Belkin Wireless Keyboard - The interface
(Page 3 of 4 )
The hardest part of the whole operation is getting the PDA and keyboard to pair up and read inputted characters. With Bluetooth you just pair them in software, and you can type from whatever position you want as long as you are within the ~10m range. Infra red, on the other hand, means you have to use a mirror to angle the signal back to the PDA, instead of going straight out into space.
It takes a lot of fiddling to finally figure out what works for your device. I tried setting up three different ones; the two HP ones that have their IR ports on the top were much easier than the Toshiba's on the side, for whatever reason. After you get it set up and working a few times, it basically becomes memory, and you can get it going in a few seconds from there on out. It's just very, very frustrating at the start as you try to figure out what positions work and what don't. Even all of those geometry lessons don't seem to be useful, it's just a guessing game that you have to go through.
So after installing the driver on the PocketPC/Palm, and getting the mirror and keyboard matched up, how does it work? Surprisingly well actually. The reaction from typing is efficient. I'm a very fast typist, and it had no problem throwing up whatever keystrokes I made on the screen as fast as if it were hooked into the USB port. Unless the keyboard was set up improperly, I didn't notice any missed strokes. This let me type up notes faster than I could ever input them through the stylus recognition or onscreen keypad.
Keeping the stylus close at hand is recommended for acting as a mouse and moving to other screens/boxes. At this point, it starts to feel almost like a true desktop or mobile. You just have to pay attention to how your hands are placed, and what you are typing, since the keys are so close and can cause you to hit ones for which you aren't aiming. This is something that is going to affect all portable keyboards. The only possible improvement that could be made given the space restrictions is for more depth to the stroke of the keys. A more positive action would at least let you guess a little better from feel if your fingers are doing what they are supposed to be.
Next: Conclusion >>
More Input Devices Articles
More By DMOS
