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Pocketop Keyboard Review


August 01, 2002

Vancouver-based Pocketop has done well for itself, and for PDA users looking for a little detachment, by creating a flagship product that actually works well: the Wireless Link PDA Keyboard, correctly billed as "the world's first wireless portable PDA keyboard."

The keyboard comes carefully packaged and, like a good "Mission: Impossible" device, it's a bit of a challenge to put together but, once in place, works exactly as it should. I set it up with a Palm i705. I installed the desktop software (included on CD), performed a HotSync, and spent less than a minute getting the Palm ready to use the keyboard. The package includes a stand that lets your PDA rest at a roughly 45-degree angle, and a reflector that lets the infrared beam bounce between PDA and keyboard for wireless connectivity.

After installing a single AAA battery (included), I was ready to type. The stand makes use of the PDA's stylus holder for support, and the keyboard has a little well on the right side for storing a stylus upright. The keyboard is smaller than the average PDA, and it's a lightweight at 4.2 ounces.

Of course, whenever you use a keyboard as compact as this one, typing is a rather scrunched experience. What's cool about Pocketop's keyboard, though, is that the top row of keys curves up toward the top, and the bottom row curves up toward the bottom. This makes for a slightly concave typing surface, which results in a surprisingly natural feel. The shaped keys provide you with a better idea of where your fingers are than do keys on a flatter 'board'.

The Wireless Link keyboard is worthwhile even if you don't use if wirelessly. It's compatible with more PDAs than I can list here, so check....



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