Compaq iPAQ 250111-001 Micro Keyboard for 3800, 3900, 5400 series

Rating:
Summary: it's okay, but the stylus might be faster
Review: It seems like a neat idea, and it's nice and compact. however if you get into to a typing frenzy, your thumbs tend to cover up your vision of the keys you need to type, and you get lost easily and have to keep looking down at the keyboard to get your bearings. There's supposed to be a button to press in order to disengage it from the iPAQ so you don't break it. The first time I pressed it, it got permanently locked into the "release" position. It still stays on firmly and i can just tug at it to loosen it, but the button was worthless. typing might still be faster if you just use the stylus on the digital keyboard that pops up onscreen.

Rating:
Summary: it's okay, but the stylus might be faster
Review: It seems like a neat idea, and it's nice and compact. however if you get into to a typing frenzy, your thumbs tend to cover up your vision of the keys you need to type, and you get lost easily and have to keep looking down at the keyboard to get your bearings. There's supposed to be a button to press in order to disengage it from the iPAQ so you don't break it. The first time I pressed it, it got permanently locked into the "release" position. It still stays on firmly and i can just tug at it to loosen it, but the button was worthless. typing might still be faster if you just use the stylus on the digital keyboard that pops up onscreen.

Rating:
Summary: Keys and unit could be larger
Review: While I should have been more cognizant of the scale of this product from the picture on this detail page, I had envisioned it as more of an ergonomic piece that I could wrap my fingers around and type with my thumbs. Unfortunately, it feels about 80% of the size I was hoping it would be. The keys are tactile, as they are raised, but they're just slightly too small for thumb typing at a better rate than hunting and pecking with the onscreen keyboard. The advantage of the mini keyboard is that, unlike the fullsize keyboards, you don't need a flat surface on which to type. However, the iPaq feels slightly unbalanced in the too-small unit and, rather than using the unit to support the iPaq, I find myself resting the iPaq on a desktop or on my lap. In summary, the typing speed gain isn't significant enough for me to recommend this unit to everyone given it's hefty price tag.