09-29-2004, 05:00 PM
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Thoughts Media Review Team
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 749
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Arrr, Matey, Stow That Serial Keyboard - This 'ere's Cap'n Bluetooth!
Product Category: Keyboards -- full size
Manufacturer: Think Outside
Where to Buy: Pricegrabber [affiliate]
Price: $93.43 to $149.95 USD.
System Requirements: The keyboard is certified for Asus MyPal A620, Del Axim X3, iPAQ 194x, 221x, 415x, 435x. It will also work with Pocket PC 2002 or Windows Mobile 2003 with Socket SD or CF Cards. Keyboard driver (v3.1) requires 406K of memory, which must be installed to main memory to work consistently. The keyboard supports Pocket PC, Symbian, Windows and MAC operating systems. A full list of compatible products (Smart Phones, etc.) is provided on the Think Outside Website.
Specifications: Closed: 139mm x 99mm x 13mm (5.5� x 3.9� x 0.5�) Open: 251mm x 148mm x 13mm (9.9� x 5.8� x 0.5�) Weight: 160g (5.6 oz) Key spacing: 18mm, Key travel: 3mm. Layout: English QWERTY (4 rows)
Pros:- Lightweight, sturdy construction;
- Very easy setup/configuration;
- Good overall keyboard feel;
- Batteries should last three months, under normal use;
- Complete, ready-to-go package, including batteries and a carrying case!;
- Detachable PDA/Phone stand;
- Same driver supports Stowaway Bluetooth, XT, and IR keyboards!
Cons:- 4-row design, so numbers and symbols are accessed with a FN-key combination, which will slow down 5-row touch typists;
- Still a bit tippy if you rest your hands on the ends of the keyboard;
- Connection does not show up in the Active Connections list of Bluetooth Manager.
Summary: It�s been a loooonnnggg time coming, but the wait has been worth it. Based on the award winning design of the Stowaway XT keyboard, Think Outside is now shipping its Universal Bluetooth version, which, because of the Bluetooth enablement, should mean the end to the need for device-specific keyboards. So now, you can use the same keyboard for your Pocket PC, laptop and smartphone. (Although I don�t suggest you have them all connected at the same time!) Generally, the typing feel is exactly the same as the Stowaway XT, but how is it for setup and use?
Well, read on, gentlefolk!
Welcome to the next level of Bluetooth�ing
I�ve been waiting for over a year for this product, and I can honestly say, now that I've had a chance to work with the keyboard for a couple of weeks, that it�s been well worth the wait. Long time readers of Pocket PC Thoughts will know that I�ve been through every one of Think Outside�s folding keyboards � from the 4-way folding model to the Stowaway XT. But I was always looking for some way around the need to buy a new keyboard for each PDA. I'd heard that Think Outside was working on a Bluetooth-enabled keyboard about a year ago, but like most everyone else, had given up on hearing anything but rumors. Then, suddenly, Think Outside announced they had a product! A couple of months later, a sample arrived at my door! Cool! In theory, I should be able to attach a full-sized keyboard for typing meeting notes, and articles :-) to any Bluetooth-enabled device! Let�s see how it works in practice...
What You Get in the Box
The Stowaway Universal Bluetooth Keyboard comes in a plastic bubble package which you need to cut away on one side to open. (See the picture at the top of the review.) These have always been the bane of my existence -- especially as a reviewer -- since it makes it difficult to get these back into reasonable shape for return to the manufacturer.
Figure 1: The contents of the Stowaway Bluetooth Keyboard package.
In the package, you get the following:- The Stowaway Bluetooth keyboard;
- Lined, leather pouch with zipper to protect the keyboard (nice!);
- Two AAA size batteries (required to run the keyboard);
- Quick start guide;
- CD with drivers and user guide.
It was refreshing to see a company provide not only the basic unit, but the extras to get you up and running right away. It was great to have the batteries included, and the zippered leather case is a very nice way to keep the unit from getting scratched up.
Installation and Setup
The batteries (two AAA size) are inserted in a compartment in the bottom of the keyboard.
Figure 2: The battery compartment on the bottom of the keyboard. The cover is shown to the left.
According to Think Outside, under normal use the batteries should last approximately 3 months. I wasn�t able to test that, but if it�s true, that�s a reasonable amount of time.
Drivers for the keyboard come on a CD which runs the installation routines as soon as it is inserted. To install the drivers, you need a PC connected to your Pocket PC via Activesync � either direct USB or Bluetooth. The driver for the Universal Bluetooth Keyboard is unfortunately named the same as my existing Stowaway XT driver, so there was no chance to install both side-by-side. Although the Quick Start Guide tells you to remove any previous versions of keyboard drivers before proceeding, I decided to see if it could handle installation over top of my existing v2 Stowaway XT Keyboard Driver. In a word � No. It got hung up. So, I did a soft reset, removed the old driver completely and installed the new driver. To my surprise, the Bluetooth Keyboard driver (v3.1) supports not only the Bluetooth keyboard, but also the XT serially-connected keyboard, and the IR-connected model as well! Way to go, Think Outside!
