iGo Stowaway Ultra-Slim Bluetooth Keyboard for PDAs and Handhelds
by Think Outside
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Our Price: $229.00 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $69.99 (click here) Category: CE See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of iGo Stowaway Ultra-Slim Bluetooth Keyboard for PDAs and Handhelds
Customer Review: Think Outside Stowaway Bluetooth Keyboard paired to Nokia N70
Summary: 5 Stars
I have been using the Think Outside Stowaway Bluetooth Keyboard daily for 9 months now paired to a Nokia N70 phone. It is a fantastic tool that transforms your cell phone into a lite notebook PC and Email client. I travel extensively and the keyboard slips easily into my suit pocket. The keyboard has a WOW factor and attracts a lot of comment in coffee shops, airport lounges. It is much easier to use on the road or in a train than a notebook PC, as it takes a lot less space and with the N70 weighs a fraction of a notebook. The key spacing is identical to my notebook, save for the number keys which require the SHIFT key and take a little time to get used to. My Nokia N70 requests me to select the keyboard layout, and I have chosen "Int. US" which seems to give the best functionality, although I haven't managed to get a key to activate the N70 top right hand button or the N70 navigation control as yet. No problem though as I can simply reach over to the phone and use the N70 navigation control button.
Once you get the hang of it, connecting takes between 5 to 60 seconds (60 secs should need to re-activate Bluetooth and re-"Pair" the devices. - further comments below) Generally no pairing needed, and connection is typically established in 5 secs.
Re-"Pairing" involves activating Bluetooth on N70, searching for keyboards on N70, making sure the keyboard is on by holding CRTL+FN+FN for several seconds, selecting the Think Outside on N70, entering a pairing code "0000" on the N70 phone and then on the keyboard "0000" FOLLOWED BY ENTER. Infrequently I need to reboot the phone which takes a while longer.
I have really used and abused the keyboard for 9 months - had it rummaging around in my PC bag, Ive taken it to the beach*, mountain biking in my cycle shirt pocket* (* in a waterproof Ziploc bag).
I was initially a little confused by the instructions which require the user to press CRTL+FN+FN keys simultaneously to make the keyboard visible to other Bluetooth applications. If any one else is having this problem, you need to hold down the CRTL and both Function keys for several seconds before the keyboard is activated. A flashing green LED between the "T" and "Y" keys indicates that the keyboard is active, and can be detected by other Bluetooth devices.
I have recently had an intermittent problem with the auto-detect and auto-pairing. The N70 automatically detects and re-establishes the Bluetooth pairing to the keyboard 5 secs after you start typing. Sometimes when automatically re-connecting I have trouble using certain keys on the right hand side of the keyboard. I can't work out what is causing the problem, but I don't think that it is a mechanical problem with the keyboard or key connections, as when I re-boot the phone, the problem tends to go away. I think that the problem may be caused by other Bluetooth device interference, or some sort of driver malfunction when the keyboard auto-reconnects. I also infrequently need to reboot the N70 phone to get my Nokia Bluetooth earpiece to reconnect - so the keyboard problem may be linked to the phone but Im not sure. I don't remember having this problem initially.
Notwithstanding all of these small Bluetooth niggles, the keyboard is multiple times faster than trying to type with cell phone predictive text or a Palm Treo micro keyboard. I get hundreds of Emails each day, and my phone can quickly retrieve headers plus the first 10kb of text on the fly, and using the keyboard, I can shoot off a quick (or comprehensive) Email or SMS response to the majority of mails in a fraction of the time that would be needed to boot my PC, access Outlook, and download mails - and I can do all this while reading the paper and sipping a cappuccino.
For advanced users: Although the following setting are not directly related to the Think Outside keyboard, the keyboard turns your phone into a powerful lite PC and Email client, and it therefore becomes important to have the ability to access a copy of you recent Emails on your phone whilst ensuring that a complete set of Emails is retained on your PC. Palm Treo and MS Mobile software have got this syncing sorted, but Symbian 6.0 (operating system for Nokia N70) cant sync mobile to PC successfully as yet and the following work-around is required.
Phone Email settings: I leave a copy of the incoming Emails on the POP3 server for later download to my notebook PC. Send a copy of yr Sent mobile Emails to your POP3 Inbox Email address - that way you will always have a copy of all your Sent Mail sent from your mobile on your PC.
