What makes the Alphasmart Neo interesting is what it doesn't do. It's a word processor--a full-sized keyboard with a six-line LCD screen--and that's all. For writers like me who can't stand writing longhand but fall prey to the seductions of the computer when they should be putting out prose, it's heavenly--no email, no Tetris, no "web research." The software has a few bugs, and it's expensive for what it does--around $300--but if you're paid by the word, it earns its keep quickly.