My system details: Sony Clié TJ37 with PalmOS 5.2, used constantly at Dartmouth College for all my note-taking, MP3 player, camera, and out-of-dorm internet needs; Debian Linux OS desktop computer used for HotSyncing;
Positives:
-I have to say that the keyboard portion itself is excellent. I am normally a desktop user, and switching to using this keyboard took absolutely no effort. The only keys that are in unusual places are the delete, slash, and backslash keys. Reviews for other IR keyboards had said the spacebars were weird on this, the keyboard is split down the center, and is natural whether you normally hit it with your right or left thumb (I use both).
-The keyboard is also designed so that you should never have to use the stylus while it is connected. It takes a little getting used to be, but there are 'Fn+[whatever]' key combinations for almost every operation (from replicating the standard hard keys, to selecting text, to 'Done' and 'New' buttons).
-The connection to the PDA itself is excellent. I was able to move the infrared transmitter all over the place, and the PDA was still able to receive a very reliable signal. The transmitter itself is on a piece of plastic that rotates (no sliding, but you can just slide the PDA itself on the stand). None of those dumb mirrors to deal with.
-The software driver that you painlessly install also ads an application called 'Keyboard'. In it, you can tune absolutely everything from how long the PDA should search for the keyboard when it first turns on, to how the repeat rate for if you hold down a key, to 10 customizable 'Cmd+[number]' keys. Also, those of you internationals will be pleased that you can also choose different keyboard layouts. US English, French, and German come installed by default, and it has the capability to have new layouts installed (I didn't investigate where you can get them or how many are available, though).
-The keys respond very quickly (you could certainly type at least 80 words per minute speed on it). The repeat speed (if you hold down a button) is somewhat slow but not much to complain about, in my opinion though.
-The stand to hold the PDA is very sturdy and holds the PDA well and securely. It does have a negative with the metal bar though (see below).
-There is a Windows .exe installer that should auto-run and be no hassle if you use Windoze. I, however, use Linux. I was very impressed, as I am with any company that does this, that the CD actually had documentation for installing the driver under a Linux system. The installation is simple for Linux (or Mac OS for that matter) users. Just install one little Keyboard.prc file.
Negatives:
-This keyboard does not have a lock to hold it flat, thereby making it somewhat difficult to type with the keyboard on your lap (the thing folds if you put much weight on it). You have to play a little balancing act to use it on any uneven surface. It is designed to be used on a flat surface.
-I like how this has a metal bar to hold the PDA on the built-in stand (more secure in my opinion than rubber strips, etc). However, the bar is situated somewhat too close (at least for my TJ37). It just fits in without any case or anything on it. The TJ37 is about 1.3 cm or 0.55 inches deep, so you can gauge you PDA accordingly. Being just a metal bar, you can just bend it out with some pliers, though. Not a particularly neat solution, but it works.
Notes:
-The installation instructions for Mac/Linux say to download the driver from their website. I have no idea why they say that as the most recent version of the .prc file is right there on the CD.
I really love this keyboard and wish I had bought it much sooner. I have a Toshiba e310 with PocketPC 2002 firmware upgrade and some of my comments are specific to this combination.
Setup was extremely easy and quick. After loading the program, my PocketPC recognized it without any problem. Weight, size & design are very attractive. The keys themselves are VERY comfortable, and I find no difference in typing speed versus a desktop keyboard. The metal front bar is slightly loose when holding my e310 (7/16" thick, bar has 10/16" space but only 2/16" room after accounting for protrusions, probably a snug fit for a 9/16" thick device).
Editing keyboard shorcuts are excellent! While using a Word or similar application, I can use control-X,C,V,Z for cut, copy, past & undo. I can move one word at a time (Control-arrows), to beginning and end of a line (GreeenFN, home/end), page up/down (GreenFN, arrows), select one word (Control, BlueFN, arrows) or line. Most, but not all, of these shortcuts are the same ones from the desktop computer, so it was easy to remember.
The keyboard recognized application-specific shortcuts (Control-S for save and Control-Q for save & quit in TreNotes). Also brought up Help file, Control-H, but I'm not sure if this is PPC2002 or an application shortcut. Other file/task shortcuts that were very handy were BlueFN-X (close file), Enter (open hightlighted file), and Alt-Tab (cycles through open apps).
Menu navigation shortcuts were not as good. Alt (don't hold down), arrows (or Alt & first letter of menu) allows movement among bottom menu items, but this was not as convenient as using the stylus because once the menu is selected, the only way to select the sub-menu (pull-down item) is to scroll among the choices. This is OK if there are only 3 choices, but some menu items had 10 choices. Some menu items do not have a first-letter: They only have pictures. The only way to select these are by scrolling with arrows. There is no keyboard shortcut for moving among TABs (ex. Task & Note tabs in Tasks editing mode).
