zkmusa's Full Review: TARGUS UNIVERSAL PDA/KEYBOARD CASE - BLACK
After I bought my Palm Pilot almost a year ago, I quickly got used to Grafitti. Once you get used to it, the Grafitti language becomes very accurate, but never extremely fast. I loved using Grafitti to enter short memos or coming up events in the datebook. Also, I didn't mind using Grafitti to write short 5-line emails. However, I was very interested in taking full-fledge notes in class and then upload these notes into Microsoft Words. Which products did I turn to?
Well, the first thing I would need to input text into my Palm efficiently was a keyboard. There are a few types of keyboards currently available including the Palm Portable Keyboard designed by Think Outside (http://www.thinkoutside.com/) and the GoType keyboard from Landware. The GoType keyboard is the older keyboard and the cheaper keyboard of the two. Since it does not fold, you can use the GoType keyboard on your lap if you needed to. Also, the GoType keyboard includes some additional software, including a word processing program. Also, the GoType keyboard generally sells for $69,95.
Well, the GoType keyboard seemed like a great option until I realized how big it was. I wanted a relatively small keyboard that wouldn't compromise the size of the buttons (ie. Microsoft's original Windows CE devices). Size and weight were very important issues: I wanted the keyboard to be small enough to fit into my pocket.
So I started looking into the Palm Portable Keyboard. When folded, it is slightly larger then the Palm V and about 1.5 times thicker. The keyboard was also very lightweight. So I decided to look for them at the store. Hmm.. not a good time to look for one of the hottest Palm accessories during the holiday season. :-) Well, I eventually found it, and I was amazed at how comfy the keys were. Everything seemed to be designed perfectly. The keyboard is split into 4 sections; a button on the side is used to open up the keyboard. They keyboard then pops out; then, just slide the two sides in, pull out the docking station support, and place your PalmPilot on the connector. You have to apply force when placing the Palm on the connector, but once you do it a couple of times, you will become used to the force you have to apply. The keys are full sized that type kind of like a laptop keyboard, sort of like one of those high-quality IBM thinkpad or Apple Powerbook laptop keyboards.
The unit is built very well. It has some useful little features added on to it, like two "stylus holders", two holes on the top upper sides of the keyboard to keep your stylus upright. The Palm turns on automatically when you slide the Palm into the connector. Four additional buttons are placed on the right side of the keyboard that let you access the date book, phone directory, to do list, memo pad, and additional "second functions" are provided. You can access several popular buttons through the keyboard including "OK," "Done," "Scroll," "Details," "Cancel,"New", and "Delete." Also, you can access the apps screen, menu, calculator, the find function, and even the backlight! What did Palm/Think Outside not think of?
The Keyboard driver version 1.2 is great. Previous users were reporting that the it would take a while for the Palm to recognize input from the keyboard, sometimes causing "lost characters." However, version 1.2 fixes this problem. In addition, you can adjust the repeat rate. The driver also allows you to create shortcuts to access up to 9 programs using the command-number keyboard combination: another very useful feature! :-)
A Word Processor Review
Well, after buying the Palm Keyboard, I thought I was all set to go. Not exactly. The built-in memo pad has a 4K limit; although you can enter a lot of text, it isn't enough when you are trying to copiously type notes in class. Well, I guess it was time to start looking for a good word processing program. The GoType keyboard comes with a word processing program, so you may find the GoType keyboard a better value.
Some of the most popular word processing programs for the Palm that are capable of converting the files you type into doc files to access via Microsoft Word are QuickWord, WordSmith, and Documents to Go. Documents to Go is the most expensive of the bunch (about $70), and runs very slowly. QuickWord is great but does not allow formatting (ie. bold, underline, italics, etc.). The best program of the bunch is WordSmith by BlueNomad (www.bluenomad.com).
WordSmith also has a great conduit that is integrated well with Microsoft Word. It places a little icon in the toolbar to add in documents quickly to your Palm. The conduit also allows you to synchronize documents between your Desktop and your Palm just like how you can sync your memos, email, date book, etc.
An improved memo pad is built in; you can format your memos! Wordsmith allows formatting too, including bold, italics, underline, superscript, subscript, indenting, font, font size, and a lot more! This is a true word processing program; I never thought a Palm could do what WordSmith has done. If you are looking for a great word processor that integrates tightly with Microsoft Word for your PC or Mac, take a look at WordSmith from BlueNomad!
To wrap things up, the keyboard is kind of expensive (about $100), plus you may need a word processing program for your PalmPilot which is about $30. For $130, I find this the most useful accessory for the PalmPilot!
If you don't want to spend so much, take a look at the GoType keyboard.
Thanks for reading my review! Please recommend if you like it! Send questions to zmahdavi@zmweb.com
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