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View Full Version : Virtual Keyboard Part 4: A New Hope, or Phantom Menace?


Pat Logsdon
09-03-2004, 11:00 PM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.gizmodo.com/archives/ibiz-virtual-keyboard-returns-020462.php' target='_blank'>http://www.gizmodo.com/archives/ibi...urns-020462.php</a><br /><br /></div>I'll bet you were thinking that the <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=29546&amp;start=0l">Virtual Keyboard was dead,</a> right? Or at least permanently virtual? Well, unfortunately, the Virtual Keyboard saga just keeps on going. Let me explain. No, that will take too long. Let me sum up. A company called iBiz told everyone about a year ago that they were going to sell a Virtual Keyboard for $99. Huzzah! iBiz allowed pre-orders, and ostensibly rubbed their hands together, twirled their handlebar mustaches, and cackled quietly to themselves. Several people got to play with prototypes, but alas, they forgot to send one to the FCC to play with, lawsuits were flung around like cat piñatas at a dog party, and no one was very happy. The end? Nope.<br /><br /> <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/logsdon_20040903_vkb.jpg" /> <br /><br /><a href="http://akiba.sorobangeeks.com/news_8596.html">Now comes word</a> that a Japanese company called Tanomi, or possibly "Nippon Style" is planning on selling <a href="http://www.tanomi.com/limited/html/00034.html">their own version of the device.</a> It looks about the same as the iBiz device, except that it's white and has a green LED. Wow! My guess is that the white is from a thin coating of <i>white gold</i>, and the green LED must be from a <i>real emerald</i>, as only that could possibly explain the price of $270. Oh, and if you're in the market for a <a href="http://www.tanomi.com/limited/html/00026.html">wood phone jacket,</a> <a href="http://www.tanomi.com/limited/html/00009.html">an aluminum rose,</a> or, you know, <a href="http://www.tanomi.com/limited/html/00027.html">A CAR,</a> Nippon Style has your hook-up. According to the English bits on the site, you can expect to receive YOUR Virtual Keyboard sometime in October. Forgive me if I don't hold my breath. :mrgreen:

MaximumPDA
09-04-2004, 12:03 AM
The message is clear....revolutionary innovation has failed. And when it does rear its head your'll have to pay for it...astroglide not included.

ctmagnus
09-04-2004, 12:07 AM
I predict it'll not make it this time either. It'll come out with a blue laser when they are slightly more commonplace but no less expensive.

Duncan
09-04-2004, 12:43 AM
Odd thing is - I saw the Virtual Keyboard being reviewed/tested on a UK TV pogram just a couple of weeks ago.

MaximumPDA
09-04-2004, 12:53 AM
We were using them at CES back in january, but they were shipping engineering samples around.

rbrome
09-04-2004, 04:07 AM
... lawsuits were flung around like cat piñatas at a dog party, ...

(enjoying that mental image for a moment... :D )

Well, all I know is that today the UPS guy finally delivered the Stowaway Bluetooth keyboard I ordered... in May... :roll:

Pretty bummed that they don't have Smartphone drivers yet...

Darius Wey
09-04-2004, 04:18 AM
I think the target market is still too small for this device to make an impact. More "common" users of PPCs would probably prefer to utilise a conventional-style keyboard, than fork out an extra wad of cash for a virtual one. Still...the concept is nice, it looks nice, and heck...it may make your nerdy friends drool. 8)

SteveHoward999
09-04-2004, 05:48 AM
I think the target market is still too small for this device to make an impact. More "common" users of PPCs would probably prefer to utilise a conventional-style keyboard, than fork out an extra wad of cash for a virtual one.



I am not sure I can agree. I paid £70 for a PocketTop ir keyboard (hopeless, useless, driverless - for my Toshiba e335 - they promised me for 6 months there would be drivers so I gave up ...) and about $70 for a nice Belkin keyboard. If the virtual keyboard really had made it into the market for $99 I don't doubt there would have been a flood of buyers.

Let's face it ... owners of Pocket PCs are hardly common people. We are all gagetophiles.


Steve

Darius Wey
09-04-2004, 07:06 AM
I think the target market is still too small for this device to make an impact. More "common" users of PPCs would probably prefer to utilise a conventional-style keyboard, than fork out an extra wad of cash for a virtual one.



I am not sure I can agree. I paid £70 for a PocketTop ir keyboard (hopeless, useless, driverless - for my Toshiba e335 - they promised me for 6 months there would be drivers so I gave up ...) and about $70 for a nice Belkin keyboard. If the virtual keyboard really had made it into the market for $99 I don't doubt there would have been a flood of buyers.

Let's face it ... owners of Pocket PCs are hardly common people. We are all gagetophiles.


Steve

You raise a good point. But one factor I see that makes an impact on its popularity is "awareness". I'm not sure what it is like in other countries, but if you walk into a common technology store here, you have the "general" products. Very rarely will you see exclusive products, such as this virtual keyboard, on their shelves. And for a lot of people out there, they are not made aware of such products unless someone tells them about it or reads about it themselves. A lot of consumers "know" about products based on pamphlets, brochures and advertisements distributed in their mail or in stores. Unless you actively browse the internet and read Pocket PC resource centres such as PPCT, you often are made unaware of such exclusive products. I would never have known about this virtual keyboard if I was not actively involved in reading the stuff here on PPCT.