Notebook Email Settings: Leave a copy of the Emails on the POP3 server for - say - 5 days so that you always have the last 5 days Emails available for download to yr phone if needs be.
Incidentially this "pull" solution costs a fraction in download costs of the Blackberry "push" solution and gives similar functionality, but you only "pull" the Eamils onto yr phone when you want them.
Conclusion: Buy one - you won't regret it. It will unshackle you from your desk and notebook and save you hours. I am going to buy a second as I can no longer afford to be without one should my first fail or get lost.
Customer Review: does not work with blackberry 8703e
Summary: 1 Stars
iGo tech support informs me that this "Stowaway Ultra-Slim Bluetooth Keyboard for Blackberry and other PDAs/Handhelds" (Amazon's words) does not support Blackberry, regardless of what Amazon may say.
In particular, I have a Blackberry 8703e, which doesn't work with the keyboard and is officially unsupported, according to tech support. It's not like I didn't try. Even after I got my Blackberry Enterprise Server admin to setup the driver marked 8703e and allow it keystroke injection and pretty much everything else, and he actually took the time to read the BES admin .doc file provided with the stowaway driver, and I've successfully paired it using Blackberry's bluetooth manager (as recommended by the Stowaway driver app itself, which is in any case unable to connect to the keyboard after days of trying every imaginable combination with or without the BT manager and reboots, terminating/restarting driver, etc). I want so badly for this thing to work. I spent much time on the phone with tech support. I've searched google and read forums. I have a Master's degree in CS and 30 years computer experience, and I'm not a person that gives up easily (have spent days on this unhappy endeavor), but the problem is, it just doesn't work, and shows no light at the end of the tunnel.
Reasons I am unhappy:
1) It's lame that I have to have a driver in the first place. Bluetooth keyboards should just work.
2) There is no blackberry driver on the CD they shipped, though Amazon markets the keyboard as supporting blackberries.
3) The OTA driver website they recommend in the quick start guide returns a 404 not found message.
4) The website does not allow me to punch in my keyboard model number. Instead, I have to choose a picture of my keyboard. Not very reliable. It gives me an option for a blackberry 8703e. Why is that option there if it is unsupported? iGo support says that's a picture of a Shasta model, which is apparently slightly different than the XTBT01 model that Amazon just sent me. Well, all I know is that they show two pictures, and my keyboard looks like the one on the left and nothing like the one on the right.
5) I told tech support up-front what model I had, and they didn't tell me that it wasn't supported until 15 minutes into the call when they were walking through their own web site with me, apparently to get me to do a fresh reinstall of their app even though I've already done it several times before I asked the BES admin to set up a trusted version (with keystroke injection allowed) to be pushed from the BES. Thanks support! I'm sure the BES admin will be happy to repeat his work... But I'm going along with this charade and all at once they say "Aha! Your keyboard isn't supported. It has to be our new shasta model. Your model has been discontinued." Oh, obviously. You would think that would be the first thing they would check at the start of the conversation when I told them the model number. Well, I knew there would be a shafting sooner or later.
6) Besides the apparent carelessness in marketing this device as "for blackberries" Amazon should also have a disclaimer about requiring cooperation from a BES admin in order for it to work, for enterprise users. Because even though I was able to obtain this, realistically not everybody is an a position to do so. They should know this upfront before making the purchase. This warning should feature prominently, up there with their happy editorial reviews.
7) Amazon made me think that I had to respond by a certain time for this "lightning deal". But in fact, it's still $30. It didn't go back up to $70 or $150. I think maybe they should have mentioned the words "closeout" or "discontinued". Oh well--perhaps I was naive.
8) iGo should have written their app such that it was obvious that my device was unsupported, and not just via whitelist either. It should detect when the techniques it depends on fail, and produce informative messages. Also the documentation should be more consistent, the OTA link should work, the website should not offer a driver if it isn't supported, etc.
The worst thing is, I told some friends about the deal, so now it's going to make me look bad.
P.S. yes that stupid sticker was a bummer--would not peel off cleanly. I hate the rest of the packaging also.
