Belkin G700 PDA Keyboard for Sony Clie T-series Handhelds - Black

Rating:
Summary: It works fine with the new driver!!!
Review: I just got my Belkin G700 Sony CLIE T series Keyboard today. I bought it through ebay and paid less than 40 dollars, which included shipping and insurance. I have to say, after initial use on my T615C (OS 4.1)...it works wonders! I really like the structure of the case and how it holds the PDA very securely. I am still amazed by the mechanism it uses for opening/closing of the keyboard. It does this very smoothly, but I am a bit worried that it may fail because it feels rather flimsy...but from what I've heard it's very dependable.

I heard that there were numerous driver issues with the keyboard but after loading the most recent (June, 2003) drivers from the Belkin website I had very litle problems. The driver failure after PDA sleeps has also been fixed. On almost all my word processing programs, I am able to type VERY fast and have an instantaneous response on the screen. The programs I was successful in typing were: All of Sony's built in planning functions (Memo, Address, etc.), SheetToGo (like Excel), and BugMe.

The feedback on the keyboard feels just like a full size laptop keyboard. The only problem is that the right shift key feels just a tiny bit too far to the right and the spacebar must be hit close to the center in order for it to work. However, this keyboard has many advantages compared to other keyboards like the Targus Stowaway Ultra-thin. The Ultra-Thin lacks a whole row of numbers at the top while the Belkin has a seperate one. This allows the keyboard to have more functions and type much more naturally. The adapter port for charging the PDA is a bit difficult to insert, but again that's a minor issue. Other keyboards I have seen also have been too small or the keys too tiny, or the feedback too low. Belkin seems to have got it just right.

The only software that I have problems with is WordToGo from the DocumentsToGo suite. It seems to crash (Fatal Exception) with keyboard use no matter what I've tried, whether it's editing an old document or creating a new one. The menu function on the keyboard also only works to bring down the menu but doesn't allow me to use the arrows on the keyboard to select an option. However, after talking to both the DocumentsToGo (DTG) and Belkin technical support, I have pretty much concluded that Palm OS 4.1 is the culprit. It looks as though the all problems have been fixed in OS 5.0 and the best thing to do is upgrade DTG to the most recent version (6.0). I'm still hoping I can somehow fix the WordToGo crash issue by getting better keyboard support for my 4.0 version of DTG. I found a relatively easy way to compensate for this though...I just use "Memo" to type everything I need and I just copy and paste it into WordToGo! *I heard WordSmith may have better compatibility*

This sure is one cool keyboard and I highly recommend especially at the ridiculous cheap price you can buy it through ebay. It's safe to say that you CAN use this like a laptop. I just wish I had a newer model of the CLIE, since it looks as though those models have no problems with WordToGo. :)

Rating:
Summary: High on Coolness, mediocre on functionality.
Review: The basic design of the G700 is in fact ingenious. When I show the device to onlookers, they gasp at the expansion mechanism of the actual keys. Concession: It is damn cool. Sadly, I must confirm previously addressed grievances, primarily with the space bar, which is every bit as flakey as described. You think there's a trick to making it work better, but there isn't. It's just flakey, which is surprising. The expansion is so exactingly well done, you can hardly believe they would goof such an obvious quibble. One thing I will add in contrast to earlier reports is that it is possible to switch the location of the shift and up arrow keys. True, this is not entirely intuitive, and less than gracefull in usage, it is there.

For those of us with Clies, the Stowaway is the way to go, at least until there's a Stowaway XT ported to our platform. It's a shame, because the Belkin really has a lot going for it.

Rating:
Summary: Belkin Sony Keyboard -- almost right
Review: This fold-out keyboard is almost just right. It is much sturdier than the Targus (which flops around) and the keys have a better depth with the option to turn on/off the "click". The placement of the PDA is good, and it can even be charged while it rests securely in place. However, for a touch typist (like myself), the right shift key is way too far over, the enter key does not work in all functions, and the space bar just doesn't work very well at all. In fact, the space bar only works by pressing firmly in the middle portion only, a serious enough defect that my Belkin will be going back. Too bad -- I do think that this is the best of the keyboards out there, just not close enough!