Setup of the keyboard is exactly the same as for the Stowaway XT, except that you don�t have to worry about plugging the unit into the keyboard, or removing a case, etc. To open the keyboard, you fold back the stand, then press a long, grey button on the left hand side. Pulling open the top portion, like a book, you unfold the keyboard and it locks in position.
Figure 3: Unfolding the stand...
Figure 4: Unfolding the keyboard...
Figure 5: Fully extended Bluetooth Universal Keyboard.
The PDA/phone stand has two positions, which you select by adjusting its back support wall, and you can detach the stand completely by pulling gently back on it, away from the keyboard.
Figure 6: The PDA/Phone stand separated from the keyboard.
Once the keyboard is unfolded, it�s essentially powered on. To make it �discoverable� (in the Bluetooth sense), you press the CTRL+Left FN+Right FN keys simultaneously until the green power LED starts flashing. During discovery mode, the flash is quite quick (approximately once per second). After the keyboard is connected, the LED will go into a slow flash (about once every two or three seconds) to tell you the keyboard is operational. Apparently, the LED will change to red if the battery level gets too low for the keyboard to operate.
Figure 7: Locations of the LED and folding button.
To fold the keyboard back up, you press a small black button at the top of the keyboard, above the P key (see picture above). Then you reverse the process used to open the keyboard. The keyboard is automatically powered off when it's folded up.
Configuration
Initial pairing and configuration of the keyboard was very quick. It took about 5 seconds for my iPAQ 2215 to scan for the keyboard, find it, and setup an unsecured connection.
Figure 8: Initial �New Connection� screen.
Figure 9: After tapping New Connection, you then have to discover the keyboard.
Figure 10: After about 5 secs scanning, the keyboard is found, and you can connect.
I decided to go back though, and create a secure connection, which requires the establishment of a passkey between the two units, which you do on the Pocket PC first, then you�re prompted to key in the same numeric sequence on the keyboard and press the Return/Enter key to complete. Once this is done, there is a secure, encrypted data connection between the two units.
Figure 11: Establishing a secure connection.
Figure 12: All connected...
Figure 13: Paired up and ready to go with my iPAQ 2215!
Unfortunately, I found that as far as the Pocket PC�s Bluetooth Manager was concerned, it knew nothing of the connection between the keyboard and my iPAQ.
Figure 14: Keyboard? What keyboard?
Once the two are connected, you access the driver via a keyboard icon which has been added to the system tray, located with the other input methods in the lower right corner of the screen.
Figure 15: Keyboard configuration parameters.
Figure 16: User-defineable alternate keys.
Once the keyboard is configured for your Pocket PC, re-establishing the connection is a breeze! Just open the keyboard, then turn on your Pocket PC and hit the keyboard icon at the bottom of the screen. Tap on the Enable button, then select Bluetooth and Setup. You'll get a message saying that Bluetooth is initializing, then a request to press a key on the keyboard to reconnect. When you do that, the connection is automatically re-established, and you're ready to go!
Figure 17: Reconnecting the keyboard. Tap a key on the keyboard, and you're away!
Ergonomics
From a user perspective, this keyboard is identical to the Stowaway XT keyboard I reviewed a while ago. Here are some pictures of them together:
Figure 18: Comparison of the XT and Bluetooth keyboards when closed. Bluetooth version is at the top.
Figure 19: ..and here they are when opened!
Figure 20: An end-on view of the Bluetooth (top) and XT keyboards. Pretty similar thickness.
The keyboard feel between the XT and the Bluetooth Universal is exactly the same to my fingers. It�s not quite as solid a feel as the keyboard on my laptop, and it has the same balance/tipping problem when I rest my hands on either side of the keyboard ends. I won�t bother getting into the missing row of numbers thing, since we went through all of that the last time. The space bar is separated into two pieces, to facilitate the fold line on the keyboard, and that takes a little getting used to. There are two FN keys (coloured green and blue) on either side of the space bar which are used in conjunction with other keys to provide numbers, symbols, and other functions. One think I noticed with the Bluetooth keyboard is that there seems to be a lot more Pocket PC-related functions available than on the XT keyboard.
Pairing With my Laptop. W?BIC!
Now here�s something that really fits into the Why? Because I Can? category. (My wife just shakes her head and mumbles something about �Boys and their toys� when I show her this stuff.) I have a Fujitsu T3010D convertible laptop for work, which I�ve Bluetooth enabled using a Belkin F8T001 vers.2 USB adapter. I just recently installed Windows XP SP2, so it should be able to recognize and use the keyboard within the built-in HID support.