Customer Review: The Only Choice For Mobile Professionals
Summary: 5 Stars
ThinkOutside Stowaway Keyboard
Pro -
* Near full-size key spacing. Easy to for a touch typist to use accurately with no loss of speed or learning a new keyboard feel
* Unfolds and Folds easily
* Unfolds and locks securely - can be used in a lap without risk of board assuming the characteristic "V" shape of bent HP iPaq and Freedom keyboards.
* Folds to small size
* Removable cradle
* Folds to small lightweight size
* Easy to use software
* Simple power management: powers down upon closing; powers up when opened.
* Protective case included.
Con -
* No number/symbol row. Need to use awkward alt-key combinations. Not appropriate for extended numeric data entry or spreadsheets.
* Cradle difficult to remove
* Protective case cheap vinyl
* Does not sit totally flat on a flat surface.
In so many fundamental areas where other mobile Bluetooth keyboards fail, Think Outside got it right.
They are the *only* contender who remembered that a mobile keyboard will be used in mobile situations - read: "on a lap" - and designed the board to sit sturdy without risk of bending when the board's center is hovering in the air between one's legs.
They also remembered that one advantage to using a wireless connection is it gives the user an option to place the handheld to any convenient location within range. The cradle however requires a distressing effort of bending and twisting to remove, which makes the user fear breaking the cradle.
Additionally, this board is designed for use by experienced touch typists, and does not require users to re-calibrate the fingers to type on significantly smaller keys as does the Freedom Keyboard.
Finally, despite its slightly Rube Goldberg appearance, this keyboard is solid, with a refreshing amount of metal in it's construction. It will take some reasonable punishment - the HP iPaq and Freedom keyboards are cheap plastic children's toys by comparison.
Were I able, I would dock the Stowaway ½ star on two points: The lack of a number/symbol row of keys and it's instability on a flat desk.
The absence of a number/symbol row reduces the width of the folded board by only ¾". Given that I could replace my laptop with a handheld and folding keyboard if I had reliable means to enter numbers onto a spreadsheet, I would gladly accept a Stowaway model which is 4.25" wide when folded, instead of the current 3.5".
In all other ways, Think Outside built this board for professional use. They forgot however, those of us who crunch numbers on Excel, requiring use of cumbersome alt-key combinations (which cannot be locked) for numeric entry.
Although very stable when sitting on a desk, the unfolded board sits on a thin base 5.75" long, with two cantilevered "wings" extending 2.25" in the air past the sides of the base.
Thus, if both hands are not simultaneously on the keyboard to balance it, a keypress on either the extreme left or right side will make the board imitate a catapult. A hunt-and-peck, one or two fingered typist will find this frustrating, though a touch typist accustomed to both hands on the home keys will have little, if any, problem.
Compared to the HP iPaq Folding Bluetooth Keyboard or the Freedom Bluetooth Keyboard -- arguably the only other choices for mobile Bluetooth keyboards -- this Stowaway is the only one worth the money you spend for it. Remarkably, it has the lowest retail price of the three on Amazon.
At the time of this writing, the Think Outside Stowaway Keyboard is the clear winner in design, construction, and functionality over all other mobile Bluetooth keyboards. There are simply no other choices for the mobile professional.
Customer Review: Indispensible
Summary: 5 Stars
I have read all the reviews for this product and I purchased it based upon those reviews. I bought this keyboard in hopes that it would save me time. In my profession, I am a butler, this gadget is indispensible and used several times a day. I bought it for the Asus A626 3.5" PDA Windows Mobile 5.0, Wi-fi (802.11 B+g), Bluetooth 2.0 (edr),. There are several concerns other amazon purchasers have made that I feel need to be clarified.
1. The tape on the keyboard that tells you how to open and close it has been upgraded. I had it off in less than a second with no residue left behind.
2. The notorious keyboard "wobble" is nonexistant. I found the only way to make it seesaw was to pound on the keys. A professional typist will have absoulutly no problems with this keyboard. The keys are somewhat close together, but in retrospect, they are full sized, so even someone with large hands (such as myself) will find it a cinch to use. I often use it in my lap, as well as on a tabletop surface.
3. The case it comes with does indeed emit a noxious odor similar to cheap hair dye spilled in a new car. This is common with plastic zip-up cases (read: cheap) and I am confident that the smell will go away over time. If it is a problem, I suggest a gentle hand wash and hang dry will solve most of a consumer's worries. I could care less about the smell for the simple reason I type with my fingers, not with my nose.
