Great Product
Written: Apr 09 '05
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Compact, keyboard seems durable, nice silver finish, fast text entry.
Cons: PDA stand/mirror arm seem a bit flimsy, keys are a bit small.
The Bottom Line: I would recommend this product to anyone with a compatible PDA, who is looking for a way to enter larger amounts of data into their PDA.
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| draco_james's Full Review: Belkin Wireless PDA Keyboard (F8U1500) |
Overall Impression and Wireless Setup
Overall I find this to be a very well designed product. I have read reviews before that say the wireless setup is tricky, but I found it very easy. I suggest that when you are trying to position the IR mirror you simply set up the keyboard and PDA stand about 4 inches away from each other, and just press button's on the keyboard, tilting the mirror until text starts to appear onscreen. After you get it set up the first time it pretty much becomes second nature to set it up in the future.
Key Size
Also, many reviews say that the keys are too small, but you have to remember, it is a portable keyboard. The feel is somewhat different from a normal full-size keyboard, but I was used to it within a day.
PDA Stand and Mirror Arm
As for the flimsy PDA stand and extending mirror arm, I don't find the PDA stand overly flimsy, although it isn't the most rugged design. The mirror arm does seem rather weak though, but seeing as all it has to do is sit there, this isn't really and issue as long as you are careful when extending it and putting it away.
Keys Present
There is no number pad, or F keys. The arrow keys are present, and the designers also added a function key, that allows you to perform special functions such as jumping to the main screen, rotating the screen (either to the left, right, or for some reason completely upside down), saying OK at prompts, turning the PDA off, and opening a keyboard of less common symbols. Along the left side of the board there are four special keys allowing you to access some main programs such as Calendar, Address Book, Inbox, etc... These are marked with pictures of what they do, but the pictures show what the buttons will do on a Palm device, and some differ on the Pocket PC operating system. There is also a handy key that works like the windows key, opening the start menu. (I guess it does something similar on Palm devices) You can also set shortcuts to programs so that when you press the windows key and a letter at the same time, it opens a certain program.
Misc.
It takes a single AAA battery, and has a lock to hold it folded in half. There is no way of locking it open, so it needs to be set on a relatively flat, somewhat stable surface. When the keyboard is closed, the PDA stand can clip onto it, making it a nice compact little package.
Compatibility and Software Setup
You would have to look up elsewhere whether or not your PDA is compatible, but I am using a Dell Axim X5, with Pocket PC 2002 operating system and it works for me. Which reminds me, setup to get the keyboard talking to the PDA is as easy as can be, just attach your device to your computer, pop in the driver CD that comes with the keyboard, tell it if you have a PPC or Palm, and then choose what version of the OS you have, and voila! It installs the driver right away. If your device has its IR port on its side you may want to look into whether or not your PDA is compatible with screen rotating, although due to the fact that the mirror is on a swivel so it should be possible to set the device upright and still reflect the signal properly.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this is a perfect device for those who need to input information into their portable device. If, however, your device has Bluetooth capability, you may want to look into a Bluetooth keyboard, as it would not have to do any set up. If you do go for a Bluetooth keyboard though, I think they may be more expensive.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 15 (eBay)
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Epinions.com ID:
draco_james
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Reviews written: 1
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