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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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of iGo Stowaway Ultra-Slim Bluetooth Keyboard for PDAs and Handhelds
Customer Review: Works with Windows Mobile 6.1 if you install in main memory!
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought this keyboard when it was first released back in 2005 took it out today to test it with the idea of selling it. But after installing it on my current device (Verizon XV6800 running Windows Mobile 6.1), I decided I liked it too much to sell. I forgot how much I liked this keyboard. I'm giving it 4 stars instead of 5 because of two annoyances:
1. The numbers are accessible only through function keys - a bit of a pain. I would have preferred another row of keys. It wouldn't have added that much size or weight.
2. When the keyboard is open, it's supported in the middle by what becomes the case and the ends extend on either side like wings. If you are a slow typist, this is fine. But I'm a fast typist and I tend to hit the the keys pretty hard so the keyboard tips from side to side when I type. Really irritating. I fixed this by making two little supports from stacked cardboard glued together. I stick these under the "wings" and that solves the problem.
Here's where I got the latest driver released for the device (it's no longer supported by iGO):
[...]
This driver is for Windows Mobile 5, but it works on my Mobile 6.1 device. :)
You MUST install the driver in MAIN MEMORY - not a storage card. If you install it on a storage card, it won't work.
After I installed the driver, the configuration utility suggested that I upgrade the keyboard's firmware. I thought this wouldn't work since the keyboard is no longer supported by iGO, but to my surprise, it did - my firmware was updated from 1.1 to 1.2.
The previous reviewer said he had to use the pointing stick to send email. That's because he didn't know the keyboard shortcut for Send: Alt-S.
The keyboard folds up very small and compact and it's very light-weight - not a big deal to carry it around along with my SmartPhone. No more picking at the tiny on-screen keyboard when I want to send email from my phone!
Customer Review: 17 Steps to WOW on your Nokia N800
Summary: 4 Stars
Having had the Nokia N800 since April 2007. Of all technology I have purchased over several years has been (at least in my case) one of the most useful items I have ever owned. When Amazon put the Igo Stowaway ultra slim keyboard on the deals section it was irresistible. In the spirit of Amazon arrived in a matter of days. After a couple of hours trying to pair the devices and constant googling I was sad that such a potential addition to the N800 would just not work. I reluctantly went about preparing my new keyboard for a return. Printed out the return slips. One more try I said to myself. Eureka !!
1. Go to Control Panel on the N800
2. Click 'Hardware Keyboard' (OS 2007) or 'Bluetooth keyboard' (OS 2008)
3. Select 'Generic 105-key PC'
4. In control panel click 'Bluetooth' (can click Pair if using OS 2008)
5. Make sure 'Bluetooth' is checked and 'Visible' is Checked
6. Click on Button 'Devices'
7. Click on Button 'New'
8. On the Igo keyboard hold down the left CNTRL KEY, The BLUE fn key and the GREEN fn key at the same time
9. A GREEN LED above the T key will begin to flash.
10. Nokia N800 will display 'Think Outside Keyboard'
11. Highlight the 'Think Outside Keyboard'
12. Click 'OK'
13. 'Pair with Device' dialogue will appear
14. Note the Passcode number
15. Click button 'OK'
16. While holding down the BLUE Fn key (to enter numerics) type the passcode as you noted in step 14. Then hit enter.
17. Hey Presto you now have a full size keyboard for your N800
I gave it a 4 out of 5 because of the hassle of figuring out the above and it does have a few quirks when scrolling pages. Overall it is a worthy addition although even when folded larger than my N800 by an inch or two. Not bad for a full sized keyboard though !!
Hope you find this helpful
BTW the sticky stuff on the keyboard is a a real pain to get off !!
Customer Review: A product to avoid if you own a Palm Treo 650
Summary: 2 Stars
Here is a quick writeup of the issues I've had with this product AND the support people:
I've had this keyboard for several weeks, and I must say that I'm not very impressed. There are several issues with it that I'm hoping someone will be able to address.
Issue 1:
for some unknown reason, the IR Keyboard checkbox is always checked. I keep unchecking it, but it keeps getting rechecked. This issue is minor.
Issue 2:
While I'm typing, the left shift key keeps locking on. This is not, I repeat NOT, a physical issue, it's the software that is causing this.
