dilip's Full Review: TARGUS UNIVERSAL PDA/KEYBOARD CASE - BLACK
I know that a pda is not a word processing center. If I wanted to do word processing I would have brought my laptop. I've said these things and many more over the past year and a half, but I still found myself scratching a lot of stuff into my Palm III. I hesitated on buying the stowaway keyboard for a while. I knew that I would be updating my Palm soon and didn't want to get stuck with another accessory that wouldn't be useful on the new device.
I recently had my Palm III die on me, so after buying my Visor deluxe I shelled out the cash for the Targus branded portable keyboard. I have to say that from an engineering standpoint this thing is brilliant. The closed package is completely unobtrusive, and gives away nothing of the amazing inards. With a quick click to slide it apart I have dazzled many people with the amazingly laptopish keyboard.
It has the feel of an IBM Thinkpad's keyboard (perhaps the highest complement that I can pay to the device). The key travel in everyt direction makes touch-typing a snap. The device doesn't seem to be a power hog, and it works without a snag. The implementation of the device is spectacular.
I think that it is only fair to compare it to the Landware GoType, which I was able to try, though not as extensivly. The GoType is a more affordable keyboard, it is more durable feeling, and it has the inherant advantage that it can be placed on your lap and you can type away, something that the flex in the Stowaway doesn't allow. The GoType has smaller key travel distance (people with smaller hands will probably find this an asset) and doesn't pack up as nicely, but it comes ahead on the issue of price and use on unsteady surfaces.
The Stowaway is a luxury item though. You don't necessarily get all the bells and whistles that you do with the more inexpensive product. The feel is a bit weaker if you don't have a strong surface, but what you are paying for is the design and the ahh factor.
Is it worth the extra money? To me yes. I wasn't going to buy a bigger device if I could afford the smaller one. I like the key travel better. I think that the reaction that people have is worth it. In my job I'm seen as a trendsetter. I tend to blaze the path that others will follow in the next six months. This is something that I want to preserve. Buying something that doens't have the ahh factor doesn't work if that's your role. It may cost a bit more out of my pocket but the intangibles made it worthwhile.
I've found that if I sync my mail to my Visor in the office I can hammer out responses to messages and inquiries with shorter turnaround because I'm not bound to my desk. I used to read the mail on my palm, then later on go to my desk, reread the message and figure out a response. Now I can actually get a response out whenever I sync. I couldn't bring myself to graffiti an email to someone, I found it to cumbersome, now that isn't a concern. I can grab my mail in the morning, disappear for forty-five minutes to an hour, sit down for a nice cup of coffee in a quiet spot and get some work done while relaxing. For that alone the money I spent was well worth it.
It may not be for everyone, but for those of you who think it might be useful, give it a try, it may just change your PDA experience.
[UPDATE]
Over the weekend a friend was playing with the unit and closed it up, or at least tried to. Apparantly everyone should look at the clasp that closes the device. The hook on the bottom part of mine is now bent and the unit won't close. Check yours to make sure that it isn't too far off the wall. Hopefully I can bend it back, or I'll have to contact the manufacturer.
Despit this I still have nothing bad to say. I'd buy it again if I needed to.
[UPDATE #2]
The clasp is still bent, I haven't bothered bending it back all that much, I just exercise a bit more care in closing the case. Recently U.S. Patent #6,174,097 was issued that covers the keyboard, it is actually really interesting to read through to see how people compare it to other types of devices. The keyboard has remained an essential piece of equipment for me. I recently used it in the U.S. with a friend's Visor and an wireless module. Unfortunately I'm in Canada and can't get wireless here, but the real advantages of the visor become apparant when you use the keyboard and go online. Because the wireless module doesn't use the cradle port I could use the keyboard and the module simultaneously, something you can't do with the Palm, unless of course you use a Palm VII. Wireless makes the keyboard far more valuable. Still gets 2 thumbs up from me.
Keeps Your Stowaway & PDA Safe and Sound Easy Access Front Compartment, with Loop Closure, Holds Your PDA and Business Cards Zippered Secondary Compar...More at Amazon Marketplace
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