To save a Alphaword document on an SD card:

1. If you have not already inserted an SD card in your Alphasmart Dana, do it now!

• Your SD card should be 1 GB or smaller, as the Dana only handles text and doesn't need a lot of room to store information. 
• SD cards larger than 1 GB cannot be used with the Alphasmart Dana.
• You do not need to fill both slots with SD cards for this to work; one will easily suffice.

2. Open an existing file or create a new one, then tap the file tab bearing the document's name. (It's probably titled "Unnamed.") A horizontal menu bar will appear.

3. Under file, tap "SAVE AS." A small drop-down menu with a black arrow will appear near the space provided to enter a file name. Tap the arrow and select the desired SD card from the list.

4. Enter a file name and tap OK.

5. Congrats—your file has been saved to your SD card!

To open a document saved to an SD card on your Dana:

1. Open a new file. Tap the file tab bearing the document's name. (It's probably titled "Unnamed.") A horizontal menu bar will appear.

2. Tap "Open."

3. On the far upper right-hand corner of the screen, tap on the small black arrow. A drop-down menu will appear.

4. Tap on the name of your SD card.

5. A list of documents stored on your SD card will load. Tap the document you want to open and presto!—there it is.

To access information (memory left, card name, etc) about the SD cards:

1. Press the Home button on your keyboard. (It's on the top far right just above the backspace button.)

2. Tap the "Card Info" button on the home page screen.

3. Tap the small black arrow to alternate between cards.


To Transfer the Contents of your SD Card to your Computer

1. Save your current file and press the "Home" key on your Dana.
2. Press down on the SD card to eject.
3. Use one of the following methods to load the SD drive on your computer:

• Use your computer's built-in card reader slot (if applicable);
• Use a SD-to-USB gadget (requires USB slots, which you very likely have);
• Use an external USB card reader.

4. Double-click the SD card's disk image on your computer.

• Palm>Programs>Alphaword

5. Drag to desktop or right-click the PDB files you want to save to your computer.


To read/convert PDB files on your computer :

This...is where I got nothin'.

Unless you have an older computer with PalmOS capabilities, you'll need a mechanism that converts .pdb files to .rtf (rich text format), .txt (plain text), or a similar equivalent. I've looked everywhere for a solution, but there's nothing to my knowledge that can convert a .pdb Wordsmith file which doesn't require some programming knowledge. (Installing the old PalmOS software may be an option depending on your operating system, but it's unfortunately too outdated to run on most computers.) Sites like CloudConverter.org can't process this particular type of PDB file either, I'm afraid.


My advice is to save your documents to SD cards and plan to use them for only that purpose. All data stored directly on your device will be lost when the Dana's batteries die or are removed, so saving to an SD card is critical.  If you need an SD card, look on Amazon or eBay for cards that are 1 GB or less in size.



To transfer the text to your computer, use a Type A Male to Type B Male USB cable to 'send' the material into an open document that accepts text (Word, Scrivener, PlainText, GoogleDocs, etc). If you've owned several printers, chances are that you have one of these laying around; if not, they're inexpensive on Amazon and eBay and look like this:

[via Amazon]

Cables marked as "2.0" and "3.0" are safe to use with the Dana. Even though they're more recent, they're backward compatible with older devices.


To 'Send' Text to your Computer from your Alphasmart Dana

1. Use the USB cord to connect your Dana to your computer. 

2. Open both a program capable of receiving text (Word, a blank email in Gmail, etc) on your computer as well as the document on your Dana that you want to transfer.

3. By pressing the "send" button on the upper right-hand corner of your Dana, your keystrokes will be re-typed into the open document. (You won't lose the copy that's currently on your Dana once this process is done—you'll need to delete it manually from the Dana itself.)

• For an overview of the Alphasmart Dana's features, check out this post: http://blog.katmellon.com/2014/05/an-overview-of-alphasmart-dana.html

I'll keep you guys posted on the PDB conversion situation; similarly, let me know if you've found a solution!

The original Alphasmart Dana was released in 2002. Unlike its predecessors (which are dedicated word processors), the Dana features the once-popular PalmOS operating system as well as a backlit touchscreen, a built-in stylus, two SD card expansion slots, and a Ni-MH rechargeable battery. A wireless version of the Dana was added to the Alphasmart lineup in 2003, allowing users to access wifi and other Alphasmart devices; additionally, the wireless model saw improvements to its RAM (Random Access Memory) and SDIO (Secure Digital Input Output) support for its SD card slots.

I bought a non-wireless Dana off of eBay for $23 (free shipping) several weeks ago. I'd read many things about the Dana model that led me to believe I wouldn't like it; particularly the emphasis on the PalmOS operating system and its relatively low battery life (if you can call 20-40 hours "low"). Well, it turns out that I actually like the Dana the MOST of all the Alphasmarts I own (which currently include the 2000, 3000, and Neo). Here's why.


Formatting & Commands

The Dana's screen is delightfully large in comparison to other Alphasmart models, and holding down the on/off button for a few seconds while the unit is on will even enable a backlight. Although a stylus is built into the unit, I haven't really needed it; I just use my index finger like I would on my iPad to highlight text, change my place, or to even adjust the formatting of my document. (To highlight text, simply press and drag your finger over the text you'd like to select.)

One of the things I didn't know about the Dana is that you can set margins, change paragraph justification, and even bold/underline/italicize things. (There's also a plain text option if you want to keep it simple.) Because the Dana (and all later Alphasmart units) allows you to connect directly to a printer via USB, you could theoretically write, spellcheck, and print an assignment without ever sending the document to your main computer. You can also change your font's type and size via the devices' FontBucket app (which comes with basics such as Arial and Times New Roman) and even switch to a DVORAK layout if you'd like. Oh, and popular keyboard shortcuts? Those work here too.

