07-23-2003, 05:00 PM
|
|
Pontificator
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,213
|
|
Review: Hewlett-Packard Slim Keyboard
Ever since photos of the Hewlett-Packard Slim Keyboard leaked out many months ago, there has been a great deal of hype and mystery surrounding it. Does it work with expansion sleeves? Can you use it without the cover? Do those red and green markings mean you can use it to make and end phone calls? Fitting 3800, 3900, and h5000 series iPAQs like a glove, this keyboard would seem to be a dream come true for many iPAQ users in search of a way to quickly type e-mails or use instant messaging on the go. Does it live up to the hype?
Although screen-based input methods have improved over the last few years, a keyboard is often the most efficient method of entering data into a device. While folding keyboards that try to emulate the experience of typing on a notebook are often the easiest to use, they aren't exactly convenient while you're walking around, riding a bus, or riding in a car. Enter the thumb keyboard. These tiny devices give you the ease of use of a keyboard while sacrificing very little in terms of mobility. There are several thumb keyboards available for iPAQs, but the new HP Slim Keyboard has garnered the most interest.
Description and Features
The first thing that struck me when I received this keyboard for review was how incredibly well-designed it seemed to be. It's built to accommodate at least three generations of iPAQs along with their varied features. The h5000 series, for example, has a headphone jack and microphone on the bottom and a removable battery in the back. This keyboard was designed with those features in mind while still permitting use with previous models. Below the X key, there's a small slit for the h5000 series' microphone. There's even a hole in the end to slip a stylus into to press the reset button.
Figure 1: The HP Slim Keyboard. (Note that I switched the cover to open on the other side.)
Figure 2: Bottom of the Slim Keyboard. Here you can see the opening for the h5000 series' headphone jack, the pass-through sync connector, and reset button hole.
The silver paint that covers the underlying gray plastic makes the keyboard almost perfectly match the iPAQ it's attached to. The assembled pair actually looks very attractive. Unlike most sleeves and the CoverPAQ included with recent sleeve-capable iPAQs, the Slim Keyboard does not have four distinct "arms." Instead, the entire left and right sides of the iPAQ are covered by the sides of this keyboard. This makes the keyboard look even more integrated with the iPAQ when it's attached, giving it a very unified appearance.
Figure 3: The back of the Slim Keyboard with an iPAQ h5455 inserted. Notice that you can not only swap batteries, but also use the extended battery for the h5000 series.
One of the most important and most appealing characteristics of this keyboard is that you can still dock your iPAQ in its cradle with the keyboard attached! Just for the heck of it, I even attached the combination of the iPAQ and Slim Keyboard to my Stowaway keyboard. (W?BIC!  ) Curiously, the Stowaway keyboard didn't work even with the HP driver disabled. I had assumed this was mostly a pass-through port, but perhaps some accessories or cables may not work. ActiveSync and charging via cradle worked just fine, however, which is what would concern most users.
General Observations
Typing on something this small is obviously something one needs to get used to. The keys are spaced very close to each other, as you'd expect for something that packs so many things into such a small space. Because of their convex shape, however, it's relatively easy for your fingers to find and press the keys. I doubt anyone would ever come close to the typing speed and accuracy they can reach using a traditional keyboard, but this keyboard allows you to enter relatively large amounts of data quickly and easily without having to tap on the on-screen keyboard or deal with handwriting recognition issues. I prefer to use this keyboard over on-screen input methods when typing e-mails or using MSN Messenger on my h5455, because I am much faster this way. I do have some complaints about the key layout, however, which I will address later. I did notice that some keys seem to require slightly more pressure than others, but overall they seem very responsive.
Figure 4: Close-up of the keys on the Slim Keyboard. Though hard to see in this photo, the four shiny silver buttons along the bottom edge duplicate the application buttons on the iPAQ. Click the image for a larger view of the keys. (104 KB JPEG)
Depending on your backlight settings, it's possible that the backlight could turn off while you're using this keyboard. If that happens, pressing a key will not turn it back on; you'd actually have to tap the screen or press the record button, which is the only visible hardware button once the keyboard is attached. Apparently key presses are not considered activity which would reset the inactivity timer that switches the backlight off. While I'm not a software developer, I'm pretty certain this could be addressed in a driver update.
