HardwareGaming KeyboardsThe Freewrite Wordrunner with a built-in word counter might be the keyboard to look out for if you want to improve your writing processWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
HardwareGaming KeyboardsThe Freewrite Wordrunner with a built-in word counter might be the keyboard to look out for if you want to improve your writing processWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Astrohaus Freewrite)
I’ve had my eye on Astrohaus Freewrite products for a while. The company has made all kinds of keyboard-and-screen devices that are designed to eliminate distractions and allow you to get down to just writing. But I could never quite pull the trigger and get myself away from my usual writing apps, so I never seriously considered a Freewrite keyboard. Until now, that is.
That’s because atCES 2025Astrohaus has just announced (viaThe Verge) theFreewrite Wordrunner, which ditches the screen in favour of a standalone keyboard so you can use it with a device and application of your choosing. Instead of the usual Freewrite e-ink display, the Wordrunner has a word counter, a timer, a red joystick, and writing-focused keys in lieu of function keys.
In other words, it seems the company’s tried to make a product that brings its focus on distraction-free writing to a standalone keyboard for use with regular writing apps on PC or other devices.
According toThe Verge, the word counter will track your word count until you press reset, and the function key replacements are used for things such as undo, redo, skipping between paragraphs, and so on. The timer could, for instance, be used for pomodoro timing.
Because I don’t like the idea of giving up my usual writing apps—Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Scrivener, and Obsidian, if you’re wondering—but I do like the idea of writing-focused peripherals, I was instantly roused to excitement upon seeing those little mechanical counters atop the keyboard.
Image1of3(Image credit: Astrohaus Freewrite)(Image credit: Astrohaus Freewrite)(Image credit: Astrohaus Freewrite)
Image1of3(Image credit: Astrohaus Freewrite)(Image credit: Astrohaus Freewrite)(Image credit: Astrohaus Freewrite)
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(Image credit: Astrohaus Freewrite)(Image credit: Astrohaus Freewrite)(Image credit: Astrohaus Freewrite)
(Image credit: Astrohaus Freewrite)(Image credit: Astrohaus Freewrite)(Image credit: Astrohaus Freewrite)
(Image credit: Astrohaus Freewrite)
(Image credit: Astrohaus Freewrite)
(Image credit: Astrohaus Freewrite)
(Image credit: Astrohaus Freewrite)
(Image credit: Astrohaus Freewrite)
(Image credit: Astrohaus Freewrite)
(Image credit: Astrohaus Freewrite)
(Image credit: Astrohaus Freewrite)
(Image credit: Astrohaus Freewrite)
(Image credit: Astrohaus Freewrite)
(Image credit: Astrohaus Freewrite)
(Image credit: Astrohaus Freewrite)
(Image credit: Astrohaus Freewrite)
(Image credit: Astrohaus Freewrite)
(Image credit: Astrohaus Freewrite)
But then I thought about it some more and started to wonder just how much sense it makes to port the distraction-free, writer-focused philosophy over to a standalone keyboard.
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I think I won’t know how I feel about the keyboard until I get my hands on one, and not just to try out its writing-focused features. Arguably more important than that is typing sound and feel—if you’re typing all day, distractions or otherwise, then you’re going to want something that feels and sounds good to type on.
The Wordrunner has certainly got my interest piqued with its writing-focused additions, and if it can pull off the typing quality aspect, too, it might be the Freewrite product I’ve been looking for. No word on pricing yet, though, although you can reserve priority access for $1.
Or, perhaps I should just take the plunge and get the gorgeous but incredibly expensiveFreewrite Smart Typewriterfor gulp $649.
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Catch up withCES 2025:We’re on the ground in sunny Las Vegas covering all the latest announcements from some of the biggest names in tech, including Nvidia, AMD, Intel, Asus, Razer, MSI and more.View Deal
Catch up withCES 2025:We’re on the ground in sunny Las Vegas covering all the latest announcements from some of the biggest names in tech, including Nvidia, AMD, Intel, Asus, Razer, MSI and more.View Deal
Catch up withCES 2025:We’re on the ground in sunny Las Vegas covering all the latest announcements from some of the biggest names in tech, including Nvidia, AMD, Intel, Asus, Razer, MSI and more.
Catch up withCES 2025:We’re on the ground in sunny Las Vegas covering all the latest announcements from some of the biggest names in tech, including Nvidia, AMD, Intel, Asus, Razer, MSI and more.
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