02-25-2004, 04:00 PM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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iBiz Virtual Keyboard for $99 USD
"The Virtual Laser Keyboard leverages the power of laser and infrared technology and projects a full-size keyboard onto any flat surface. Compatible with Palm handhelds, Pocket PCs and Laptop PCs. As you type on the laser projection; it analyzes what you're typing by the coordinates of that location. Unlike many small snap-on keyboards for PDAs, the Virtual Laser Keyboard provides a full-size QWERTY keyboard. It is also smaller and more convenient to use than the folding-type keyboards made by some manufacturers and similar to them in functionality. There are no mechanical moving parts whatsoever in the Virtual Laser Keyboard. It provides a projected image that is the perfect portable input device for PDAs. It's similar in responsiveness to regular keyboards, but extremely futuristic looking." [Affiliate, US only]
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02-25-2004, 04:02 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 253
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They're actually making this thing? WOW!!! I remember seeing this like a year and a half ago.
Any more info on it? Does it work by IR or Bluetooth? If its IR, seems us iPAQ 4150 users would be SOL.
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02-25-2004, 04:12 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 109
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huh?
Quote:
They're actually making this thing? WOW!!! I remember seeing this like a year and a half ago.
Any more info on it? Does it work by IR or Bluetooth? If its IR, seems us iPAQ 4150 users would be SOL.
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Why would 4150 users be out of luck? We have both Bluetooth and IR??
-Drew
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02-25-2004, 04:25 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 253
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Re: huh?
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Originally Posted by Prototype
Quote:
They're actually making this thing? WOW!!! I remember seeing this like a year and a half ago.
Any more info on it? Does it work by IR or Bluetooth? If its IR, seems us iPAQ 4150 users would be SOL.
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Why would 4150 users be out of luck? We have both Bluetooth and IR??
-Drew |
B/C the IR port for the 4150 is facing downward and is at the bottom of the device. Not exactly the best place for a line-of-sight peripheral.
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02-25-2004, 04:26 PM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 10,981
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Re: huh?
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Originally Posted by Prototype
Why would 4150 users be out of luck? We have both Bluetooth and IR??
-Drew
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The IR is in a bad location on the device, lower left corner. Where as most other devices have it at the top or high up on the side. having it on the bottom would make it hard to align the IR ports. You won't be SOL, but it could be very difficult to get working.
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"I have no special talents, I am only passionately curious" - Albert Einstein |
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02-25-2004, 04:26 PM
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Oracle
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 864
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Re: huh?
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Originally Posted by Prototype
Why would 4150 users be out of luck? We have both Bluetooth and IR??
-Drew
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I think he was referring to the crappy location of the IR port...
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02-25-2004, 04:30 PM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 10,981
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Here's the specs on this device:- Light-weight, small-size, Li-Ion rechargable battery
- Power-save mode, audible click feature
- Connectivity: USB/Serial Connector
- Power: Lithium-ion rechargable battery w/ac adapter
- Compatible with Pocket PCs (PPC 2002 & Windows Mobile 2003 operating systems)
- Compatible with Palm Handhelds (operating system 4.x and higher)
- Compatible with Laptops running Windows 98/2000/XP
- Popular compatible PDA models (not limited to the following): iPAQ 19xx, 22xx, 38xx, 39xx, 41xx, 43xx, 54xx, 55xx series / Palm m130, m500, m515, i705, Zire71, Tungsten C, W, T, T2, T3
- Included in box: Virtual Keyboard, cable, manual & software
- Warrany: 1 year parts & labor.
So they seem to connect thing by USB/Serial and they support the 4000 series.
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"I have no special talents, I am only passionately curious" - Albert Einstein |
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02-25-2004, 04:37 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 253
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Mike Temporale
Here's the specs on this device: - Light-weight, small-size, Li-Ion rechargable battery
- Power-save mode, audible click feature
- Connectivity: USB/Serial Connector
- Power: Lithium-ion rechargable battery w/ac adapter
- Compatible with Pocket PCs (PPC 2002 & Windows Mobile 2003 operating systems)
- Compatible with Palm Handhelds (operating system 4.x and higher)
- Compatible with Laptops running Windows 98/2000/XP
- Popular compatible PDA models (not limited to the following): iPAQ 19xx, 22xx, 38xx, 39xx, 41xx, 43xx, 54xx, 55xx series / Palm m130, m500, m515, i705, Zire71, Tungsten C, W, T, T2, T3
- Included in box: Virtual Keyboard, cable, manual & software
- Warrany: 1 year parts & labor.
So they seem to connect thing by USB/Serial and they support the 4000 series. |
Cool. I already have a thumb keyboard for my iPAQ 4150, so I don't know how much more useful this would be. I would need a flat surface to type which makes it less useful (to me at least).
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02-25-2004, 04:40 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 468
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Neat! While it would, for me, certainly be better than a thumb keyboard (I've never been a fan of those), I'm not sure it'd beat a Stowaway keyboard. I think typing on a flat surface, with no tactile feedback, would be extremely difficult.
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02-25-2004, 04:50 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 174
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The lack of tactile feedback is what I'm concerned with as well. This keyboard does look pretty cool though 
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Linear Mode
