Rating: 
Summary: Wireless keyboard vs. Universal palm portable keyboard
Review: Basically to compare it with the palm portable keyboard which I had before, I'd rather have the universal PPK. The wireless keyboard:
-needs batteries to run
-deactivates the IR if you're idle for a certain amount of time so you'd have to go back to keyboard preferences to reactivate it. You can set the length of time before it turns the IR off (for "power users"), though, but I guess this option is given so that you can try to conserve batteries.
-IR connection affected but external factors like was said in other posts
-the way it folds up: won't that plastic thing that keeps it shut wear in time? PPK just clicks closed.
-the plastic material that the IR keyboard is made up of, including the IR wand: doesn't seem to be very durable. I had to look for a case for my unit to keep it protected.
-you need to press extra buttons just to type numbers & stuff
-I guess the advantage of it's being wireless is if you're having problems with your unit's hotsync port - but you can always have that repaired by palm (you need it to hotsync, too)I suppose it depends on the needs of the user, but for me, I'd rather have the PPK. :)
Rating: 
Summary: This is a must have if you do any amount of data entry
Review: Bought this last week. After loading the keyboard driver I was able to place my Palm T3 on the keyboard holder and begin typing. I have used other keyboards for the Palm and by the time I got the PDA docked properly ont he connector I usually forgot what I was going to type... This works exactly as designed. The only knock on it that I've read is that you must turn your T3 to left handed mode if you want to type in landscape format. This is a very useful device.
Rating: 
Summary: Price is right but
Review: I had successfully used a Palm Keyboard with the Palm 105. After purchasing the Tungsten E (which I love) two months ago, it was time for the keyboard. Prices have dropped considerably. However, installation was fraught and I was ultimately forced to do a hard reset in order to complete the keyboard installation. Of course, I then had to reinstall any third party applications. The calculator managed to disappear en route too. Design is a little clunky. The old keyboard opened with the touch of a button. One has to wrestle with latch on the new keyboard and ladies, you might break a few nails as you do so. The holder that is supposed to keep the handheld in place is all but useless. An upcoming flight will be an interesting test. Notwithstanding these criticisms, I was very impressed by Palm's e-mail support which was active on Xmas Eve and during the day and am glad to have the keyboard working. If you need the keyboard, you can't go wrong at this price.
Rating:
Summary: Decent for what you get.
Review: I have large fingers and I was able to use this keyboard just fine. The command key combinations I've found to be a real time saver. Since I don't use numbers or foreign characters that often, I've had less of an issue with that problem than the other reviewers.
It's a little wider when closed than I would like for my pocket, but I don't see how it could be any narrower as thin as it is.
As a complete newbie to PDAs and handhelds, I was thrown by what may seem obvious to long time users. You can't use it in full sunlight. At least, not without covering up the infrared port and wand connection. I have found it ideal for use in restaraunts and at dusk time and evening. Especially outside at night typing by candlelight.
I also had the space bar hinge problem, but quickly adjusted my thumb accordingly.
It's a well-designed, well-made product, and I'm happy with my purschase.
Rating:
Summary: Decent for what you get.
Review: I have large fingers and I was able to use this keyboard just fine. The command key combinations I've found to be a real time saver. Since I don't use numbers or foreign characters that often, I've had less of an issue with that problem than the other reviewers.
It's a little wider when closed than I would like for my pocket, but I don't see how it could be any narrower as thin as it is.
As a complete newbie to PDAs and handhelds, I was thrown by what may seem obvious to long time users. You can't use it in full sunlight. At least, not without covering up the infrared port and wand connection. I have found it ideal for use in restaraunts and at dusk time and evening. Especially outside at night typing by candlelight.
I also had the space bar hinge problem, but quickly adjusted my thumb accordingly.
It's a well-designed, well-made product, and I'm happy with my purschase.
Rating:
Summary: Not very useful
Review: I thought it was going to be a great help, but after trying to use the keyword for a few days, I returned it to the store. I think that there is no need for wireless for a device like this.
