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Pocketop Wireless PDA Keyboard Review
MAY 25, 2002 - Larry Chen  Typing a last minute report and printing it out wirelessly. Everybody is amazed at how one can do it all with a super cool device called the Pocket PC. There is no waiting time for the big desktop PC to load up, and you don't need to carry around a heavy laptop. Having a keyboard for your PDA so that you can type anytime anywhere you want is an absolutely wonderful experience. In my review of the Toshiba/Audiovox Pocket PC several weeks ago, I mentioned that there was no keyboard available for the Toshiba/Audiovox Pocket PC. Now, the problem has been solved with the release of the Pocketop Wireless IR Keyboard last week. Unlike other fold away keyboards; this keyboard doesn't have a physical connection with the Pocket PC or Palm device that it is hooked up to. Instead, it uses the industry's standard infrared port which transfers data wirelessly to establish the connection. Because this keyboard uses an infrared port, it is not limited by the shape of the connection port. That means that it is a universal keyboard which works for most PDA's. You don't have to buy a separate keyboard for each PDA you have, and once you purchase a wireless keyboard, you will not have to worry about buying additional keyboards for each of your PDA's in the future. The keyboard is designed by Pocketop Inc. and distributed by Micro Innovations in the United States. The price is about $99, which is as expensive as most other PDA keyboards. You get the keyboard, a PDA stand, and CD-ROM drivers inside the package. When the keyboard is folded it is extremely compact and light weight. It is thinner than the Toshiba Pocket PC and about as wide as the Pocket PC. The aluminum exterior makes it look very professional and hype. This keyboard is especially durable because it is made up of only two moving parts that are connected at the center with a hinge. The Stowaway Keyboard by ThinkOutSide, for example, which has four hinges, tends to break easier than the Pocketop because it has more moving parts and all the parts are made of plastic. Pressing the two little buttons located on the sides of the keyboard, causes it to pop open and allows you to get set and start typing away in almost no time. The keys on the Pocketop Wireless IR Keyboard are slightly smaller than those on regular laptop keyboards, which makes it harder to use at the beginning. The downside of this keyboard is that it doesn't have the num keys row, which may seem a little annoying at first. You can solve the problem by pressing on a special button to toggle the num keys on and off or to lock them. The space keys look rather weird; they have small grooves all over them. The reason it is designed this way is that the space keys need to be higher than the regular keys so that you can press on them easily. There are many special keys on the keyboard that can be easily mapped to specific applications, which allows you to quickly launch the applications you want by simply hitting an appropriate key. You can also customize special shortcut keys for inputting information like names, dates, time, and etc. The keyboard is powered by a single AAA battery which the company claims lasts about six months if you use the keyboard two hours per day. A collapsible stand for PDA's is also included in the package. The stand can be attached on to the keyboard to facilitate carrying it around. If you have a Palm 500 series PDA, you can also use the stand as a protection cover. There is a mirror inside of the stand which can be pulled out from the top. It reflects the infrared signal into the receiver of the keyboard if the infrared port of your PDA is at the top. The mirror works great with my Palm m100, but not so well with the Audiovox. The Toshiba/Audiovox Pocket PC's infrared port is located on the left side of the device, which causes some trouble. But the problem can be easily resolved in a number of ways: You can use a small piece of aluminum foil to reflect the signal. Or use a program such as Nyditot Display or JS Landscape to rotate the screen side ways. (Toshiba/Audiovox is the only model that allows you to type in the landscape view.) Overall Evaluation: The Pocketop Wireless IR Keyboard is a must-have for any serious PDA owner who wants to experience the ultra hype feeling and plans to get more PDA devices in the future. It takes a little time to get accustomed to this keyboard, but once you are, it definitely rocks. Pros:
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