In summary, when I am doing most of my heavy typing, the keyboard allowed full access to editing shorcuts and enough of the application/menu shortcuts, so that I did not need to stop and get my stylus. When I am doing heavy file manipulations, I use the stylus. Since these two types of activities were carried out at slightly different times, I did not notice the less-useful menu naviation features. I did notice the lack of a Tab-navigation feature, but it was a small matter.
My only wish is that there was another Blue FN key somewhere on the right bottom or top of the keyboard for quickly entering numbers while typing mostly letters. When I am entering a number on the left side of the keyboard, I have to awkwardly use my right index finger to press the left-side BlueFN key.
Split Space Bar: The stange split in the middle takes getting used to. My thumb lands about 25% of the time right in the crack. (Once in a while my thumb lands on the plastic protrusion, a little to the right of the crack, but it does not hurt my finger as a reviewer on Amazon has said, I do not hit it very hard). Most of the time, my right AND left thumbs seem to land on the LEFT space bar (I am right handed and my right thumb is habitually below my left thumb).
Toshiba e310 specific: Certain functions do not work on e310. FN-ESC did not work in contacts. FN-Delete does not toggle insert/delete. Numbers/letters toggle function when NumLock is engaged does not work. FN-Enter does nothing, but Enter by itself selects files, etc. The bold blue masks (bottom ones, ex. Z-key has "today" and "OK" masked on it) seem to be designed for a phone, and does nothing. Similarly, the blue ribbon mask on the Control key does nothing.
General Comments: Battery long lasting. Body rocks, right side not flush against table (paper used to stabilize). Backrest not adjustable (box used to raise viewing angle). Comes with a beautiful heavily padded leather case. Smelled heavily of rubber/chemicals but is dissipating. Key action feels really good (not solid click like an IBM laptops, but soft airbubble click like a Toshiba laptops, which I prefer). Can turn off keyboard sound.
Buy Think Outside Stowaway IR Wireless Keyboard for Pocket PC and Palm OS Now
I've got a Treo 600, SE 900 and several iPAQs. I have a drawer full of older PDAs and keyboards as well. The thing i love about this keyboard is that it works with everything! I can use it with any of my phones or PDAs and it works like a champ.
The thing is also very durable I've dropped it, stepped on it and had my kids play with it and it just keeps working. Battery life is great too, still have the original batteries in it after 6 months.
On the downside, you have to get used to using the FN key to enter numbers but after a week or so i was just as fast as using a keyboard with dedicated number keys.
I bought this after doing a lot of research about Think Outside and IR keyboards. Turns out Think Outside makes keyboards for the biggies like Palm, Dell and others.
I highly recommend it!
Read Best Reviews of Think Outside Stowaway IR Wireless Keyboard for Pocket PC and Palm OS Here
I have been using this keyboard for several weeks now, and I simply love it. It works extremely well. It's easy to set up, easy to use, feels great, has many shortcut keys integrated, and is lightweight. If I type lightly, I can even use it on my lap, though I would imagine it's not stable enough for most users to do so.
My only complaint is the backrest (which holds up the PDA) can slip if not used on a hard surface. I tend to work on the back of my backpack (the flat side) when commuting to work, though this little stand sometimes slips and wants to fall.
However, I have no other complaints. It's allowed me to (almost) ditch my laptop for research papers and essays.
Want Think Outside Stowaway IR Wireless Keyboard for Pocket PC and Palm OS Discount?
I have only good thigs to say about this keyboard. It folds and unfolds easily and comes with a nice pouch to store it in. The keys feel like a real keyboard and are pretty quiet when typing. This is important to me, since I'll be using it for taking notes in class. The keyboard folds out flat and stays in place thanks to rubber inserts in the back. The synchronization works perfectly with my Zire 31. I would recommend this keyboard to anyone looking for a compact and effective way to enter data into their PDA.
I received the Sony Clie S300 as a gift. Along with the package came your normal sync cradle/battery charger (PEGA-UC500). What's practical about this cradle is that the battery charger is detachable from the back of the unit which you can take with you on long trips (assuming you don't need to synch so often). The ac adaptor's prongs are collapsible, making it easy to store. It has a USB connection to the computer, which is great, but the software I have is somehow a hack over the serial connection so speed is not impressive. Still, this particular cradle itself is fully functional in every aspects of it's tasks.