In three words? It worked perfectly! I was able to pair up the keyboard to my laptop in under a minute, including configuring and establishing the �secure� connection.
Figure 21: All paired up with my T3010!!
The only difficulty I�ve encountered is that, unlike the Pocket PC, my laptop loses all knowledge of the keyboard once it's disconnected. The entire device disappears from the Bluetooth Devices panel. The only way to get it back is to re-create the device and establish a new pairing. I�m not sure why this happens, but I suspect it�s something within the XP/SP2 operating system, rather than anything wrong with the keyboard.
Figure 22: The Bluetooth Devices screen on the laptop.
Theoretically, I should be able to also pair the keyboard with my Nokia 3650 phone, but I haven�t bothered, since I don�t do any text messaging, and I can�t see any other possible reason for having a keyboard on my phone. (I�m open to suggestions though -- much to my dear wife�s chagrin!)
Documentation
On the installation CD is an electronic copy of the Quick Start guide and a 30-page User Manual for the keyboard. You have to search a bit through the directory structure on the CD to find it, and it�s in .pdf format. The User Manual is certainly up to Think Outside�s usual very high standards � well laid out and straightforward in its explanations. While I�m finding (as I get older) I generally like to read through the manual before playing with the software, I found I didn�t really need it this time. I read through it afterward, but it didn�t tell me anything that I hadn�t already found.
Conclusions
Well, what can I say? It�s not quite nirvana, but it�s pretty darn close. This is a fun product to work with since it is easy to set up and does what it's supposed to do very well. There's also something of the cool factor here, since where I work Bluetooth is still a very foreign concept. And I love the flexibility having this keyboard affords me -- not only for now, but with future Pocket PCs.
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09-29-2004, 05:33 PM
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Magi
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 2,124
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Still a 4 row design. Suck! Isn't there anyone else who wants a 5 row keyboard? Especially with the kind of money they want to charge for it, I want my row of numbers!
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09-29-2004, 06:02 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 110
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I won't touch it without a number row....
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09-29-2004, 06:09 PM
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Theorist
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 275
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I'm curious as to why it will only work with PPC2k2 with Socket BT cards?
Don, have you tried it with PPC2k2 with other BT cards aside Socket brands?
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John Cruz
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09-29-2004, 06:09 PM
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Developer & Designer, News Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 12,959
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by PetiteFlower
Still a 4 row design. Suck! Isn't there anyone else who wants a 5 row keyboard? Especially with the kind of money they want to charge for it, I want my row of numbers!
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I agree. It's not my cup of tea at that price.
Adding another row doesn't add a great deal of bulkiness when it comes to that "compact" factor, and I'd certainly like to see more companies employ this idea. Let's hope they read these forums. 
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09-29-2004, 06:23 PM
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Thoughts Media Review Team
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 749
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by johncruise
I'm curious as to why it will only work with PPC2k2 with Socket BT cards?
Don, have you tried it with PPC2k2 with other BT cards aside Socket brands?
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Hi John.. sorry, but I only tested it using the Bluetooth included in my iPAQ 2215, I haven't tried any BT cards for the PPC with this keyboard. The spec info in this regard is taken directly from Think Outside's web site and the packaging.
__________________
/drt
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09-29-2004, 06:40 PM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 3,060
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Personally, I don't mind the three-row design that much. If adding the numbers row reverts the keyboard size back to that of the original ThinkOutside keyboards, I'll take the smaller size every day.
I'm sometimes reluctant to take my older, bigger ThinkOutside keyboard with me, but the XT-sized keyboard makes it into my pocket fairly often.
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09-29-2004, 06:55 PM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,183
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4 rows makes sense as a business decision. There are far more pick and poke typists than touch typists.
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09-29-2004, 07:19 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 468
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Great review! Personally, I don't believe I'd miss the number row too much. I just don't type numbers all that often, at least not compared to letters and punctuation.
I'm glad to see that this is finally out on the market. When and if I ditch my old Jornada 568 for a newer Pocket PC, it'll definitely be one with Bluetooth and I will absolutely set aside some cash to spring for a keyboard to go with it. This one goes right to the top of my list.
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09-29-2004, 07:41 PM
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Theorist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 307
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by SteveHoward999
4 rows makes sense as a business decision. There are far more pick and poke typists than touch typists.
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Well it's the best touch type keyboard I've ever had on my pocket pc, and rivals some of the laptop ones I've had. Except for the number keys. It does work very well, and sip panel works well. I love the fact that you can have Caligrapher open and functional and still use the keyboard at the same time without the Stowaway sip activated.
So the number keys are somewhat of a loss, especially if you are doing number intensive operations, which I don't. For regular writing it's a joy.
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Linear Mode
