Think Outside Bluetooth Stowaway Keyboard

[Ed Hansberry]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/business/technology/8685215.htm' target='_blank'>http://www.centredaily.com/mld/cent...ogy/8685215.htm</a><br /><br /></div>"Typing into a PDA or a cell phone has always been clunky. Even when miniature keyboards hit the scene, they either had to be physically connected to the PDA or were so small that even people with small hands had trouble using them. No longer. Think Outside, a Santa Clara mobile device manufacturer, next month will introduce the Stowaway Universal Bluetooth Keyboard, which is compatible with most cellular phones, PDAs and other devices equipped with Bluetooth wireless technology."<br /><br />Finally, no more buying new keyboards with each device. Now, how easy will it be to get the devices to partner and actually work? ;-)

[Ekkie Tepsupornchai]

FINALLY!!!!! THANK YOU!!!!

Now my next question will be regarding the keyboard layout, will they go with the full keyboard with number rows or will they go with the more recent layouts with lesser keys?

[ChristopherTD]

I have been waiting for this - it makes excellent sense. But $150 seems a trifle steep for a keyboard, even if it is Bluetooth...

[Scott R]

What's so bad about IR keyboards? You're still going to need to prop up your PDA with something, so I don't see how this BT model will be any smaller and it will probably suck more battery life.

What I'd really like to see is one of these companies offer a foldable keyboard with integrated trackpoint (eraserhead pointer) and left/right mouse buttons so that I can move a pointer around on-screen instead of having to lift my hands off the keyboard periodically to tap at things with the stylus.

Scott

[scmidlap]

:mrgreen: I can't see how the bluetooth unit would be an improvement over the IR unit. My assumption is that the bluetooth unit will consume more battery life from both the keyboard and the pda/phone.

However, if only one "bluetooth" driver is required then maybe it is a good thing.

[palmsolo]

You know I am trying to decide if I want to go with an IR keyboard for half the price or wait for a Bluetooth keyboard. My concerns with the Bluetooth version are the ability to use the keyboard and connect to a Bluetooth phone at the same time for wireless connectivity. Also, Bluetooth pairing has been quite easy for me, but doing any more involved tasks (GPRS connection, headset connection, etc.) has always presented some challenges and I wonder how well the keyboard driver will be with multiple devices.

[Sven Johannsen]

What I'd really like to see is one of these companies offer a foldable keyboard with integrated trackpoint (eraserhead pointer) and left/right mouse buttons so that I can move a pointer around on-screen instead of having to lift my hands off the keyboard periodically to tap at things with the stylus.


The Targus Universal IR does that. It's a little d-pad on the keyboard and a single select button as I recall. The driver adds a pointer on the screen so you can see where you are. Only drawback in my book is the size of the keyboard. It's the size of a small paperback, folded. This is something you'd likely stick in a briefcase, not in your pocket.

[Ekkie Tepsupornchai]

What's so bad about IR keyboards? You're still going to need to prop up your PDA with something, so I don't see how this BT model will be any smaller and it will probably suck more battery life.
The draw to IR/BT keyboards is not size, but device independence.

As for the potential benefit of BT over IR, I've used IR keyboards in the past and the setup is much more fragile as you need a mirror-like contraption that may or may not work with the device in portrait mode and (from my experience) IR can be slow to react.

I'm hoping a BT keyboard will provide the ease-of-use of a serial connected keyboard with the device independence of an IR keyboard.

[Zack Mahdavi]

Ed, that was an evil April Fool's trick! I've been waiting months for the keyboard to be released, and when I saw it on the news page, I thought it finally had been released! But nooo... it was a teaser... :)

Everytime I switch devices, I end up selling my old stowaway on Ebay and buying another. I want to avoid that, this time, and buy just one keyboard which I will be able to use in the future.

The IR keyboard seems nice, and the keyboard is very responsive (even over IR). However, I'm worried that one day the IR port of a future device will either be nonexistant or tucked away in a very awkward spot.

That's why I'm thinking a bluetooth keyboard will save me the trouble. However, I don't think I'll buy this keyboard until I've read a positive review or two.

Now I'm getting really excited.. :)

[Scott R]

ekkie, I have a palmOne-branded ThinkOutside IR keyboard. It's quite small and it works very well with both my Tapwave Zodiac and HP h4155. My only complaints are the lack of any sort of "mouse" substitute and the added inconvenience of having to use alt keys for numbers and special characters, though adding a dedicated row would have obviously reduced the pocketability.

Scott

[soda97]

one quick question
can bluetooth use more than one devices?
say using a bluetooth phone for wireless Connectivity (GPRS) while using this Bluetooth keyboard to type web address and such

[ch_thom]

Now, how easy will it be to get the devices to partner and actually work?

I've noticed quite a few times that comments have been made about the difficulty in partnering bluetooth devices. Can I ask exactly what problems you're having?

