As a person with an interest in both mechanical keyboards and typewriters, I am intrigued by any device that attempts to combine the two, which is why this product is persisting in my thoughts this morning. I wonder if a device with wifi, bluetooth, on-board storage, e-ink screen, and an USB slot for hooking up your own keyboard, but without an embedded keyboard, could be produced for a lower price and easier portability? Imagine an Amazon Kindle, but for the purpose of writing, not reading, and with a USB slot for a keyboard. Maybe the e-reader capabilities could be maintained, to draw in a bigger market. But ditch all the other distractions of our portable electronic devices. An attached keyboard will suck up battery life, but the device could have a beefed-up battery to deal with such energy drains.
That sort of device would have a limited market compared to e-readers, so I doubt a big company like Amazon would take the dive. I guess that's were entrepreneurs step in. Also, I understand that Nook mod does the same thing, but does not seem to have the e-ink screen or the battery life.
I showed the Hemingwrite to a co-worker and, being in her forties, she noted the device reminded her of word processing machines from her high school days, but with wifi and wireless capabilities.
I think you can simply use your existing mobile device (phone / tablet / ebook reader with some app capability) and use a compact mechanical keyboard and some good software. By that I mean that you can set the device to flight mode and / or the app can run fullscreen without notifications, etc bugging you. I envisage adding a slot to the back of the keyboard and a MicroUSB OTG plug to connect it, with a battery in the front of the keyboard as a counterweight (so it balances even with a "heavy" device like an Galaxy Tab or iPad in the slot and also when used on a lap) and to provide longer typing time. Ideally the board would be around 40% size and as compact as it can be while still using good mechanical switches.
I agree with you that a more multipurpose device has a larger market and that as a writer you don't want to have to lug extra stuff everywhere unless it truly impacts your ability to write in a big way. A good, familiar and easy to use compact mechanical keyboard could add enough value to be worth it. Can also be
I'd like to produce something like this and have actually started to design a layout for it, really minimal (36 keys or so), inspired the Hammond Varityper like the one Tolkien used to use 
I want to build at least one for my own use, maybe more if there are enough people interested.
To clarify: would you design a device to include a keyboard?
I'm sure you know, but plenty of apps are available that create an uncluttered and distraction-free writing experience on your device. But they don't offer the more visually pleasing e-ink screen and long battery life.
I'm simply theorizing here, but I wonder if the majority of potential buyers of would prefer a device with or without a keyboard. Without an attached keyboard, it reduces costs, you don't have to worry about those extra moving parts breaking down, added flexibility for the typist, and most people are not picky about the keyboard they use, so why jack up the entry price with an integrated expensive mechanical keyboard? With the integrated keyboard, you have everything in one device, I am sure that many people would prefer to have everything in one device for convenience's sake and they are not too picky about the type of keyboard.
I think you misunderstand.. The device IS a keyboard. Which makes up half of the system. Your mobile phone or tablet is the other half.
The "product" is the keyboard with a slot to mount your phone / tablet / ereader into and a MicroUSB connector you plug into it. It also has a battery to act as a counterweight and extend the usage time of the system (ie, long battery life). The point of it is to provide a convenient, compact and familiar keyboard interface (which feels like a top quality computer keyboard or electric typewriter) for you to work on your text anywhere. The software is already written (JotterPad for Android, WriteRoom for iOS, etc). It would be more compact and thinner than a Poker II (only 36 keys), while being made of quality materials and components so as to be durable and portable. It will use standard size keys, probably DSA profile caps.
The essential difference between my concept and the Hemingwrite is that you use your existing mobile device as the display and storage system, while using a high quality mechanical keyboard to work on your documents. It works together as a unit once the device is mounted, so you can work with it on your lap, on a desk, table, etc like a laptop computer, only both more portable AND giving a better typing experience. You already carry one half of it with you everywhere (phone).
If you want to have an e-ink display for it, you can use something like the Onyx Boox Lynx. The combination of Lynx and this keyboard will cost less than a HemingWrite. For the more adventurous out there the Nook GLowlight can also be made to support an external keyboard, but it requires some hacking. I'm sure there are more devices out there with e-ink displays that support USB OTG and will work with this keyboard. Guess I'll have to research that a bit more. Not really important until after I've built the first unit, though, since I'll be building it for my own use initially.
It has quite a number of benefits over the HemingWrite: You can use any app that runs on your device and even write your own if you have the skill. All the connectivity you require is already there, you already have methods to transfer data in and out your phone to where it needs to be (for instance, JotterPad has DropBox integration). It's a system you're already used to. It's more portable and thus more convenient. It can be used to extend the battery life of your phone in an emergency. It can be used for more than just typing with a typing app, you can use it for all text input on your mobile device, essentially turning it into a laptop, but with more portability and better typing feel.
