When August initially arrived in Storybrooke with his mysterious box, he opened it for Emma, and Emma saw a typewriter

However, when the box was opened for Neal Cassady in “Tallahassee” we do not know what was seen

so this scene was more reminiscent of the mysterious “box” like a scene in Pulp Fiction

My thinking is that Neal did not see a typewriter (as Emma did), because I think it is a magical object in the box. If we take August’s leg and how Emma saw them before and after she “believed” in magic/the curse/her place in breaking the curse, etc, I think we can surmise that (if Neal believed) he saw something pretty cool in the box.

We discuss that and more in our First Thoughts podcast episode concerning “Tallahassee” here: http://www.onceuponatimepodcast.com/ouat-first-thoughts-2×05-tallahassee/