Palm 3169WW Universal Wireless Keyboard
by Palm
|
List Price: Our Price: $4.45 You Save: $64.55 (94%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: CE See more product details |
|---|
Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Palm 3169WW Universal Wireless Keyboard
Customer Review: Very disappointing usability
Summary: 1 Stars
Bought the keyboard and returned it in less than a week. Often, keys pressed do not show up on-screen and some keys pressed resulted in some weird actions (like a copy and paste from previously typed text - which was completely unintended).
When I demonstrated the problem to the vendor, I was told that the keyboard 'is working'! I was told that the wireless keyboard cannot be as good as typical USB-connected keyboards. Fair enough - but usability of some 50-60% is too poor in my opinion. If it does the correct action 99% of the time, then fine. Otherwise, I am better off taking my laptop in for meetings to type notes.
I need a product that works to my expectations - and does not require me to work around its limitations! For the 'success rate' of this keyboard, I think I might as well use the tiny on-board keyboard of my Treo 650 (which is an excellent device!).
I expect Palm to come up with a better full-size keyboard for its handhelds. Perhaps if they can come up with a solution to use regular USB keyboards that would be the best solution.
The vendor finally advised me NOT to get ANY wireless keyboard (be it infra-red or bluetooth) as he expressed that they will all be about as good as the Palm solution - which in my opinion, flops big time.
Ergonomics-wise, I'd rate the keyboard as 4 out of 5 stars. It is a good size when folded up for travelling and fairly comfortable for typing. However, the hinge at the space bar falls EXACTLY where I press on that key 99% of the time, so it does not work for me! I think the space bar is the most commonly used key for me, so that is another big blow (from my experience) in using this keyboard.
I cannot recommend this product at all.
Customer Review: Cramped size & misleading specs, but it seems to work
Summary: 3 Stars
Good news:
1. Folds small
2. Nice feel to the keys
3. Works with Palm Treo 680.
Bad news:
1. Product information on packaging is wrong: A) It isn't quite full-sized, like the old Palm Portable Keyboard; B) Packaging doesn't say it works with the Palm Treo 680. I tried it briefly with the 680 and the driver for the Treo 650 seemed to work -- I didn't test it thoroughly due to the following.
2. Small size and divided space bar make it uncomfortable to use unless you have small hands. The folding hinge on the divided space bar is directly below where the right thumb hits, if you're a touch typist. Because of this form factor issue, I'll be returning this product and have ordered a different keyboard (see below).
3. It comes in a sealed, clamshell case, so you can't inspect it in a store without destroying the packaging.
A possible alternative:
I did some online research and found an alternative, Bluetooth keyboard (note that this is a different type of wireless connection than the keyboard I'm reviewing here). The Think Outside Sierra Stowaway Bluetooth Wireless Keyboard (Model SBT5E) looks identical to the trusty old Palm Portable Keyboard I used with my Palm M505 PDA, so I've ordered it and await its arrival. For a fast touch typist, full size makes a lot of difference, as does a single, wide space bar. The company that makes it is IGo, formerly Think Outside. The SBT5E may have its own problems as indicated by reviews on Amazon. Some write about installation problems that require trudging through a dense technical manual, and most complain there's no user support response at all by IGo, whether by phone or e-mail.
Customer Review: This thing SUCKS
Summary: 1 Stars
I purchased this so called Universal Wireless Keyboard less than two weeks ago and it already is broken. I didn't use it for 5 days and then when I go to use it today it doesnt work. Then, since I do have a Tungsten T3, when I go to see what the problem with the keyboard driver is I accidentally click it and White Screen my palm.
Oh and the second day I had the UWK I clicked the keyboard Icon for the first time and I white screen my palm, called their tech support got a person who has such a thick accent that I can't understand him. Since I am out of warranty the would have charged me $125 dollars to send it to them to break the connection between the battery and the rest of the palm. So I declined their "offer" and disconnected the battery my self. See the post on the bright hand forums on how to fix this if it has happened to you.
This keyboard is just horrible. I am going back to my old Palm Ultra thin keyboard and am contemplating whether or not to get the ThinkOutside Stowaway IR. The Ultra-Thin wasn't manufactured or designed by palm. It was only sold by palm. It was created by ThinkOutside Inc.
Anyhow. If you have a T3 DONT BUY THIS KEYBOARD IT WILL CRASH YOUR PALM and will either require you to wait until the battery dies or void the warranty and disconnect the battery yourself. I will never buy a product that isn't a PDA that was designed by PalmOne Inc. In fact I would be weary of the new "fixed" driver whenever it comes out. You would think that Palm would have tested the driver on models that had more than the programs from ROM but they didn't. They cut corners and this thing just sucks.
Heed my warning and don't make the mistake I made.
Customer Review: Nice to have Right Hand Layout - but The ? Key?
Summary: 3 Stars
Palm finally got it right that the landscape mode can be used in right hand (default) layout. I thought that this might be a nice keyboard. HOWEVER, within my second sentence I was typing to someone, I wanted to end it with a question mark, like this? What, where was it? On the RIGHT HAND SIDE of the right shift key. HOW DUMB is that. They could have put it right were it is on every other keyboard everyone types on. There is no reason they could not have put it in the same place as every other keyboard, there is no other function / symbol there.
I am just amazed!! How can they overlook something like that?
Don't expect to type fast on this one. The keys are smaller than a normal keyboard. It was hard for me to hit the spacebar cleanly.
Oh, and if you want to use more than one of the Palm keyboards, you are out of luck. The driver for this one works on this keyboard only. So, if you have 2 or more keyboards like I do (depening on the environment I'm in) you can't do that anymore.
I'll be staying with the old W folding model for now. The driver for the P10946U model wireless supports multiple keyboards. People say you have to put your palm in left handed landscape mode for it to work properly, not so. I found if you use the ALT-Delete key combination, it will shift the landscape mode. Not docuemented anywhere, but super VALUABLE for fast changes.
Palm gives us lots of options....to bad they don't get one fully complete. What gives us an reason to upgrade? grin.
Customer Review: Darn near perfect
Summary: 5 Stars
What a wonderful little keyboard! Sleek, compact, lightweight and quite comfortable to type on.
Within two minutes of opening the box it was up and running with my T5 - one minute to download the software (word of advice... /never/ use a CD that comes with any electronic device till you've checked the website for an update), one to sync and restart, and voila. The infrared works flawlessly in both upright and landscape. The number keys are easy to reach, and don't require any special key to access.
Some issues other reviewers mentioned:
1) The software. Yep, the CD was out of date. It generally is, what with the pace of patches and updates these days. It's not like companies can yank all their stock from the shelves for repackaging every time they patch. Make a habit of downloading software for any new device, and this one goes away.
2) Stability. No, this little keyboard isn't meant to be balanced on your knee while driving cross-country (did you honestly think it was?), but it's just fine for picking up and carrying across the room to a different table.
3) The '?' key. It is indeed on the 'wrong' side of the shift key, but this is a design advantage, not a flaw. It allows them to build in arrow keys while keeping the shift right where it belongs - under my pinky. Within a few sentences of practice I was used to the new position, and liking it.
Looking forward to leaving the laptop at home!