Speaking of the driver, it's a very good first release. Using my iPAQ h5455 and a friend's 3955, I tested this keyboard using driver version 1.18, which shipped on the CD included in the package. At this time, no driver is available on the HP Web site. The CD contains the manual in Adobe Acrobat PDF format in English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish languages and the driver is provided in those same languages, as well. The only printed material included in the package is HP's absurdly long warranty novel, printed in approximately 327 different languages. Everything else you'd need is on the CD.
Figure 5: An animated image showing the two pages of the HP Slim Keyboard's Settings program.
I had no problems installing the driver or using the installed Slim Keyboard control panel. The directions in the PDF file said to remove any existing keyboard drivers, but I ignored that and installed the Slim Keyboard driver with my Stowaway Keyboard's driver still installed. Both drivers cannot be active at the same time, but you can disable one and enable the other at will without so much as a soft reset. I did notice, however, that the unofficial Ctrl-Q key combination that's been around since the days of the Palm-Size PC to close an application does not work with this keyboard. (It does with the on-screen keyboard and the Stowaway.) Instead, HP's driver has you press Fn and Ctrl to close an app. As these keys are located on opposite sides of the keyboard, it's unlikely that you'd accidentally press them both.
Also regarding the driver, I did notice that in certain applications such as Pocket Word and Notes, when you create a new document, one of the standard input panels still pops up even though you're using the keyboard. This was only a small annoyance, and is something else I'm sure could be addressed in a future driver release.
Because this will no doubt be the first question asked by many readers, no, I do not know if the driver supports Windows Mobile 2003 for Pocket PC. I have had a support request in to HP for two weeks about this, but have yet to receive a useful response. If or when I do receive a reply, I will update this review.
Unlike the photos that leaked before release, the actual production keyboard does not have the red and green markings over two of the keys. Many theorized that this would be for use with some future phone-enabled iPAQ model. Another observation about those buttons, it seems that if some of the "useless" empty space around the iPAQ logo were eliminated and some buttons rearranged, an actual directional pad could have been added to this keyboard, making it the first such keyboard to include one. The built-in D-pad of the h5000 series is certainly small enough to fit into that space if a little rearranging were done.
Gotchas
As with just about every product in existence, the Slim Keyboard is not without its share of deficiencies. The most obvious problem for users of the h5400 (and the new h5500) series iPAQs is that the fingerprint scanner is completely obscured when this keyboard is installed. While the four application keys and -- to a point -- the direction pad are duplicated, there is obviously no way to put a BioSwipe scanner on the keyboard. If you actually use the BioSwipe feature of these iPAQ models, the keyboard will irritate you to no end if you prefer to leave it attached all the time.
I had a great deal of trouble figuring out how to get my h5455 inserted properly into the keyboard. I was expecting it to slide on as easily as any other expansion sleeve, but it just didn't work. Turns out, I have to press the iPAQ in toward the front of the keyboard through the open back of the sleeve in order to get the connectors inside to line up properly. I tried the keyboard on a friend's 3955 and it slid in as easy as you please with no problems whatsoever. Because of this, I had assumed this was a problem with my h5455's sync port. However, a recent thread in the forums here at Pocket PC Thoughts indicates that I may not be the only one with this problem. While the keyboard seems to be very well designed overall, there is clearly something just a little out of alignment somewhere when dealing with some h5400 series iPAQs. I took the keyboard to CompUSA to try it out on the h5455 display model, but because of the way their security cables are mounted, it wouldn't slide on.
Figure 6: The "inside" of the keyboard showing the connector. You can also see the reset hole and headphone jack access in this photo.