IMHO, unless this keyboard is actively publicised around the world, very few people will know much about it and therefore never consider it when purchasing a typing peripheral for their device.

heliod
09-04-2004, 08:11 AM
Samsung is also about to release in Korea their version of the same device announced by iBiz... with an acceptable price.

And regarding the Japanese price, don't forget that Japan is one of the most expensive countries in the world, and everything there costs at least twice the price of anywhere else. It is the only country in the world where you can pay 6-8 dollars for a cup of coffee.

DaleReeck
09-04-2004, 02:34 PM
I don't know, this seems to be one of those technologies where just because you can do it soesn't mean you should :)

SteveHoward999
09-04-2004, 03:02 PM
And regarding the Japanese price, don't forget that Japan is one of the most expensive countries in the world, and everything there costs at least twice the price of anywhere else. It is the only country in the world where you can pay 6-8 dollars for a cup of coffee.

You obviously have not been to Britain then :-(


Steve

jkcofield
09-04-2004, 05:00 PM
Or New York City. :D

Starbucks is the King of the Overpriced Cup of Joe.

Janak Parekh
09-04-2004, 08:20 PM
Or New York City. :D
Actually, friends of mine that have been to Japan readily say Japan is quite a bit more expensive than New York. ;)

--janak

nuka_t
09-04-2004, 09:57 PM
I think the target market is still too small for this device to make an impact. More "common" users of PPCs would probably prefer to utilise a conventional-style keyboard, than fork out an extra wad of cash for a virtual one.



I am not sure I can agree. I paid £70 for a PocketTop ir keyboard (hopeless, useless, driverless - for my Toshiba e335 - they promised me for 6 months there would be drivers so I gave up ...) and about $70 for a nice Belkin keyboard. If the virtual keyboard really had made it into the market for $99 I don't doubt there would have been a flood of buyers.

Let's face it ... owners of Pocket PCs are hardly common people. We are all gagetophiles.


Steve

my friend has a toshiba. he bought a cool USB cable for it and can use a full size 104key keyboard on it. the usb cable was 15 bucks. if you do it right, you can work the logitech dinovo, wireless on your toshiba, although be prepared to pay really high prices. (the reason i mentioned the dinovo is cause the numpad is detached, so its smaller to just carry around the key pad)

SteveHoward999
09-05-2004, 12:33 AM
my friend has a toshiba. he bought a cool USB cable for it and can use a full size 104key keyboard on it. the usb cable was 15 bucks. if you do it right, you can work the logitech dinovo, wireless on your toshiba, although be prepared to pay really high prices. (the reason i mentioned the dinovo is cause the numpad is detached, so its smaller to just carry around the key pad)

Actually I didn't mention it, but what I also have is a USB keyboard from Packard Bell. It does not fold up like th eBelkin or PocketTop, so it is nowhere near as portable, but it feels much nicer to use. It has the added bonus of working with my wife's Tablet PC ...


Steve

Carlos
09-05-2004, 07:51 AM
I just saw this for sale on eBay for around $160. Unfortunately it requires a bulky cable, so I'm not interested. If it was BT or IR, I'd have one on the way.

RobertS
09-05-2004, 07:59 AM
I have become something of a VKB expert, having been reporting on the ongoing debacle for SmartMobileAssets. To add some breaking news to what Ed already reported about the iBiz situation...iBiz is suing heir original suppliers ( VKB inc), their original suppliers are countersuing both the company and their principal officers (notably CEO Ken Schilling), the SEC has now formally announced that they are formally investigating IBiz executives and charges are likely pending, and iBiz made a great ballyhoo about finding a new supplier for the same kind of product (Virtual Devices, Inc), but it turns out the new supplier has no production model, no expectation of when they WILL have a production model, and their executives primary business seems to be selling lingerie online.

See http://smartmobileassets.com/cgi-bin/Blah/Blah.pl?b=news,m=1090762905 and http://smartmobileassets.com/cgi-bin/Blah/Blah.pl?b=news,m=1093162038 for the recent details.

I also have gotten word that there is a UK company who may actually be sellling the original VKB Inc version, but I have yet to have confirmation that anyone has recieved one.

As for the device itself in all of it's many forms, the word I have from reviewers and the R&D people involved is that it is intended for the SMS crowd mainly. It is only capable of hunt and peck style typing. An interesting gadget to be sure, but not the answer to most user's keyboard needs.

Regards,
R

bjornkeizers
09-05-2004, 07:18 PM
Nice. You can never have too many lawsuits going on.

I really hope Samsung or some other decent company comes out with something like this, and actually make it work a little better then hunt and peck. If I can type at say... half my normal speed on it, and it would cost 100 euros tops with a USB cable connection, I'd buy one. Since I don't use my keyboard all that much, it'd be a great space saver.

njb42
09-06-2004, 06:41 AM
Pat, I didn't know you were a Princess Bride fan! Heh.

Inconceivable! :lol:

andyb
09-06-2004, 10:07 AM
This is already on sale in the UK. £99 from http://www.internity.co.uk/vkb.asp