4. The PDA or phone holder that comes equipped with the unit I do worry about. I feel that it could break in the next year or so with continued removal. My suggestion would be to either take it off or leave it on at all times. The manufacturer had two choices: make it a free floating design to enable it to hold as many different configurations of PDA's and phones as humanly possible, or make it hold one design as securely as possible. The manufacturer went with the obvious choice. If you don't like it, I suggest you use a rubber band to securely hold your device.
In closing, I must say I've used several different brands of keyboards in the past, and I find this one far and above all of the other brands on the market. I admire the extensive use of brushed aluminum, as well as it's small size and lightness. The keys themselves feel firm and crisp, exactly like a "real" keyboard. (I think they feel better than my regular computer keys). Lest I forget, it's always fun to watch someone's jaw drop the first time they see me close it up and put it in my coat pocket.
Regarding travel, most airports require you to open any luggage containing computers, often resulting in an undignified scramble to unzip, unstrap, scan and repack your precious laptop, while trying to make it to your flight on time. This keyboard, my PDA, and two Centon 32GB DataStick Credit Cards all fit in one or two pockets, and don't require unpacking.
Well, I'm back with an edit for my review. Some things that I could live with at first, but are now getting rather old. I have to uninstall and reinstall the keyboard every time I use it. (I think it has to do with the ASUS MyPal not being supported, nor is it likely to be, since they don't make this keyboard anymore) Dosn't take long, but it is a hassle. Customer support for this keyboard is non-existant. Company does not respond to emails. If there was something better on the market, I would get it. But there's not, so...shucks.
Customer Review: Very Reliable, though a steep learning curve
Summary: 4 Stars
I attend a lot of meetings, and I have found that a folding keyboard enhanced PDA is an efficient way to take notes, since my handwriting is largely atrocious, and I can keyboard way faster than I can write long-hand.
I originally bought the IGo Stowaway for my Palm device (Centro) but it turns out it was not compatible with the device (I had to go with a bluetooth keyboard specifically built for Palm).
After my Palm bit the dust, I bought a Nokia E71x. And of course, since the Palm Keyboard didn't work with the Nokia--I was all set to go keyboard shopping again--when I remembered that I still had the IGo Stowaway. I re-downloaded the appropriate driver from the support site, installed it on my Nokia, and wa-la! Let me tell you, it worked like a charm!
Not that it was all wine and roses, mind you. Although when closed the unit is probably the thinnest, most compact foldable keyboard I've ever seen, the procedure for opening and closing the bugger is a bit like trying to solve a Rubik's cube (the process deserves its own video, there is no way to verbally describe how to do it--I believe I came close to breaking it a number of times before I mastered the process). BUT, once the process is figured out and retained by your motor memory, it's really a breeze.
Another negative is the fact that, due to its compactness, there is not a dedicated numeric key row. There are two function keys, one for numbers (blue function key), the other for the symbols that usually sit on top of the numeric row (green function key). Confused yet? I know I was. It took quite some time, but I'm starting to get used to it. The blue and green function keys also control smart phone functions, like accessing the web, accessing email, messages, and other functions. I found that many (though not all) of those generic functions on my Nokia E71x are accessible via this keyboard.
Additionally, (at least on the Nokia E71x) the keyboard will not work if you already have another bluetooth device paired to the phone; so if your phone already paired to a bluetooth headset, for example, you'll have to power down your headset before pairing the keyboard. After the initial pairing, and given that there is no other bluetooth device connected to the phone, the keyboard will pair automatically with your smart phone each time upon opening it.
Once the pairing is accomplished, I have found that the keyboard works flawlessly. The action is sure, and the signal to the phone keeps up flawlessly at any typing speed (I usually type around 110-120wpm). I have not had it lose connection once during operation. Additionally, it has been on the same original AAA battery since I started using it 5 months ago. I utilize it at least an hour a day, if not more, and it still has plenty of battery power left in it.
If there's one major drawback to the IGo Stowaway, it would have to be in its usability, both in opening and then again folding the device, as well as in mastering the locations of the various functions controlled by the keyboard when touch-typing. There *is* a steep learning curve. But once its various nuances are mastered, its performance is flawless, and its compactness makes it unparalleled in terms of portability.