Issue 3:
Every single time I activate the keyboard software, telling it to connect, it tells me to add the keyboard to my devices list. It's been added since the first time I used it, and it's listed in the secure devices list. The software doesn't seem to know this.
Issue 4:
It keeps losing connectivity. If I stop typing for a short amount of time, sometimes, on a very random basis, the keyboard stops transmitting and I have to reconnect. This happens even if the batteries are new.
Issue 5:
It constantly misses key strokes if I pause while typing. This is completely random. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. It always starts working after I hit a key several times, but this is really annoying.
For the money it cost me, I expected more, especially considering that, while slick looking, the keyboard doesn't appear that it will last very long. This is unfortunate, since I use the keyboard to write on the Treo quite extensivly. Also, I noticed in their forums that there were a number of people with the same problem, so it's clear they still haven't addressed it. Plus, when I emailed tech support, I got an out of office response, which, I might add, IS THE EXACT SAME RESPONSE OTHER PEOPLE WERE GETTING A YEAR AGO!
If you can find something else that works, stay away from this keyboard.
Customer Review: Great product once you get it unpacked
Summary: 4 Stars
This product is being used with a Palm Treo 700wx, Verizon version, and a Fujitsu Lifebook T4250 running Windows Vista Business, 32 bit version. My review and experience confirms good compatibility with these devices.
This is a good product once you get it out of its packaging. It's certainly a good candidate for Consumer Reports' "Oyster Awards." The clamshell plastic packaging is pretty standard for small electronics, but where it excels is in the stickers. It's got to be one of the worst uses of stickers I have ever seen; the instructions on how to fold and unfold the keyboard are on an adhesive sticker wrapped around the product, including over the keyboard itself. Removing the sticker left behind large clumps of goo and paper, and it took a good 25 minutes using "Goo Gone," a specialized solvent sold in hardware stores, and tedious picking over each key with the solvent and a paper towel, to get the product into useful working order.
Once I got past that, though, I was able to get the keyboard up and running without difficulty. Though its included CD assumes you're installing from a computer using ActiveSync, I was able to use Windows Vista's Mobile Device Center to get it to work on the first try. Equally important, the software did not disable my PDA phone's built-in keyboard.
Not unexpectedly, the keyboard only works when my phone's Bluetooth is turned on. That's kind of a given, though. It's a fairly straightforward device, without much bells and whistles, and it does what it's supposed to do very well. I just wish iGo would have put the instructions on a card rather than a sticker, or at least on a glue-less plastic strip.
As a side note, I found this product on sale here for a little under $40 with shipping, which is substantially better than its usual list price around $100. I'd like to thank CNet's "Cheapskate" blog for pointing it out. It's quite a bargain.
Customer Review: works with Palm T/X & how to conquer the sticker
Summary: 4 Stars
Just got it. Love the design...compact and light. Seems to work pretty well with the Palm T/X, once I downloaded the driver from the manufacturer's (iGo) website and figured out how to use the function keys correctly to synch the darn thing (for a secure connection you have to enter a numerical code, which requires knowing to press the left function key to access the number row). My only concern software-wise is that my palm has had a few unexplained re-boots while connected to the keyboard (mostly when switching applications)...not sure what is going on there. I actually loaded the driver a week before I received the device in the mail, so it has been on my palm for awhile, and I have had no problems just by virtue of having it loaded, only when the keyboard is turned on.
I had read a lot about the infamous sticker and I am here to tell you it *IS* as bad as you hear...however, there is a way to conquer it.
Step One: Get yourself a cup of coffee and a snack and be prepared to spend 15 minutes or so.
Step Two: For the portion of the sticker on the keyboard, unfold a large paperclip, slip it between the keys, and gently lift from below. I freed up all the keys this way with nearly no residue left behind. If you get impatient and try to lift from above it will rip in an instant.
Step 3: For the portion on the back of the keyboard, it helps to have fingernails or a razor blad...just go slow...this part is more frustrating but also less important since it doesn't affect the keyboard function.
For the record I paid $30 for this on Amazon and the price doubled literally 2 hours after I placed my order...so if I were you I might wait for another sale. Well worth $30, probably even $60 though. All in all I am very excited. I now have essentially a functional laptop that can fit in my jacket pocket.