Doug Raeburn
07-25-2007, 04:00 PM
<img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/raeburn-july07-iGo-00.jpg" /> <br /><br /><b>Product Category:</b> Pocket PC Hardware Accessory<br /><b>Manufacturer:</b> <a href="http://www.igo.com/default.asp"><b>iGo</b></a><br /><b>Where to Buy:</b> <a href="http://www.igo.com/product.asp?sku=2524884"><b><a href="www.igo.com">www.igo.com</a></b></a><br /><b>Price:</b> $149.00 USD<br /><b>Specifications:</b> <a href="http://www.igo.com/product.asp?sku=2524884"><b><a href="www.igo.com">www.igo.com</a></b></a> (Adobe Acrobat file)<br /><br /><b>Pros:</b><br /><li>Provides laptop class typing for mobile devices;<li>Small and light for a full-sized keyboard;<li>Very power efficient.<br /><br /><b>Cons:</b><br /><li>Initial setup was very difficult because of issues with supplied drivers;<li>Occasional flex and tilting when typing on either end of keyboard.<br /><br />If you're not convinced that input methods for mobile devices are a big deal, consider the controversy over the on-screen keyboard on the iPhone. From on-screen keyboards to character and handwriting recognition to thumb keyboards, there's been no shortage of attempted solutions on the devices themselves. But there are times when only a full-sized keyboard will do. iGo's Stowaway Ultra-Slim Bluetooth Keyboard is the latest attempt to make a portable full-sized keyboard. Read on to see how well they've done…<br /><!><PAGEBREAK><br /><span><b>The Hardware</b></span><br /><a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/raeburn-july07-iGo-01.jpg"><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/raeburn-july07-iGo-01-thumb.jpg" /></a><br /><i>Figure 1: All packed up and ready to go... click on any image containing a magnifying glass to view a larger version.</i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/raeburn-july07-iGo-02.jpg"><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/raeburn-july07-iGo-02-thumb.jpg" /></a><br /><i>Figure 2: A bit bigger than a typical Pocket PC, but it <b>is</b> a full-sized keyboard...</i><br /><br />At 5.47"W x 0.79"H x 3.86"D (139mm W x 20mm H x 98mm D) folded and 6.42 oz. (182 g) with the 2 AAA batteries, the Stowaway is a bit larger and a bit heavier than current Pocket PCs. It's a bit big for a shirt or pants pocket, but will easily slip into most purses or small device carrying cases like a RoadWired Pod.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/raeburn-july07-iGo-03.jpg"><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/raeburn-july07-iGo-03-thumb.jpg" /></a><br /><i>Figure 3: And the magic show begins...</i><br /><br />Unfolding the Stowaway is a simple matter of extending the device support stand and pressing a release button. Unfold the right half of the keyboard and it locks in place. Unfolded, the dimensions are 10.28"W x 2.05"H x 6.97"D (261mm x 52mm x 177mm) with the device stand in place and 10.28"W x 0.59"H x 3.86"D (261mm x 15mm x 98mm) with the device stand detached. Closing the keyboard is also a simple matter… sliding a switch on the top of the keyboard to the right releases the lock and then you just fold it shut.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/raeburn-july07-iGo-04.jpg"><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/raeburn-july07-iGo-04-thumb.jpg" /></a><br /><i>Figure 4: Here's what a typical setup might look like.</i><br /><br />Despite meeting the ISO specification for a full-sized keyboard, the Stowaway is a lot smaller overall than your average desktop keyboard. One design characteristic that contributes to the small size is the use of multi-purpose keys. For example, the number keys is combined with the top row of letters, so the Q key includes 1 and ! as well. There's a blue function key to the left of the space bars and a green function key to the right. A press of that key with no function keys pressed gives you the Q, the same key gives you the 1 with the blue function key and ! with the green function key. Other notable key combinations include the Tab and Esc keys, Caps Lock and Num Lock, and the arrow keys with PgUp, PgDn, Home and End.<br /><br />Of course, there's more to using a device and keyboard than just typing. What about all of the controls and menus that you usually access with your stylus? The Stowaway has an extensive list of keyboard shortcuts for just about any function you might need. One set addresses moving around a text document and highlighting text. For example, Ctrl + Right Arrow moves forward one word to the right, Right Fn + Right Arrow moves to the end of the line and Ctrl + Right Fn + Right Arrow moves to the end of the document. Replacing Right Fn with Left Fn in the above commands selects text in the same increments.<br /><br />Another set of shortcuts exists for the OK button, accessing the left and right Softkeys with WM 5 devices and accessing menu bars. Finally, there are predefined shortcuts for launching programs like Word Mobile and Calendar and accessing the Programs and Settings screens.<br /> <PAGEBREAK> <br /><span><b>The Installation</b></span><br />Installation was far more difficult than it should have been or even needed to be. Drivers and configuration applications are loaded from an included CD through your desktop and installed to the mobile device using ActiveSync or WMDC. I installed the drivers on my Loox N560 and attempted to connect to the Stowaway, but all of my best efforts were fruitless. I even tried pairing the devices through Bluetooth Manager, which I was able to do, but I still was unable to use the keyboard. Just to see if I could get anything to work, I tried installing the software on my Blackjack (WM 5 Smartphone). At least the Blackjack was able to connect to the Stowaway, although I found that in using it, the Shift and Caps Lock keys were inoperative.