True story: I tried, on numerous occasions, to cmd + z handwritten notes in college. #sorrynotsorry

As follows is a (near-comprehensive) list of Alphasmart's keyboard shortcuts:

Command + A = Select All
Command + X = Cut
Command + C = Copy
Command + V = Paste
Command + Z = Undo
Command + Y = Redo
Command + K = Font Dialogue
Command + R = Right Justify
Command + M = Center Justify
Command + L = Left Justify
Command + B = Bold
Command + I = Italics
Command + -- = Strikethrough
Command + U = Underline
Command + H= Thesaurus
Command + F = Find & Replace
Command + T = Go to Top
Command + E = Go to Bottom
Command + W = Word Count
Command + Q = Set Password
Command + 1 = Full Screen


Accessories

The set of accessories you'll need actually depends on what you already own. If you currently possess or can purchase an SD card that's 1 GB or smaller and have a way of transferring the contents of that SD card to your computer (here's a nifty USB gadget if your computer doesn't have a built-in card reader), you won't need a USB cable.  If you use three AA batteries instead of the rechargeable Ni-MH battery, you won't need a power adapter. If you're OK with using both the SD card for file transfers and the 3-AA batteries, you can order a Dana from eBay sans accessories (as those tend to be the cheapest) and be totally set for your writing adventures. However, I would recommend buying a cheap Type A Male to Type B Male USB cable from Amazon or eBay to use for text transferring—see this post for more information.

• Regardless of how you decide to power your device, note that you'll need a small screwdriver to remove the battery panel.

FYI, most of the Danas I see listed on ebay don't come with a power adapter. If you do decide to purchase a nominal replacement, make sure it supplies 7.5v at 500mA. (You might be able to find one of these in a thrift shop power cord bin—those specs were typical of older electronics.) Do note that Dana-specific Ni-MH batteries are similarly old and therefore likely to fail if they haven't already; even if a listing includes one, be aware that it may not be able to hold a charge.

Your Dana can also charge via USB while connected to your computer, but bear in mind that this method is slow and even unreliable on some units (and only works with the Ni-MH battery). In case you already own an Alphasmart, the USB cord that came with your 3000 or NEO is compatible with the Dana—no need to buy another!

SD Cards & Battery Life

Like the other Alphasmarts, the Dana has eight separate files (accessible through the top-row buttons labeled F1 - F8) in which to write. As previously mentioned, the Dana has two SD card slots that can each handle up to 1 GB of storage, although anything over 256 MB is probably overkill. All data stored directly on your device will be lost when the Dana's batteries die or are removed, so saving to an SD card is critical.

Speaking of battery life, a representative from Alphasmart (now called Renaissance Learning, BTW) said that with rechargeable or standard AA batteries, you can expect 40 hours of use without the backlight, 30 with periodic backlight usage, and 20 with constant backlight usage. It's nowhere near the NEO's impressive 700 hour battery life due to PalmOS constantly running in the background, but it sure as hell beats the battery life of my MacBook Pro.

File Transfer

There are several ways to transfer files from your Dana.

1. USB. Use a Type A Male to Type B Male USB cord to connect your Dana to your computer. (Look for one on Amazon—they're cheap!) Open both a program capable of receiving text (Word, a blank email in Gmail, etc) on your computer as well as the document on your Dana that you want to transfer. By pressing the "send" button on the upper right-hand corner of your Dana, your keystrokes will be re-typed into the open document.

• You won't lose the copy that's currently on your Dana once this process is done—you'll need to delete it manually from the Dana itself.

2. SD cards. Click here for the tutorial.

3. Infrared. I have no experience with this, but you can actually beam documents from your Alphasmart to an older/capable computer using infrared.

4. Print. As mentioned previously, you can simply plug your printer's USB cord into your Dana and print out your document—no computer intervention is necessary!


Questions?

I hope this overview was helpful. (If it wasn't, well...shucks.) If you have any questions, let me know—I just might have an answer!

I've talked a little bit before about how much I love Alphasmarts, a decade-old suite of word processing units that are cheaper than a laptop (and are far less distracting; no internet, baby!). My plan is to blog extensively about three particular Alphasmart units in detail—the 3000, the NEO, and the Dana—but until then, I'll let these painted Alphasmart units pique your interest.

NEO

{Via Flickr user Jennifer Gilbert}

{Via Flickr user Jennifer Gilbert}

{Via Flickr user E.J. Bear}

{Via Flickr user Elisa Rose}

{Via Flickr user Elisa Rose}

{Image via Flickr user dutch_garvey}

Photoshop Simulation {Via PulsingAdverbs}

{Via Flickr user Beverley}

{Via Jesso}

{Via Vance Fry}

{Via Georgia Mountain Arts}

{Via Flickr user Beverley}

{Via Flickr user dw5454}

{Via Flickr user Kristine C.}

DANA

{Via Vance Fry}

{Via Flickr user BrightBlackHeaven}

Stickers! {Via Flickr user solstone}

3000

{Via Flickr user Alan Phillips}

{Via NaNoWriMo participant andyhowell}

2000

{Via Amazon}

PRO

{Via Flickr User mpclemens}

{Via TenacityDivine}

Vance Fry, a prominent member of the Alphasmart Flickr community, has some tips about painting your Alphasmart unit on his blog. In essence, you'll need to remove the front and back plastic coverings of your unit and acquire the kind of spray paint that's typically used to touch up car interiors (as it will bond and seep into the Alphasmart's plastic casing for a muy smooth finish). I believe this involves a few scary tasks such as detaching the keyboard, but the general consensus seems to be that as long as you're gentle and backed up your work beforehand, all will be fine.

Have a Alphasmart makeover to add to the list? Leave a link in the comments below!