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Review on PalmOne Ultra-Slim Keyboard for Palm m130, Tungsten, m515, and i705 Series by Kevin Woods

Revainrating 5 out of 5

Best ultra thin palm keyboard on the market

This wonderful ultra thin palm keyboard is made by Stowaway, the same people who supplied the original foldable palm keyboard. I've used other ultra-slim keyboards from Belkin (two of them) and Pocketop (the one that connects via infrared), but this version from Palm is definitely the best of them all. The ultra-slim Palm/Stowaway keyboard is housed in an elegant aluminum housing. Skin that unfolds in the center to reveal a comfortable, full-size keyboard. The small size is achieved by removing the top row of numbers and dividing the space in the middle. The print is amazingly accurate. It took a little practice to keep the thumb on one side of the double space, as well as for entering numbers via the "function". button and the top row of letters. Luckily, there is also a "Function Lock" that performs this function at all times. This ultra-thin keyboard impresses with its exceptionally small size and elegant appearance. It always causes oohs and aahs when I unwrap it at meetings. And people are still impressed that I can take notes and enter actions directly into my to-do list without using a traditional pen and paper. I can also mention that the ultra-thin keyboard remains absolutely rigid when open. This is great for typing on your knees (like on a laptop) - something which my previous Palm keyboard didn't do as it was flexible in the middle. I've tried other ultra-thin keyboards from the Belkin (2) and Pocketop and they're all decent; but none of them is as good as Palm. Belkin devices place the Shift key in an awkward position far to the right. And the Pocketop requires a special stand and reflector to receive the infrared signal from the keyboard, making the combined device (keyboard and stand) much more cumbersome to carry around. be my keyboard of choice for meetings. However, I still prefer the original Palm keyboard at my desk, as I use my Palm to enter phone numbers and due dates quite often, especially when checking my voicemail. Installing the software is very easy. However, if you plan on using both keyboards (old and new) like me, be careful. The ultra-thin keyboard software replaces the original keyboard software after installation. Both keyboards work perfectly. But oddly, I've found that I have to softboot Palm whenever I switch keyboards, since using one usually causes the other to recognize the keys. If you're looking for a more portable and slimmer keyboard than the original, this new ultra-slim Palm is exceptional. Among the new ultra-thin models, this is definitely the one! Both keyboards work perfectly. But oddly, I've found that I have to softboot Palm whenever I switch keyboards, since using one usually causes the other to recognize the keys. If you're looking for a more portable and slimmer keyboard than the original, this new ultra-slim Palm is exceptional. Among the new ultra-thin models, this is definitely the one! Both keyboards work perfectly. But oddly, I've found that I have to softboot Palm whenever I switch keyboards, since using one usually causes the other to recognize the keys. If you're looking for a more portable and slimmer keyboard than the original, this new ultra-slim Palm is exceptional. Among the new ultra-thin models, this is definitely the one!

Pros
  • Very good price
Cons
  • Could have gone for a newer model