<br /><br />I was just about ready to give up on the review when it occurred to me to check for an updated driver. Lo and behold, there was one, and after installing it, the N560 was able to connect and it appeared to work as specified.<br /><br />Now I understand that early drivers can have some problems. However, I expect that the included drivers should at least provide basic functionality and later drivers serve as bug fixes and to provide enhanced features, not as the means to get the product to even work in the first place. I'm a tech head and pretty competent at troubleshooting and even I struggled with the problems that I had with the initial drivers. I imagine that less technically inclined owners might not be able to work their way through these issues and may give up and return the keyboard. At any rate, there's no excuse for shipping such non-functional drivers with a product and iGo gets a big slap on the wrist for doing so.<br /><br /><span><b>Configuration</b></span><br /><a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/raeburn-july07-iGo-05.jpg"><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/raeburn-july07-iGo-05-thumb.gif" /></a><br /><i>Figure 5: It gets much simpler from here...</i><br /><br />Once I had the updated drivers, things went much more smoothly. After specifying the product that you're configuring, you see the screen in Figure 5. All I did from this screen was to tap on the Enable button. The defaults as displayed worked perfectly fine, so I didn't need to tweak them.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/raeburn-july07-iGo-06.jpg"><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/raeburn-july07-iGo-06-thumb.gif" /></a><br /><i>Figure 6: Getting connected.</i><br /><br />After tapping on Enable in the previous screen, you're presented with the screen in Figure 6. This screen gives lots of help in getting connected, with the status being displayed at the top and instructions in the larger box below. For example, one thing you need to do is to disable the built-in HID drivers. The instruction screen told me that and a button appeared that allowed me to disable those drivers.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/raeburn-july07-iGo-07.jpg"><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/raeburn-july07-iGo-07-thumb.gif" /></a><br /><i>Figure 7: So many shortcuts that it's like being on a road trip...</i><br /><br />The configuration software allows you do set user-defined shortcut keys that can execute programs, hit the OK button, call up menus, open a file and more.<br /> <PAGEBREAK> <br /><span><b>Using the Stowaway</b></span><br />In actual use, I found the Stowaway to work quite well for such a portable device. In many ways, it reminded me of using a laptop keyboard vs. a desktop keyboard. The keys are close to the size of my desktop keyboard, but have more limited travel as do most laptops. The base of the Stowaway is solid with rubber feet to prevent slipping. It felt pretty solid while typing, but the ends of the keyboard are not supported by the base, so I experiences some minor flexing when using keys on the end, and the keyboard occasionally tilted a bit as well. I'm a touch typist and moderately fast, and I did find that I could type pretty much at full speed, as long as there aren't a lot of numbers and symbols involved. I found the need to use function keys to access numbers and symbols to be a bit daunting, but I'm sure that would improve with more extensive use.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/raeburn-july07-iGo-08.jpg"><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/raeburn-july07-iGo-08-thumb.gif" /></a><br /><i>Figure 8: The Input Method Toolbar.</i><br /><br />While using the keyboard within applications, you can display the Input Method Toolbar toward the bottom of the screen, as shown in Figure 8. From this toolbar, you can see the status of the keyboard connection, turn key click on or off, access the Keyboard Control Panel and display Help.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/raeburn-july07-iGo-09.jpg"><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/raeburn-july07-iGo-09-thumb.gif" /></a><br /><i>Figure 9: For the hunt and peck typists among us, word completion might speed things up a bit...</i><br /><br />While typing, word completion suggestions are displayed. You can use the up and down arrow keys to highlight the desired suggestion and hit Enter to accept.<br /><br />The Stowaway is powered by 2 AAA batteries which have a claimed life of ~120 hours or 3 months of usage. It draws no power from your Pocket PC, but it has an impact on your battery life since Bluetooth must be active to use it.<br /><br /><span><b>Conclusions</b></span><br />The Pocket PC has several applications that can be described as desktop class, which makes using one to fill in for a laptop a viable option for many people. If you're one such person, a keyboard like the Stowaway will almost certainly improve your productivity. It feels much like a laptop keyboard in use and if you're a moderately to very fast typist, your speed should ultimately exceed that of any touch screen based input method. It has very efficient power usage and is easy to carry. So if you can benefit from such a keyboard, the Stowaway is a great choice. Just make sure that you have the latest drivers.