fold, you’ll have some fun while making your own attempt. At least, that’s the theory behind this new dedicated writing appliance currently being funded on Kickstarter.
It’s far from your only option if a modernised word processor is something you desperately need in your life. The FreeWrite is readily available to South African writers, if a touch expensive. The Auteur is also coming, but we’ve got no idea when. Zerowriter’s Fold, on the other hand, will almost certainly release.
Zerowriter’s will succeed
That’s because the ongoing Kickstarter campaign a) wasn’t looking for much, and b) was fully funded in less than an hour. It also helps that the Fold is an attractive package on its own. It’s little more than a folding keyboard and an E-ink display, similar in format to many competitor devices. But that’s its charm. There’s no internet browser to distract writers. No social media feeds. Just the blank (digital) page, so all of those lurking thoughts can only be blamed on… well, the writer.
That’s the point, of course. The 6in paper display is very likely sourced from an e-reader supplier somewhere, while the foldable format makes the Zerowriter Fold much easier to transport everywhere. Its creators reckon the battery will last up to 100 hours on a charge — if you’re decently capable, that’s an entire first draft for a novel before plugging it in.
There’s no internet connection anywhere. Files — the standard Office and Google formats are supported — are saved to microSD storage. There’s just you, your thoughts, and the word processor. If it were any more distraction-free, it would be a typewriter. But you can’t slip a vintage Royal or Underwood into your jacket pocket, now can you?
The Zerowriter Fold can be picked up for around R4,300, with global shipping available via the Kickstarter campaign. There are also customisation options, with black keycaps or (hot-swappable) custom switch choices available, among other changes, for an extra fee. It might be time to dust off those novel ambitions, yes?