I live in the UK and own quite a few bluetooth devices - Nokia 3650, Nokia headset, iPaq 3970, iPaq 5550, Belkin dongle for my desktop, bluetooth on my Rock Xtreme laptop - and I have never had any problems getting the devices to 'talk' to one another or establish partnerships.

The reason I'm asking is that I'd love this new bluetooth keyboard - it'll be great for using in the landscape mode that's coming with Windows Mobile SE - and as it'll come out in the US first I'd be inclined to order it from there. However if there is some sort of problem with bluetooth devices 'over the pond' (I know there shouldn't be as bluetooth is supposed to be a 'standard') then I'll wait until a UK/European specific version is produced.

[Ekkie Tepsupornchai]

ekkie, I have a palmOne-branded ThinkOutside IR keyboard. It's quite small and it works very well with both my Tapwave Zodiac and HP h4155.
Perhaps it was the implementation of the IR keyboard I was using (or the PDA device which was the much larger iPaq38xx). Admittedly, I haven't tried any IR keyboards from ThinkOutside or with my current iPaq2215. I tried one keyboard from MicroInnovations and I found that my typing would (on occasions) be about 10-15 letters ahead of what was displayed. Also, I couldn't use my iPaq38xx in portrait mode. I had to flip it to landscape and even then, the slightest jostle would cause my iPaq and keyboard to lose connection.

My only complaints are the lack of any sort of "mouse" substitute and the added inconvenience of having to use alt keys for numbers and special characters, though adding a dedicated row would have obviously reduced the pocketability.
Having a dedicated number row is one of the reasons I've stuck with the original Targus Stowaway. I type too many numbers in my day-to-day life not to need this.

[Ekkie Tepsupornchai]

However if there is some sort of problem with bluetooth devices 'over the pond' (I know there shouldn't be as bluetooth is supposed to be a 'standard') then I'll wait until a UK/European specific version is produced.
Not that I know of... I have owned an iPaq3870, iPaq2215, Nokia3650, SE T610, Jabra BT headset, D-Link BT USB dongle, Socket BT CF card. All were purchased here in the US and I have not experienced any connectivity issues with any of those devices.

If I've had issues, it was due to certain devices not supporting the right BT services/profiles. For example, I bought the MS BT mouse when it first came out only to find that it didn't support the BT Serial profile (meaning I couldn't sync my PDA through it).

[Zack Mahdavi]

one quick question
can bluetooth use more than one devices?
say using a bluetooth phone for wireless Connectivity (GPRS) while using this Bluetooth keyboard to type web address and such

Yes, Bluetooth can support it, but it's really up to the developer of the Bluetooth driver. Keyboards need a Human Interface Driver (HID), and this driver is not provided with any WM 2003 device. Think Outside is actually writing the driver for its keyboard, so it all depends on them. If they write their driver well, then yes, you will be.

In the past, I've used a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse on my Powerbook while connected to my Sony Ericsson T610 via bluetooth surfing the net via GPRS. So, it's definitely possible.

[SeanH]

It’s great to see Bluetooth keyboards. IR has a lot of issues. The IR ports have to be in a line of sight. Some PDA’s have the port on the top some on the side. The keyboards normally have some kind of odd piece of plastic you need to line up with the IR port on the PDA for the keyboard to work. With a Bluetooth keyboard you can open it with any PDA or cell phone and start typing in a couple of seconds from 30ft if your eyes are that good.

I can’t wait until future PDA’s get smaller and when USB, IR and CF are removed. With WiFi for networking, BT for peripherals and SD for storage there is no need for a connector on the bottom of the PDA, except 2 pins for power.

Sean

[Scott R]

FYI, when Brighthand first wrote up a news blurb about ThinkOutside working on a BT keyboard it was mentioned (in the attached forum thread, I believe) that you should be able to connect your PDA to the keyboard and a BT phone simultaneously with PPCs but that this simultaneous connection wasn't possible with the Palm OS. I believe it might have been stated that Palm OS6 would address this shortcoming.

Scott

[Kacey Green]

FINALLY!!!!! THANK YOU!!!!

Now my next question will be regarding the keyboard layout, will they go with the full keyboard with number rows or will they go with the more recent layouts with lesser keys?

They will be going with the older layout with all of the keys! joy :D

[ctmagnus]

They will be going with the older layout with all of the keys! joy :D

:rock on dude!:

Having tried a three-row setup at one point, I promptly ditched it in favour of no keyboard.

[soda97]

so does this device use battery?
if so, how long does it last?

thanks in advanced,
soda

[Kacey Green]

I don't think it's quite ready yet, it's not listed on their website (http://www.thinkoutside.com)

[Ed Hansberry]

I don't think it's quite ready yet, it's not listed on their website (http://www.thinkoutside.com)
Right.Think Outside, a Santa Clara mobile device manufacturer, next month will introduce the Stowaway Universal Bluetooth Keyboard, which is compatible with most cellular phones, PDAs and other devices equipped with Bluetooth wireless technology