02-08-2008, 09:00 PM
|
|
Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,221
|
|
iGo Bluetooth Stowaway Keyboards to be Discontinued
"I regret to inform you that the production and support of the iGo Bluetooth Stowaway keyboards has been discontinued. After a sad meeting with the iGo people at CES, I learned that the president of the company decided not to continue the line because of the unjustifiable expense of developing all the necessary drivers. I suspected something was up when I found out that no WM6 drivers had been developed yet. What a sad, sad development or lack of development because the Stowaway Bluetooth keyboards were the best of the best, and there's really nothing out there that I know of yet that will replace it. So, enjoy yours while it lasts, but don't count on being able to upgrade it to a new device."
I only got my Stowaway Bluetooth keyboard a few months ago and I was looking forward to being able to use this keyboard for a long time with different devices. While I can understand at some point it becomes cost-prohibitive to continue support, it's certainly disappointing news. Wonder if there's a market for someone to continue writing drivers for these? It would be nice if Mobility Electronics would sell the ThinkOutside division to a company who will put some resources into it.
|
| |
|
|
|
02-08-2008, 09:52 PM
|
|
5000+ Posts? I Should OWN This Site!
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 5,067
|
|
Fortunately., the situation is far better than many think. I've made some serious compliance tests with, among other operating systems, WM6. WM6 has turned out to be FULLY supported by the recent (WM5) drivers on both the PPC and SP platforms.
See http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/foru...c.php?p=449210 for my article.
|
| |
|
|
|
02-08-2008, 10:03 PM
|
|
Ponderer
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 71
|
|
Stowaway BT Keyboard
I never have been able to get my Stowaway BT Keyboard to work as well as the Stowaway Keyboard I had that I used to hard connect to my iPAQ 5555. It always seems to lose connection with my Dell Axim x50v. It also had a delay as I would type, even with new batteries. This technology was great when it worked but not so good in the current form. My model # is Think Outside Stowaway Universal Bluetooth Keyboard XTBT01. The device itself is very sturdy & was great when it worked. It might be my Axim... who knows?
|
| |
|
|
|
02-09-2008, 01:39 AM
|
|
Thinker
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 484
|
|
Re: Stowaway BT Keyboard
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Mikey
I never have been able to get my Stowaway BT Keyboard to work as well as the Stowaway Keyboard I had that I used to hard connect to my iPAQ 5555. It always seems to lose connection with my Dell Axim x50v. It also had a delay as I would type, even with new batteries. This technology was great when it worked but not so good in the current form. My model # is Think Outside Stowaway Universal Bluetooth Keyboard XTBT01. The device itself is very sturdy & was great when it worked. It might be my Axim... who knows?
|
I have the same unit and don't have many problems (other than a slight delay in typing as you noted.) Perhaps it's the specific unit or as you indicated, the Dell Pocket PC.
As for the original premise, I'm not sure why they are so worried about writing special drivers: While their custom software is nice, it's not critical. I've used the keyboard with a number of devices with just the standard Bluetooth HID driver. It worked fine although you don't get the nice features such as the custom Windows Mobile specific keys that you get with the Think Outside driver.
I suppose the real issue is that with so many devices now coming with built-in "thumb keyboards" there's less of a demand for $100 external keyboards. It's really a shame because even with the built-in keyboard of the AT&T Tilt, I still use the Stowaway when I have a long email to type or other "major" text entry. But I do understand the difficulty in supporting a small market.
I agree with Paul that it would be nice to see this product line sold to another small company that could make something of it.
|
| |
|
|
|
02-09-2008, 02:32 AM
|
|
Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
|
|
:cry:
I hate to see this news. it does work fine on a Kaiser, Wizard and Universal, All with WM6. I suspect we may not be so fortunate with WM7.
|
| |
|
|
|
02-09-2008, 04:13 AM
|
|
Editorial Contributor
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 5,411
|
|
Might have been a worthwhile endevor if they could charge for driver updates and folks would be willing to pay for them. I'm as quilty as the next guy for buying a device with PPC2003 drivers and being incensed when WM6 drivers aren't on the site for download withing hours of the new OS release. Sooner or later though we need to understand the development costs money, and even if they sell the keyboards new, with new drivers, they likely may not sell enough to recoup the cost. Especially true for those devices that are well built and continue to function over several generations of mobiles.
My hope in mitigating this unfortunate situation is that WM device manufacturers getting a clue and including USB host capability on devices. I would gladly give up the convinience of BT wireless for the broad spectrum of available USB keyboards/mice...not to mention the other advantages of USB Host.
Right now though, I'm off to get the latest (and last) drivers from iGo, so I have a copy archived.
__________________
Sometimes you are the anteater, sometimes you are the ant.
|
| |
|
|
|
02-09-2008, 05:15 AM
|
|
Neophyte
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 3
|
|
Works Fine w/ Asus A696
Got mine from Amazon for 29.99 and works fine w/ WM6.
|
| |
|
|
|
02-09-2008, 06:19 AM
|
|
Pupil
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 37
|
|
I hate my Stowaway and hardly ever use it, because of the way it rocks uncontrollably on a flat surface in response to my heavy-fingered typing. I also came to hate the absence of dedicated numeric keys, and would have gladly suffered a larger form factor to get that. Lastly, why do I have to endure keyclicks for every press of a function key? Should have at least been an option in the driver to disable that.
Nevertheless, as has been said repeatedly it works fine with Windows Mobile 6, with both the Stowaway custom driver and the generic WM6 HID driver in a more limited fashion. I have a "third party" WM6 ROM in my iPAQ hx4700, and it works even with that. Looking forward to installing WM 6.1 on it in a few days, and I expect it will work fine with that, too.
|
| |
|
|
|
02-09-2008, 07:47 AM
|
|
Contributing Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,389
|
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by VulcanTourist
Lastly, why do I have to endure keyclicks for every press of a function key? Should have at least been an option in the driver to disable that.
|
You can disable the sounds. Simply tap the speaker icon on the SIP it brings up at the bottom of the screen.
|
| |
|
|
|
02-09-2008, 08:23 AM
|
|
Pupil
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 37
|
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Jason Lee
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by VulcanTourist
Lastly, why do I have to endure keyclicks for every press of a function key? Should have at least been an option in the driver to disable that.
|
You can disable the sounds. Simply tap the speaker icon on the SIP it brings up at the bottom of the screen. |
I *know* that. That disables ALL keyclicks, not the ones that make sense to disable.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Linear Mode
