palmOne selling keyboards is not new. palmOne selling keyboards for Pocket PCs is. Larry Garfield sees how well they do with their latest infrared keyboard.
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palmOne has long made keyboards for its handhelds, but generally it has simply rebranded those from others such as Think Outside. With the Universal Wireless Keyboard, the company breaks both traditions with a new design and support for Palm OS and Windows Mobile.
The palmOne Universal Wireless Keyboard folds somewhat uniquely, and is easier to explain starting open. The 5-row keyboard with dedicated number keys folds in half, and the large handheld stand folds down over it. The keyboard the slides into the stand and the stand rest snaps shut. Opening the keyboard then requires sliding the keyboard out. With a little practice it is actually reasonably fast, and when closed is about the same size as the Palm Ultra-Thin Keyboard but twice as thick; compatible with purses and large pockets, but just barely for the latter.
The keys themselves are full sized and well spaced. They are slightly thinner than the Think Outside design, but after a little practice still fully usable. Feedback is good, and there is optionally a small click sound when each is pressed. Writing this review using the keyboard itself posed no serious difficulty. Rubber strips on the bottom of the keyboard keep it from slipping while in use.
 | | palmOne Universal Wireless Keyboard |
palmOne has stated that they consider infrared a better investment than Bluetooth for keyboards due to power consumption, so the Universal Wireless Keyboard connects via a swiveling arm with IR port. The arm swivels a full 180 degrees to support landscape devices either left or right handed, a welcome improvement from the palmOne Wireless Keyboard. A small metal bar also lifts up to keep the handheld from sliding.
Driver installation was simple on both Palm OS and Windows Mobile with one catch. The Palm OS driver is named the same as the Think Outside unified driver, so users will need to remove the Think Outside driver first if it is installed. The driver activates immediately on installation, and is quick and responsive thereafter.
The keyboard is extensively silkscreened, with most functions available via a single Fn key. The number row includes 11 applications plus screen rotate, for those devices that support it. All 11 work on both platforms, and the QWERT and Y keys are also silkscreened for Windows Mobile Pocket Office applications. The number keys can also be custom mapped to other applications with a Command button, which also works on most Command-letter menu combinations in Palm OS. A Ctrl button offers the same for Windows Mobile.
Several letters also support non-US characters and accents via an AltGr key. Common commands such as New and OK are also silkscreened, as expected, but oddly lacking is a Select button for the palmOne 5-way navigator. Oddly, there is a separate button dedicated to Pocket IE, separate from the Browser silk screened button. Another nice touch is a silkscreened Battery Fn button, which briefly displays the remaining power of the keyboard's batteries.
The Universal Wireless Keyboard runs on two AAA batteries, one set of which are included.
Availability
The palmOne Universal Wireless Keyboard is available now for $69.99 USD. It is compatible with any Palm OS 5 handheld as well as most recent Dell and HP Pocket PCs.
Conclusion
The palmOne Universal Wireless Keyboard is an evolutionary improvement on the company's previous keyboard offerings. Given that its previous offerings were already quite good, that's a very good sign. The all-important keys are well designed and software integration, while not perfect, is very good. Dual-platform support is also a welcome addition, as is support for rotated screens. The only down side is the size, which is just a bit too large to fit nicely into a pocket.
- What's positive: Wide compatibility; good key size and spacing
- What's negative: Size
Overall: 
Price and availability
The will start selling for TBA () in November 1999.
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