Targus PA800U Stowaway Portable Keyboard for Handspring Visor

by Targus

Product Details

Product Manual [3.06mb PDF]

• Item Weight: 15 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B00004TL5Q
• Item model number: PA800U-WB
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (134 customer reviews)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: March 30, 2004

Product Description

Style: Keyboard - PA800U

Amazon.com Product Description

The Targus Stowaway portable keyboard for Handspring Visor enables you to quickly and comfortably enter text into your handheld without having to carry around a full-size desktop keyboard. The Stowaway keyboard is a full-size keyboard when open but folds instantly to about the size of your Visor. This portable keyboard has the same key spacing as a standard desktop keyboard so it's comfortable to use. Plus, at only 7.9 ounces it won't weigh you down.

This Stowaway keyboard is compatible with Handspring Visor handhelds running Palm OS v3.1 or later, including Visor Pro, Neo, Prism, Deluxe, and Platinum. It is not compatible with Handspring Visor Edge handhelds or the Handspring Treo series. (See the Stowaway portable keyboard model for Visor Edge.)

Installation of the Keyboard application onto your Handspring Visor is easily accomplished during a typical HotSync. (To prepare the app for HotSync, simply add it to Install Tool on Windows, or Install Handheld Files in the Mac HotSync Manager.) Because the keyboard only needs power while it is actually being used, the effect on the overall battery life of your Visor will be minimal.

To operate the keyboard with your handheld, click the Stowaway keyboard open from its folded position, lay it flat, and slide the keyboard parts together (it's separated into thirds for folding). Then, simply attach your handheld and start typing in a text-based program.

You can do virtually all your work without taking your fingers off the keyboard with the Stowaway. The four custom keys on the right side of the keyboard (Date Book, Address, To Do List, and Memo Pad) are preprogrammed shortcut keys to activate certain applications, but they can be customized with the Keyboard application.

Placing the keyboard on a firm, flat surface offers the best results, because of the folding design. However, you can use it on your lap as long as the keyboard is supported by a magazine or book across its open expanse. --Agen G.N. Schmitz

Online Publisher Reviews

Good design is like good art: you know it when you see it. That was the case when the Palm V was introduced last year. Then came the predictable rush of poorly designed PalmPilot accessories hawked by third parties eager to cash in. They mostly involved cheesy leather or flimsy metal cases, along with a few peripherals that were as aesthetically distasteful as a Porsche 928 pulling a U-Haul. But there are a few treasures among the PDA accessory trash, among them the Targus Stowaway portable keyboard.

Penning lengthy memos or e-mail on a PDA can be a pain, yet external keyboards aren't the most compact things to carry around. That's why the Stowaway makes sense. Slightly reminiscent of the hinged butterfly keyboards on vintage IBM ThinkPads, the Stowaway is a full-size keyboard that folds down to about the size of a Palm III.

It's a brilliant idea that's brilliantly executed in glass-filled polycarbonate and aluminum, and neither batteries nor cables are required: The PDA sits in a built-in dock that tilts the screen toward you. The only design drawback is that the Stowaway isn't sturdy enough to use on your lap without a hard surface underneath. --The Industry Standard

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

66 of 66 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cheat on your laptop..., October 13, 2000

By 

Michael F. Maddox - See all my reviews

This review is from: Targus PA800U Stowaway Portable Keyboard for Handspring Visor (Office Product)

...and make some REAL use of your Visor.

As a software developer and author, I find myself writing notes and articles in many places outside my home or office. I have tried carrying my laptop occasionally, but the thing is really not a comfortable platform to lug into a lecture or squeeze into a small car. This accessory for the Visor has changed my manner of writing entirely. I can carry my Visor and keyboard in one pocket (khakis...and it DOES look funny), if necessary. Try THAT with a notebook. The keyboard is much sturdier than it appears, as its case and structure are metal, and it has a nice heft to it, not like a featherweight piece of junk. The keys themselves are large enough for real touch-typing, and don't constrain you to the minimal limits that the clamshell keyboards or built-ins do.

The connector for the Visor itself IS a bit questionable. I'm not horribly afraid that it will break, but compared to the version for the Palm, this connector is ridiculously difficult to use. Additionally, when the keyboard is setup, the two outer hinges are locked open, but the center one still moves, making the use of the keyboard on your lap a bit problematic (unless you keep your knees together). You will find yourself wanting a better word processor than the Memo Pad. Invest in a real program like Pedit, and you'll be able to write larger documents in a more feature-rich environment.

The best thing about the keyboard? People think that this keyboard is the neatest thing they've ever seen; you'll get quite a crowd gathering when you unfold it. Overall, an excellent product well-worthy of praise. It takes the Visor to a new level of usefulness.

59 of 61 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE must have accessory for your Visor, June 7, 2000

By 

Jason Younker "My health is MY business. Also... (Denver, CO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Targus PA800U Stowaway Portable Keyboard for Handspring Visor (Office Product)

I previously used Landware's GoType! Keyboard with my Palm IIIx. I was happy with it, but the keys were not full size, and at times made it difficult to type.

I have been using the Stowaway keyboard for over a month now, and am quite impressed with it. It far exceeded my expectations. There are reviews that might say that it is fragile, or you can't type with it on your lap. I don't find this the case at all. The keyboard when folded is housed in a metal case (compared to the plastic GoType!). You can type with it on your laptop, although on a hard surface is preferred due to the folding nature of this accessory.

Bottomline, it is a full size keyboard that fits in your pocket ... need I say anymore?

52 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic product, but at a price, July 8, 2000

By 

Evans Thompson (Dallas, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Targus PA800U Stowaway Portable Keyboard for Handspring Visor (Office Product)

The Targus Stowaway turns your Visor into an ultra-compact, mobile office. The Stowawy's size--both in the full-size utility mode and the folded storage mode--far surpasses the GoType! The Stowaway is about the same size as the Visor in the bifold case when folded for travel. When expanded, though, it really does become a full-sized keyboard with plenty of Palm-specific options like "Done," "Cancel," and "OK" keys.

While it can be used on your lap, it does help to have a firm surface under it. I find it much sturdier than the GoType! and do not worry about breaking it. I'm more concerned about damaging my Visor than I would ever be of damaging the Stowaway.

While it doesn't have a built-in HotSync ability like the GoType!, the point of having a keyboard is to have rapid data entry away from your computer. If you were at your computer and could HotSync, you certainly wouldn't be using a smaller keyboard like the GoType!'s.

The Stowaway is certainly the best external keyboard on the market, but at [the price], you really have to be committed to being away from your computer and have the need to enter a lot of data before the dividends offset the investment.

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