LandWare GoType Portable Keyboard for PalmPilot and Palm III
See it at Amazon.com for $54.98Average Customer Rating
(4.0 out of 5)
Amazon Customer Reviews
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(5 out of 5)Best Keyboard for the Palm!
This keyboard is what enabled my Palm to be a complete laptop replacement! I use it every day in my grad school classes, and I don't know how I lived without it. It is sturdy and very well constructed- I don't have any worries at all about just tossing it in my backpack. The integrated keyboard cover protects the keyboard without having to buy a separate case. And it comes with a FREE full-featured word processing program, TakeNote, and the WordSleuth thesaurus- indispensable tools for a student like me! But what I like best are all the little details- six programmable function keys across the top of the keyboard, that allow you to launch any program at the touch of a button. A numeric keypad when you hit the numlock key. Two stylus holders so that you can keep your stylus handy in case you might need it. A very simple and small software driver that instantly recognizes the keyboard as soon as you plug in the Palm. The ability to hotsync to my PC without a cradle- the GoType has an integrated serial port on the side and they give you a free cable in the box! Not having to worry about batteries- the GoType just runs off your organizer's power, and doesn't noticeably drain the batteries at all. Tech Support is completely free by email, though I have never needed any help. The keyboard simply does what it says, without any hassle or fuss. You just can't do any better than the GoType. I recommend it very highly, and I am sure that as soon as you try it out for yourself, you also will be wondering how you ever lived without it.
(1 out of 5)The quality of the key switch is spongy.
This product must use a cheap key switch because it feels spongy. It baffles me that they would make such a lousy keyboard when they had the chance to really help open up the functionality of the Palm Pilot. It is also cramped and small even for my small hands. The keyboard for the HP Journada was much better. I also saw a new foldable one to be available for Palm Pilot next month. I hope it is better
(4 out of 5)Excellent keyboard for the Palm, creatively executed
This keyboard is an excellent addition to the Palm PDA. It is best used for taking notes on the fly and junking all the notepaper usually used in paper organizers. It also makes access to special symbols faster when you are using your Palm in the field. Several functions are also available via Shift or Alt (Toggle backlight, Cut, Copy, Paste, Details, etc). It even has two holes at each upper corner to temporarily store the stylus for later access. I rated it four out of five, for the following reasons: 1) It monopolizes the periperhal port (it would be great to attach a modem to this particular keyboard while it is attached); 2) I would really like to have had Home/End functionality similar to a real keyboard. Otherwise, I recommend it to people who find themselves answering e-mails with their Palm or for those who don't want to lug around a laptop.
(4 out of 5)A solid product, better than the Palm Portable Keyboard.
I was all psyched to buy the much heralded Palm Portable Keyboard, waiting four months for the privledge. In the meantime, I borrowed my boss's GoType, just to use something in the meantime. I wasn't expecting much, but it turned out to be a great keyboard! I could type just as fast on these 3/4 sized keys as on a regular keyboard, and its rugged case made it a solid product.
When I finally got my Palm Portable Keyboard and tried it out, it wasn't as good, primarily because it was somewhat flimsy and had a noticable delay during my typing.
The GoType's not perfect (sometimes you slip on the small keys), but it's very effective as a laptop replacement for word processing.
(5 out of 5)You'll use your Palm PDA EVEN MORE!
When I bought my Palm Pilot two years ago...it revolutionized my life! Okay, maybe that's a little strong. But I found that the amount of "stuff" I needed to carry on the road decreased considerably.
This portable keyboard takes it to the next level. I find myself taking notes in meetings using the keyboard. I can then copy and paste these notes into email for easy distribution. Graffitti works but this keyboard makes input to(and therefore usefulness of) the Palm Pilot even more efficient. The carrying case (also available on Amazon.com) makes toting the keyboard and PDA very easy.
I'll never go back to taking notes on paper again!