During regular use, the single most annoying issue with this keyboard is the layout of punctuation. All punctuation -- even common things like the period, comma, exclamation point, and question mark -- require the use of the Fn key. To make matters worse, with the exception of the period and comma, none of the punctuation characters are even remotely close to where they'd be on a standard keyboard. The @ symbol, for example, which is the shifted state of the 2 key on a traditional QWERTY keyboard, is all the way on the other side of this keyboard on the L key. Likewise, the asterisk, normally on the 8 key, is on the extreme left side of the keyboard on the A key. Can it get worse? Why yes, yes it can! Some punctuation has been omitted entirely! Want to use a semicolon? You can't. What about an ampersand? Nope. Believe it or not, some people actually do use a semicolon in normal, everyday writing; it's not that uncommon.  And what about the ampersand? Many people would be using this keyboard for instant messaging where it's common practice to abbreviate words and phrases. What better way to cut out some characters than by replacing all the "ands" with "&"? :?
I realize there are many sacrifices which must be made when designing a device of this size, but it seems as though some designer closed his or her eyes, pointed to a key, and assigned a random character to it. The only characters which have any logical grouping at all are the math-related *, /, +, -, and = keys. Additionally, the hyphen (-) and underscore (_) characters look identical on the keys, so new users will no doubt enter the wrong one at least a couple times while getting acquainted with this keyboard. I also realized that there's a Ctrl key that allows you to access exactly one character -- the British Pound symbol. Why they couldn't have made the "missing" punctuation characters available using this key is a mystery.
Although the keyboard does have cursor control keys, they do not perfectly replicate the function of the directional pad which is hidden under the keyboard. The keys did not move the paddle in Bust-Em! and didn't pan the map in Pocket EverQuest II as the D-pad does. The keys aren't in a good layout for gaming, anyway, so while this will likely frustrate gamers, it probably will not come as much of a surprise to them, either. I also noticed a severe lag in touchscreen response in Pocket EQ II while the driver was active, whether the keyboard was attached or not. Exiting the game and disabling the driver made this problem go away. I should note that the Stowaway driver does not do this.
Finally, as has been noted by other people writing about this keyboard, there is one particular set of circumstances which lead to an infuriating Catch-22. What do you do if you use the BioSwipe security feature along with an extended battery? To get to the BioSwipe scanner, you must remove the keyboard, but to remove the keyboard, you must first remove the extended battery! D'oh! This likely won't be an issue for the majority of users, but is certainly something to be aware of.
Where To Buy
The Hewlett-Packard Slim Keyboard can be purchased from Dream Pages (affiliate link) for a price of US$59.95.
Specifications
The keyboard itself measures approximately 5.75 inches by 3.5 inches by 0.5 inch. (14.6 cm x 8.89 cm x 1.27 cm) Except for length, it is the same size as the CoverPAQ which ships with the newer iPAQs. When attached, it adds approximately .25 inch (.6 cm) to the bottom of the iPAQ and approximately 1 ounce to the weight. This keyboard can be used with the iPAQ 3800, 3900, and h5000 series. It cannot be used with the 1900 series or the new h2200 series iPAQs as neither of these can accept expansion packs. Because it slides onto an iPAQ like an expansion sleeve does, you cannot use this keyboard in conjunction with a sleeve of any kind.
Figure 7: This photo shows how little the keyboard adds to the thickness of the iPAQ. It's the same thickness as a CoverPAQ.
Conclusions
Aside from my complaints about key layout and minor gripes about the driver, I am very pleased with this keyboard. I find myself using it much more than I thought I would. I don't use it much while I'm away from the house, though, since I can't use my Vaja case with it.
Download this Review
If you'd like to download this review for reading offline, here it is in RepliGo format (File size: 183 KB)! You can view the RepliGo file on your Pocket PC or Windows PC using Cerience's free RepliGo viewers. For reading in "Flowed" view on your Pocket PC, I recommend a font size of "Smaller" or "Smallest."
|
| |
|
|
|
07-23-2003, 05:12 PM
|
|
Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
|
|
Re: Review: Hewlett-Packard Slim Keyboard
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Dave Beauvais
Download this Review
If you'd like to download this review for reading offline, here it is in RepliGo format (File size: 182 KB)! You can view the RepliGo file on your Pocket PC or Windows PC using Cerience's free RepliGo viewers. For reading in "Flowed" view on your Pocket PC, I recommend a font size of "Smaller" or "Smallest."
