r/Astrohaus

Hey everyone,

To recap the timeline of this Kickstarter campaign, the Wordrunner campaign wrapped up funding in June 2025 with a promised shipping window of January 2026. We are now more than six months past that deadline. Based on their recent updates, they are still stuck troubleshooting basic hardware prototypes, tooling modifications, and component tweaks. Their last update was regarding FCC certifications... I work in consumer electronics, so I have an understanding of the process, and if they are just now in June 2026 working on FCC certifications, they were no where near their original timeline outlined back in June 2025 when they estimated a December/January ship date. So they knowingly lied about the timeline to receive funding.

And I have been very transparent on the campaign messages. I would have been fine if the timeline was transparent in June 2025. The fraudulent behavior and the lack of communication is what has disgusted me.

With that all noted, I wanted to share the latest drama with Astrohaus on the Wordrunner Kickstarter situation. After I posted some comments on the campaign page, Annie (their marketing intern or something) explicitly asked me to reach out to their customer service team directly... Which I suppose is the best response from them so far as they had ignored all previous communication. I foolishly hoped this meant they were prepared to actually address backer concerns on an individual basis.

Instead, I received a completely generic, copy-pasted response. They did not even bother to sign off with an actual name.

Here is the exact email I received:

>

I am struggling to understand why I was told to leave the public comment section OR even the Kickstart direct messaging system just to get a boilerplate refusal in my inbox.

A few things to note that I think people should be aware of:

• There are over 720 backers who pledged anywhere from $329 to $369 minimum (and much more for those who ordered multiple units). That is a staggering amount of money completely locked away.
• Telling people to email support feels like a strategy to clean up the Kickstarter comment section and hide the growing frustration.
• Kickstarter, as usual, is doing absolutely nothing to assist backers or enforce any kind of real accountability.

They claim the "good news" is that development is ongoing, but the complete lack of professional communication makes it hard to buy into the optimism.

Did anyone else get directed to customer service only to receive this exact same message? Where is everyone else at with this campaign?

So I just picked up a used Gen 3 of the Smart Typewriter. I don't see the black attache case on Astrohaus' website. Is it discontinued? Anyone have one they want to sell if it's no longer available?

I just picked up a nice deal on a used Gen 3 model FST-003. My serial number is 383. Just curious how "old" it really is. Anyone care to share if they bought new and what their serial number was? Might be a fun thread.

Although I received the Hemingwrite a year ago, I didn’t notice the rubber foot on the bottom was defective and caused it to wobble on a flat surface because I used it placed inside the case that came with it.

I noticed it and emailed them but they expect me to pay for a replacement plus shipping. Sure, the cost isn’t high but having paid for a “premium” product that’s supposed to have caught issues like this during QA, this reflects very poorly on their business practice and customer service.

Anyone have similar experience with Freewrite?

If anyone is interested let me know :) it’s a great tool but I have other writerdeck stuff that just fits my lifestyle more. Have photos and everything, just well-meaning looking to sell to an enthusiast like myself.

I already own the Alpha, and it's great and all, but I mostly got it because it was relatively cheaper than the other Freewrite devices at the time. Like most people, I've been most interested in the Traveler, personally due to its larger screen (it's easier for me to keep track of my thoughts/words when I can see more of them at once) and clamshell build (I'm constantly on the go and would feel more comfortable carrying it around -- well, that's why it's called the Traveler after all!), but have always been on the fence due to mixed reviews.

I have enough money saved up for one finally, but I'm wondering if it would be worth it to buy one when I already own the Alpha, or if it would just be an impulsive waste for an identical or inferior product. I've seen some people outright claim the Alpha is better.

People who have used both, what have your experiences been?

Has anyone found a good carrying case for the Freewrite? If they sold the hard cases separately from the special editions, I’d happily buy one (if reasonably priced) but they don’t. Has anyone found a good after market product? The sleeve is flimsy, offers zero protection, and doesn’t have a handle.

Any advice would be very helpful. I’m not at the stage where I can afford a traveler quite yet, so I do occasionally have to bring my typewriter with me places, and the sleeve is absolutely useless.