Pomera DM250 distraction-free digital typewriter coming to the US Feb 18 for $499

The Pomera DM250 is a portable digital typewriter that combines a keyboard large enough for touch-typing with a 7 inch transflective black and white LCD display. Designed primarily for use as a distraction-free writing tool, it's basically a portable word processor rather than a full-fledged laptop computer.

First launched in Japan in 2022, folks in other parts of the world have been purchasing imported DM250 models for a while – but since they ship with a Japanese keyboard and firmware, even after you set the language to English the user experience can be a little wonky. Now the company that makes the Pomera DM250 has announced it'll begin taking orders for a US English version on February 18th. The retail price is expected to be $499, but customers who sign up for early bird pricing should be able to get one for $349 for a limited time.

This isn't the first time Japanese company King Jim has launched an English language version of one of its portable writing devices – in 2018 the company ran a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign for a model called the Pomera DM30 that had a 6 inch E Ink display and a foldable keyboard.

The newer Pomera DM250 has a more laptop-like design with a slightly larger screen and a clamshell body and a non-folding keyboard. Instead of an ePaper display it features a 7 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel greyscale backlit transflective TFT LCD display that can be used in a wide range of different environments.

Since the transflective display can be viewed using only ambient light, it should be easy to see in sunlight or brightly lit rooms. And since there's a backlight you can illuminate the screen for extra brightness when you need it in dimmer settings.

The Pomera DM250 has a scissor-switch keyboard with 17mm key pitch, and the US version of the distraction-free writing device not only has a US English keyboard layout, but also comes with an English language dictionary for spell checker functionality.

Pomera DM250 keyboard (Japanese version)

Its lightweight Linux-based firmware allows the system to boot nearly instantly when you lift the lid, and there's basic file and folder management support. There's 1.3GB of user-accessible built-in storage, and an SD card reader with support for cards up to 32GB.

There's a USB 2.0 Type-C port for charging and data transfers: you can transfer files to a PC, Mac or Android or iOS device using a Pomera Link app. You can also transfer files over WiFi – the system supports WiFi 4 (802.11b/g/n) and Bluetooth 4.2.

The DM250 measures 263 x 120 x 18mm (10.35″ x 4.72″ x 0.71″) and weighs about 620 grams (1.37 pounds), making a little smaller than its closest competitor: the Freewriter Traveler (which has been around since 2018 and combines a 5.5 inch E Ink display with a mechanical keyboard in a body that measures 288 x 128 x 24.7mm and weighs 726 grams).

And if $349 to $499 seems like too high a price to pay for a portable word processor then… first of all, you're probably not the target market. But second of all, it's possible to install Debian Linux on the DM250 – there are a couple of guides available, although they're written in Japanese.

via /r/writerDeck, Boing Boing, and Charlie Stross

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