PalmOne Portable Keyboard for Palm III and VII

• Portable foldout keyboard for Palm III series and Palm VII handhelds
• Small form factor and lightweight
• Full-size keys for true touch-typing
• Integrated docking station
• No batteries required

I have been using a production prototype of this keyboard for almost a month and a half, now, and I find it valuable for a few tasks for which Grafiti (although, I use JOT) hanwriting recognition is not suitable: email, extensive note taking, and other large volumes of text input, and (interestingly) spreadsheet creation.

The new Palm Portable Keyboard is a FULL SIZE keyboard that folds so small and compact that it drops easily into a jacket pocket, a purse, or a briefcase. It has a FULL SIZE look and feel, with a full 3 mm travel.

When I go to a meeting, I can unobtrusively take notes by dropping my Palm III into the docking connector on the Palm Portable Keyboard. When I get back home (or to the office) and synchronize (HotSynch) my Palm with Microsoft Outlook on my PC, all my notes are just a point and click away from my word processor.

Now, if Think Outside (the designers and manufacturers of the Portable Keyboard) can get enough software companies to work with them to include tighter integration to the fantastic potential that Palm computing offers when linked with the additional power and flexibility that the Palm Portable Keyboard adds ...

One more item that i would like to see Think Outside add to their wish list: please put a serial connection on the keyboard so that we can:

1) Connect to a modem while doing email using the keyboard; 2) HotSynch from the keyboard docking connector a nice capability so you can travel with the keyboard and leave the standard docking station at home.

Maybe this serial connector can be implemented as a choice of connectors that plug into the keyboard (to the right of the docking connector) and provide a selection, including: RS-232 DTE or DCE/ 9 pin or 25 pin; USB; 10-BaseT; etc.

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I love my old Palm III. It is reliable, it syncs well with Outlook 2000 now that I've picked up PocketMirror, and the amoritized cost is now down to pennies a day. But after years of use, I still hate that stupid little stylus. My "graffiti" technique never got better than about 90% accuracy, I can never remember how to punctuate, and don't get me started on the little touchpad keyboards. So the Palm III keyboard is a godsend. First off, its very cool. The key action is very good--soft and accurate. I'm still fiddling with the delay settings, as the delay is a bit too slow for my tastes. They keys are also a little too noisy for use in a meeting. On the plus side, typing notes into the Palm is now a breeze. Better still: the keyboard is collapsible, so its folds into a small rectangle not much bigger than a Palm, but is very nearly full sized when unfolded. When unfolded and locked, it is pretty stable (although I agree with those who say you can't really use it on your lap). It looks great. What more can you ask?

I recently took my Palm III and keyboard to a conference. Everybody else was lugging around laptops. I just unfolded my keyboard, snapped on my Palm and rocked. All my Dilbertesque buddies were very jealous. (Palm probably owes me hundreds in finders fees.) The only problem: Carrying my Palm, the keyboard, and my cell phone is a lot of juggling. I need a small case that carries all three. Anybody know one?

Read Best Reviews of PalmOne Portable Keyboard for Palm III and VII Here

I waited over four months to get this hot, back-ordered item, excited about the reviews it received and looking forward to taking notes on my Palm III. During the wait, my boss let me borrow his LandWare GoType keyboard, and I began to get used to its small size and usefulness.

Finally, my Palm Portable Keyboard arrived in the mail and I opened it, marvelling at its sleek design and extreme portability. I installed the driver, unfolded the keyboard and started typing.

The first thing I immediately noticed was that, once unfolded, you can't put this keyboard on your lap; it's just not rigid enough. A bit of an inconvenience (the GoType is sturdy enough to do this), but I figured I'd just use a hard surface when I need to type.

The next thing I noticed was that after installing the keyboard driver, suddenly my entire Palm OS had slowed down to a crawl. I visited Palm's website and sure enough, they said this was a problem with the driver. They had a beta driver that I installed to fix the problem.

But then the biggest problem was obvious: The Palm Portable Keyboard can't catch up with your typing. I type pretty fast (40-60 WPM) and it was painful to watch the Palm lagging a few seconds behind me after I finished a line of text. In comparison, the LandWare GoType enters text instantaneously. As a technical writer, I can't afford to have people slow down during meetings while my keyboard catches up.

I called Palm support on this and they said they were aware of the problem, and would likely release a driver to fix the slowdowns eventually. I've waited long enough, Palm Inc. I'm going out and buying a GoType instead.

To Sum up: If you like nifty technology, need extreme portability, and don't type very fast, the Palm Portable Keyboard is worth getting. If you need a reliable product that is sturdy and useful, get the LandWare GoType instead.

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The inventor's of the Palm Portable Keyboard have have developed an incredible accessory to the Palm PDA Platform. You have got to see it and try it out to appreciate its marvel. It literally is a full size keyboard that folds up and is only slightly larger then the Palm PDA itself. It even comes in a nice carrying case. Inputing information into your Palm is a snap and I really appreciate not having to write, using the grafiti tool to add information into my Palm. If you use the Memo feature on your palm to jot down some notes, type a lengthy memo, etc., this this keyboard is for you. Typing is a breeze and feels very natural as if you were typing at your PC. There are specific keys on the board that replace the need to tap on a menu item to be called up. I cannot emphasize the portability and light weight of the keyboard and the uniqueness of how it folds up into compact size. If you are a regular user of your Palm PDA then this keyboard is a must. You will not regret spending the extra bucks in lieu of convenience.

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I've had the Palm Portable Keyboard for not quite 24 hours. It's great for text writing, entering data in Quicksheet, and using shortcuts and function keys. Well made--it does wow my tech friends.

Some problems mentioned by others... * The need for a solid, flat surface instead of your knees. I've cut out a piece of masonite to rest the keyboard while in my car. Works fine. Since it doesn't weigh much, I can even slip the board into a tote bag or set it on top of a soft sided briefcase. If the features of the Palm Portable are the ones you want, this is a work around. * Slow response to key input. I noticed that but there is a buffer which catches up when I stop to think. That's not a bad habit for my type of writing.

A problem not yet mentioned by others... * Need to increase the P3 memory from 2 to 8. Maybe it's the SmartDoc text editor I'm using or maybe I'm just writing more that I did before, but I can see a memory problem coming fast.