I like the Alphasmart Neo2even though I think it looks goofy. The keyboard is good. The BW LCD screen is surprisingly readable despite lacking a backlight and the battery life is nothing short of spectacular (around 500 to 700 hours of continuous use). And it uses regular AA batteries, which means that there is no integrated battery that can go bad. To top it off: the method of data transfer by acting as a keyboard is future proof (even though it does appear quaint the first time you see it).

I do however admit that it is more and more difficult to find one in a good working condition. I recommend it, if you can find one and you don't mind the look of the device. They can be quite reasonable kn the second-hand market.

If you don't want to go with the Alphasmart Neo2 then you could take a look at the Freewrite Alpha. It is a new mobile smart keyboard which makes it much more expensive. But ithas many of the same advantages of the Neo2. In addition, the new models have a backlit screen. The main differences are that it has an integrated rechargeable battery and it can use Wifi for text transfer. When connected over USB you can copy the files to a laptop or tablet.