Rating: 
Summary: Incredibly disappointed and angry
Review: I will not elaborate further upon the existing reviews, except to agree with the description of the keyboard as very clunky. This was disappointing enough as it is, given Palm's reputation for sleek products, which I had grown to love over the years -- until now. I unfortunately purchased what appears to be a lemon. The device is incredibly unreliable -- sometimes working fine, and then about every fourth or fifth time I use it, simply not responding to input at all, for no apparent reason. What's worse, I have been going crazy trying to return it. I purchased my device in Belgium, and Palm's European support is deplorable. (I wrote to their on-line customer support three times and never received any response.) No phone number is listed for European support, so I tried to call three US numbers to see if they could help. I ended up with the following results: 1) a very nice Indian in Bangalore or somewhere similar who was obviously reciting from his training manual and had no idea how to help me; 2) an American who sincerely tried to help and gave me Palm's "Executive Customer Care", ensuring me that they could lead me down the right path, which led to; 3) a female colleague of employee 1 (although with a slightly better disguised Indian accent). I'm not sure how I'm going to be able to resolve this problem, but I'm incredibly dissapointed with the product, and even more disappointed with Palm
Rating:
Summary: Nice, once you get used to it
Review: I'm using this with a Clie TH55, and it has been great. I've had two previous keyboards with connectors that have been obsoleted when I've changed PDAs. Because this one is wireless, I shouldn't have to change keyboards next time I change PDAs. It takes some time to get used to no dedicated number row, but you do get used to it.
Rating:
Summary: Not perfect, but works well
Review: I've had one of these for a few days now, and it seems to work very nicely. The lack of dedicated number keys is indeed a minor annoyance as is the position of the lower hinge (at the spacebar) but everything else has worked quite well with my Tungsten T3.
There are several things to be aware of when you get one of these:
* The driver software in the package is almost certainly out of date, so you should download the newer version from the Palm website.
* On a T3 you'll need to set landscape mode to left-handed orientation because of the position of the IR transmitter.
* While it seems tight, the IR wand is long enough to work with an extended T3 in landscape mode - you'll have it at what seems an odd angle, but it works. If you use the flipover cover that comes with the T3, you'll need to have the T3 sitting a bit further out and further to the right (the base of the T3 won't be down in the holder area), but it still seems stable - you don't have to remove the cover in order to use the keyboard.
* On-screen buttons that don't match the preprogrammed names reachable with the blue Fn key can be selected using Ctrl-Cmd-Letter where Letter is the first letter of the button (or any unique letter in its name).
* The default in the Keyboard driver is to only look for a keyboard signal for a short time after the Palm is powered on - generally 10-30 seconds depending on how you set it. After that it will stop looking in order to save power. That means if you turn on your Palm and use it a bit before dropping it onto the keyboard then it probably won't still be looking. If it finds a keyboard, it'll stay on just fine. Most people can probably set this down to the lowest setting and never notice it.
* The up-arrow key is also the "?" key, so if you need to go up while selecting you have to use the blue Fn key (since Shift-Up will just get you a "?"). This'll be clearer when you look at the keyboard. Otherwise selecting text works as you'd expect (Ctrl-Shift-arrow to select words, etc.)
* There's a quick reference/help area in the Keyboard driver that you install on your Palm. It has some useful tips and is always with you (unlike the PDF manual).
* The keyboard does use power on the Palm since the IR port has to be on, so your battery life will be lower while you're using it - lower still if you're using both the IR keyboard and a BlueTooth cellphone as a modem. It's still good for a day or two depending on how much you use it (and the shorter battery life is something T3 owners should already be aware of).
* The Tab key can be configured to either switch fields or insert a TAB character by default, with the other behavior available by using Fn-Tab.
Rating:
Summary: A very pleasant surprise
Review: Indeed...I was afraid this product wouldn't live up to the expectations I was having, but it did. You see, this is the second keabord I have bought for my pda, and the first one was a HUGE dissapointment.
I don't even remember the brand of that keyboard (the brain tends to block painful memories), but I sure remember being disgusted by the manufacturer's bogus claim that it was a "full size keaboard" which would let you type "just like a laptop". Some nerve.
However, I disgress. This Palm infrared keyboard works just fine, I can easily touch-type with it at speeds of about 40 wpm, and I don't understand why all the reviewers complain about the hinge in the middle of the space bar...I sure have no problems with it.
Of course, nothing in this world is perfect. If you use it to type in a language other than english (as I do), you will have to press 3 or 4 separate keys for a single character...but I have gotten used to it.
In short, I would recommend this product to anyone who needs to enter a reasonable amount of data into their pda's on the go, not just use it to view phone numbers and dates.
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