|
Now that is awesome. Repligoed and will read it at lunch today. :way to go:
|
| |
|
|
|
07-23-2003, 05:19 PM
|
|
Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,998
|
|
Re: Review: Hewlett-Packard Slim Keyboard
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Ed Hansberry
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Dave Beauvais
Download this Review
If you'd like to download this review for reading offline, here it is in RepliGo format (File size: 182 KB)! You can view the RepliGo file on your Pocket PC or Windows PC using Cerience's free RepliGo viewers. For reading in "Flowed" view on your Pocket PC, I recommend a font size of "Smaller" or "Smallest."
|
Now that is awesome. Repligoed and will read it at lunch today. :way to go: |
That is beyond awesome. I think that this should be a standard practice for reviews here. Great idea!
|
| |
|
|
|
07-23-2003, 05:29 PM
|
|
Theorist
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 300
|
|
Great review, thanks. Quick question for you, have you encountered instances where after turning ipaq off the keyboard would stop working? I have had that happen sometimes and it usually requires a reset for the keyboard to start working again. Thanks.
|
| |
|
|
|
07-23-2003, 05:40 PM
|
|
Pontificator
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,213
|
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Paul P
... have you encountered instances where after turning ipaq off the keyboard would stop working? ...
|
I have had that happen a few times, but simply disconnecting and reattaching the keyboard fixed it without requiring a soft reset. You'd just have to lift the keyboard off the connector just enough to disconnect them, then pop it back in. This also seems like a driver-related thing. It would be nice if HP would put up a page on their site for this keyboard so at least we'd have some hope that a driver update could be made available... :roll:
Also, as of today, I still have received no reply from HP regarding Windows Mobile 2003 compatibility. Since I don't have the update for my h5455 yet, I cannot test this myself at this time.
-- Dave
__________________
Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are (usually) unnecessary.
|
| |
|
|
|
07-23-2003, 06:15 PM
|
|
Pontificator
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,398
|
|
Wonderful job, Dave! :way to go:
Has anyone heard of a similar solution for the Axim X5? I don't want to de-rail this "comments" board, so please direct me to another discussion if one is already in progress.
Why is it we hardly ever hear any rumors from Dell? :cry:
|
| |
|
|
|
07-23-2003, 06:24 PM
|
|
Pupil
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 24
|
|
Any ideas on how to carry the combined package, or is it too large to carry everywhere?
thanks
|
| |
|
|
|
07-23-2003, 06:34 PM
|
|
Ponderer
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 111
|
|
Still does not work with WM 2003 and the hp rep i spoke with yesterday says he has no idea when a new driver will be released that supports 2k3.
|
| |
|
|
|
07-23-2003, 06:53 PM
|
|
Theorist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 293
|
|
awww, that sux.... no .lit format? Hey Jason, can i make it in .LIT format for all those who want it cuz i have reader works pro (still learning it) as well as the reader plugin for Word that can convert all this to .LIT on the fly! I'd much rather .LIT for the simple fact that i refuse to use anything non-MS (don't know don't ask!) I know i could do it without your consent for my own personal use but figured i'd ask anyways :-D (or can you do it and make it available for all of us who only read in .LIT
|
| |
|
|
|
07-23-2003, 06:53 PM
|
|
Pontificator
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,213
|
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by mpovolo2
Any ideas on how to carry the combined package, or is it too large to carry everywhere?
|
I'm not aware of any actual Pocket PC cases that could easily fit the iPAQ/keyboard combo due to the extra length that it adds. However, I'm sure you could find a slim case for a camera that might work. As I said at the end of the review, though, I don't often use the keyboard while I'm out because I have no convenient way to carry it. I suppose you could get an adhesive clip from The Clip and attach it to the back, but I've never liked the idea of my equipment being that exposed to the world.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by jeremyweisser
Still does not work with WM 2003 and the hp rep i spoke with yesterday says he has no idea when a new driver will be released that supports 2k3.
|
Thanks for mentioning that. At least they're talking to somebody.
-- Dave
__________________
Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are (usually) unnecessary.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Linear Mode
