Something to look forward to: Another device is joining the list of distraction-free digital typewriters. The Pomera D250 has been available in Japan since 2022, where it’s proven very popular. Now, thanks to a successful crowdfunding campaign, it’s coming to the US for writers who prefer not having the entire internet distracting them.
There have been numerous Pomera models since the first was released in 2008, and the DM-250 is said to be the best yet.
As with other devices of this ilk, the small, laptop-like Pomera has the sole job of ensuring you can type without being tempted to have a quick online browsing session, play a game, or are taken out of the zone by notifications or popups.
An Indiegogo campaign to make a US version, the Pomera D250US, has already smashed past its $10,000 funding goal by 853% – it’s currently at $85,333.
Specs-wise, the Pomera D250US features a high-contrast, 10.3-inch 1024 x 600 black-and-white LCD screen and an adjustable backlight with light and dark modes for nighttime writing.
It weighs just 1.37 pounds, measures 10.35 x 5.04 x 0.97 inches, and has a 20-hour battery life. One of its best features is that it’s ready to use as soon as you flip open the lid. There’s also a scissor-switch keyboard with a US layout and 1.3GB of internal storage, expandable with SD cards up to 32GB in capacity.
The software includes the sort of tools you’d expect in most word processors – spell check, text selection, copy/paste, word count, etc. There are also features such as document comparison.
Documents can be transferred to a PC via USB-C, or Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth using the Pomera Link mobile app. There’s even the option to convert documents into QR codes, up to 999 of them in succession, for wireless transfer.
The Pomera D250US has a launch special price of $374 (only 15 left), which is 25% off the retail price of $499 – higher than a lot of similar devices. There’s also a super early bird price of $399 and an early bird price of $424. Shipping is estimated to start in March 2025.
