05 FAQ
Straight answers.
The things people ask before they buy. If yours isn't here, email us and a person answers.
The product
What is the Offline Brain?
A library that runs on your own laptop with no internet: English Wikipedia with images, WikiMed, NZ maps, a small AI assistant and our outage playbook. The download is available now; the pre-loaded USB has a waitlist.
Isn't all this free online?
Yes, and we credit it. You're paying for us to choose it, set it up, test it and keep it updated, so it works the moment you need it, when you can't download anything.
How good is the offline assistant?
It's a small model that fits on a normal laptop, so it's less capable than the big online ones and can be wrong. Wikipedia and WikiMed sit beside it so you can check anything important. We'll publish our own test results before the USB launches.
Is AI going to take over?
We don't know, and we don't think anyone does. What we can show is how often online AI and cloud services go down (see AI Watch, with sources). This is a backup that doesn't depend on them.
Will it protect me from AI?
No. It's a reference library and an assistant that work without the internet. That's all we claim.
Are my questions private?
Yes. The assistant runs on your laptop, so your questions never leave it. Nothing is sent to us or anyone else.
Buying
What do I get when I buy the download?
An email with the installer, setup guide, playbook PDF, NZ map pack and licence file, straight after payment. The installer then fetches Wikipedia, WikiMed and the assistant from their official sources.
What if the email doesn't arrive?
Check your spam folder first. If it's not there within 10 minutes, email us with your order number and we'll resend it.
How do refunds work?
Within 30 days of buying, email us and we refund your payment to the card you used. No form, no questions.
Is it a subscription?
No. One payment, with 12 months of update emails. After that it keeps working exactly as it is.
Which payment methods?
Card, Apple Pay, Google Pay and Shop Pay through Shopify's secure checkout. You can check out as a guest.
Setup
How much space and time does it need?
English Wikipedia with images is 119 GB, so you need more than that free. On a 100 Mbps connection that takes about 3 hours to download.
Do I need to be technical?
No. Run the installer, wait for the download, open the start page. The setup guide walks you through it with screenshots.
Does it work on my phone?
Wikipedia does, through the free Kiwix app on Android or iPhone. The assistant and map pack are for laptops and desktops.
What if I get stuck?
Email us. A person replies.
USB and add-ons
When does the USB ship?
When we've tested the first batch end to end. The waitlist hears first, with the date and final price.
Do kit add-ons ship with it?
No. Kit add-ons come from our suppliers and arrive separately from anything sent from Auckland. The delivery time is shown before you pay.