How Do You Set it Up?

The Pocketop wireless keyboard has a slick looking design. The physical setup varies depending on where the IR port is on your PDA. 1) If your IR port is on top and your PDA has side rails like Palm V and m500, you only need the keyboard itself, and not the included stand with IR reflector. You'll use the Palm in landscape mode if you connect via the side rails, since that lays the Palm on it's side. 2) If your IR port is on top but you don't have the railing on the side of your PDA, you'll use the stand that comes with the keyboard. The stand has a support wire at the bottom for your PDA, a retractable leg on the back to make your PDA stand up in an adjustable angle, and a retractable reflector that reflects the IR beam. 3) If your IR port is on the side like the Handspring Visor, you can use the stand without pulling out the reflector.

It's Small, it Looks Good and has Contour Keys

The keyboard, when folded, is as big as the Palm m515 and weight less than the m515. The keyboard cover is made of aluminum with rubber tips all around the edges to prevent slippage while typing. The keyboard is self-powered and comes with one AAA battery. It uses Power Saving Technology, which allows the keyboard to only use the power when a key is depressed. The keys on this keyboard are in different sizes. The Pocketop's Contour Key design is intended to make the typing experience on this keyboard as much like touch-typing as possible. The middle row of letters are close to the size of a laptop keyboard; the top and bottom rows of letters are slightly shorter, but with raised edges to keep your figure on the keys. All other function keys are half the size of a regular keyboard. There is also a stylus holder on the right hand edge. The tactile feedback is crisp but not as loud as a laptop keyboard. The middle letter row of keys is comfy; the smaller keys take some getting used to.

Functions Keys, Shortcut Keys and More

The function keys are color coded on this keyboard; one key represents one of 3 things when combined with these function keys. This is why the keyboard is small, yet has all the major functions. The number and Number Lock keys are in red color; the Punctuation keys are in olive green; and the Functions are in blue, which provides most common actions like Cancel, Delete, Show, Send, Details, etc. By combining the Function key, Control key and Alt key, you can add international characters, symbols (trade mark, copy right, etc.), foreign currencies (Euro, Pound and Japanese Yen), and more. There are 4 buttons on top right hand side that replace the PDA hardware buttons and soft buttons in the graffiti area combined with Function key.

As Pocketop wireless keyboard is optimized for Palm devices, some function key mappings are for Palm functions that don't exist on Pocket PC (pressing these Palm-specific function keys will do nothing if you're using a Pocket PC).

Installation and Activation

On both Palm OS PDAs and Pocket PCs, you'll run the installation CD and sync your PDA to install the driver software. It takes up 42K on Palm and 91K on Pocket PC. For Palm OS devices, when you click on the Wireless Link icon, you can set up the Controls, Settings and CmdKeys. In the Control setting, you will find Enable Keyboard, Screen Rotation (Normal, Reverse, Left, Right), and Idle Timeout. When the IR keyboard is active, Hotsync and Beaming are not available. In the Settings, you can set your Repeat Rate, Repeat Delay, Maximum Repeat (10-40) and Enable Key Clicks. There is also a testing area. In the CmdKeys, you can assign opening any applications by using the Cmd key and the number keys, up to 9 applications maximum. For Pocket PC, when you click on the Wireless Link icon, you'll see a checkbox that allows you to enable the keyboard, Function key assignments, Text macros and Date & Time format. You must disable the keyboard to sync. Beaming must be turned off in the Pocket PC's communication settings when you use the keyboard.

When I tested it on Palm m515, the keyboard worked very well with all the built-in Palm applications such as Address, Memo, Notes, etc., and it worked well with Documents to Go, but it didn't work with WordSmith. It worked with all the built-in Pocket PC apps, including Pocket Word and Pocket Excel on the iPAQ.

Pros: highly portable, IR communications eliminates wires, innovative design, landscape view on Palm V and m500 series is a huge plus; Cons: doesn't completely feel like a true touch-type keyboard, doesn't support WordSmith on Palm OS.

Compatible with the following PDAs:
Palm OS 3.x to 4.0: Palm III, IIIx, IIIe, IIIc, V, Vs. VII, VIIs, m100/105/125, m500/505, i705; Handspring Visor, Deluxe, Edge, Prism, Platinum; IBM WorkPad Companion, C3 PC Companion; Sony Clie (screen rotation is not available); Symbol 1700.
Pocket PC 2000 and 2002: iPAQ (all models), Jornada (all models). More to come!

List price: $119 US ($99 US with mail-in rebate).
Warranty: 1 year