Customer Reviews

PalmOne Portable Keyboard for Palm m100/m105, III Series, and VII Series Handhelds

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I love my battered old Palm III (with no suffixes!). With PocketMirror's latest synch program on my PC, I have no trouble synching with Outlook 2000. To be sure, I'm almost out of memory, but I muddle by. There is only one fly in my Palm ointment - I have never mastered Graffiti. After years of using the Palm III, I'm still barely at 90%+ accuracy. Consequently, I was an early adopter of the Palm keyboard. One of the great moments was a conference I attended at which everybody around me was using lap tops. I zipped out my Palm keyboard, whipped it open, snapped on my Palm and was the envy of everyone in sight. Palm probably owes me hundreds of dollars in finders fees for that one event.

The Palm keyboard is really a remarkable device. It folds down to next to nothing - smaller than a paperback novel. It slips easily into a jacket pocket. Yet, it unfolds into a near full-size keyboard with remarkably accurate and 'life-like" action. It is actually easier to type on the Palm keyboard than on my Dell laptop. Taking notes or entering multiple contact data, let alone writing e-mails of any length, is now a breeze.

Why did I subtract one star? First, several friends who bought the Palm keyboard have had hardware and/or software problems. One has had to return the keyboard 3 times. I have had NO dififculties, but your mileage may vary. Second, the keyboard cannot be used on your laptop. Unless you have it on a hard surface, it tends to sag in the middle. Third, I had to fiddle with the settings a long time to get the keyboard delay right. Those quibbles aside, however, I highly recommend it to any power Palm user.

This turns the Palm into an even more valuable tool. I now take notes at meetings very unobtrusively and write email on the plane. It's a very elegant solution and has won many awards. It's on the cover of PC Week as the best design product of the year. It's almost magical how it works and it folds up to the size of the Palm. It attracts attention from everyone. I looked at other options and there really were none. This is the only device that allows me to enter lots of text into my Palm quickly and easily. I'm not a touch typist, but I can type so fast with this. The keys are like my IBM notebook, very high quality. It's really easy to move from my notebook to the Palm Portable Keyboard, but I hardly ever take my notebook with me on short trips anymore.

I work as a writer for a software design company. I do a moderate amount of travelling, and tons of moving around the company campus to various meeting locations.

Before I bought the keyboard, I used a notepad and pen to take notes. This meant that everywhere I went I had to remember to take my Palm, notebook, and pen. Then I would type my handwritten notes into my PC. It was time consuming, and less than ideal.

Now, I just plunck down my IIIc and keyboard and type away. Then I hotsync, and - presto - my notes are on my PC. No muss, no fuss. The keyboard is quiet enough to use during meetings, and small enough to fit on an airline tray-table. I love this thing!

Highly recommended for those who do a lot of writing on-the-go. Much better than the Go-Type keyboard (which I investigated, but didn't buy), as I can put my IIIc in one coat pocket, and the keyboard in the other, and never notice that they're there.

I've had none of the problems indicated in other reviews - the software installation was a breeze, the keyboard itself has worked flawlessly, and it has withstood heavy use quite well. One caveat - the keyboard must rest on a solid surface other than your lap, as the center hinge will allow it to "sag" slightly in the center if it is not supported.

A great gizmo for gadget-heads.

This is a very good tool for any palm fan. It folds into a few sections making it about the same size as a regular palm. It is affordable - and small. Well worth the money.

Palm insists that the curved bottom of the M100 means that the folding keyboards already available for the III and VII series will NOT work. Palm actually lists two different keyboards for these two sets of Palms and claims that the M100 version is not yet available. Just a warning to be a bit careful...

I have owned 2 of these now. They are an excellent idea, very slick and put together solidly. The only problem is I can't seem to get one that has all keys working on it. Good luck with the quality of yours if you plan on purchasing one, if mine worked, I would give it 6 stars. As I have had multiple problems with multiple keyboards, I say buyer beware.

I bought this keyboard for my Palm IIIc as an alternative to buying a lightweight laptop for writing on the go. It's extremely handy and well-built, and when it's unfolded it's the same size as a standard keyboard, so there's no awkwardness trying to get used to typing on it.

I was considering a laptop only because I wanted to have something I could take with me to write while I travel, so for my purposes the Palm keyboard works very well. It's also very handy for updating calendar and address information, rather than using stylus to write each letter one at a time or tap on the virtual keyboard Palm displays on its screen.

The keyboard folds compactly into a nice size that fits in its own little zippered case, only a little larger than a standard men's wallet. It's durable enough that I can toss it in my bag with my Palm and I carry it around with me everywhere.

The best thing about it is that it doesn't require its own power, has no special accessories, and saps very little from the Palm's battery. In fact, I've never noticed any significant drain on the Palm's battery due to using the keyboard. I think the time I save by typing instead of writing with the stylus makes up for any extra drain it causes.

The keyboard is fairly stable, but it needs to be used on a flat surface so you can't type with it in your lap. I find that the Palm sometimes bounces a little due to the keyboard not lying completely flat, but this is easily remedied by putting a thin magazine or a few sheets of newspaper underneath while using them on a hard surface.

Overall, a great investment for its usefulness, I've been able to avoid spending lots of money on a laptop, at least for the time being.

This is the one Palm accessory that you must have if using your Palm for more than just addresses and appointments. The keyboard folds down to just about the same size as a Palm III and when fully expanded, is easier to use than most laptop keyboards. It will take a small amount of time to get used to the key configuration (the Delete key is in a weird place, as is tilde and backtick) and to learn key combinations for special characters, but your level of productivity should skyrocket after this very brief learning curve.

Your Palm will almost be able to replace your laptop (it has mine). I can now take notes on the road, send and check e-mail, and track expenses.

I was really skeptical--at first--at just how small a full-sized keyboard could actually be...but I am NOW a believer. This portable Palm keyboard is absolutely amazing. If you need to type in large sums of data quickly, and you don't want to rely on writing the grafiti-way, then this little baby isn't something you want, its something you NEED.

You simply won't believe just how small this keyboard actually is when folded all up. It is just slightly larger than my actual m125 Palm. Think I'm joking, don't you? Well I ain't.
In fact I honestly did not believe it was even possible until
I saw it demonstrated myself...upon which I became not just a believer, I became an owner.

Now one important thing to consider before you fork out the nearly $90 bucks it costs is this: Do NOT buy this item UNLESS
you have to type a LOT of info quickly on a REGULAR basis. Don't make the mistake a friend of mine made by buying one, and using it just once-in-a-while. He carries it with him all the time on the off-chance he just MIGHT need it...and to date he's
actually used it 3 times in 9 months. Not exactly worth the price under those circumstances. However, like I said, if you
need to take notes in college (or even high school), or at work during meetings or for whatever reason you may need, buying a portable Palm keyboard will MORE than pay for itself.

I no sooner returned my LandWare GoType (too small and had to type to slowly for it to keep up) that I went out and got myself one of these. I have a Palm IIIxe.

I am very, very pleased with the performance of this keyboard!! It may not be as durable in the long run as a one-piece unit, but the keyboard action is terrific and it keeps up with my quick but far-from-fast typing speeds. And it's not as flimsy as I pictured it might be based on some of the other revies.

I almost gave it 4 stars for only one reason - the spacebar, as noted in some other reviews, does have to be pressed a little more deliberately (held a little longer) for it to really "take".

I don't find the flat profile a problem either, as I also have a laptop... I simply chalk it up to a trade-off for portable devices.