Home > Consumer Reviews > HP/Compaq PA840U Stowaway Portable Keyboard for HP/Compaq

We iPAQ users have been waiting a while for this keyboard and now that it's here, I can imagine how I worked without it.

My first impression of it was how it stores (folded). The folded keyboard is rock solid -- it doesn't need a case unless you are concerned with scratches to the finish. It is about the same size at the iPAQ.

The package comes with an 'L' shaped adaptor so that you can charge your iPAQ while it sits on the keyboard. It also comes with a small instruction booklet and a CD. You install the CD on your desktop or laptop, then sync your PDA to to install the software.

Unfolded, the keyboard is much more 'real' feeling than I thought is was going to be. There are dedicated keys for Pocket PC specific apps like Word, Inbox, Excel, Contacts, etc. The keyboard is about the same size as my laptop keyboard, with nearly the same feel.

On problem I did notice was that there is a sharp edge where my wrists rest, but I will try to sand or cover it in the near future.

Some things that keep this from getting 5 starts (but I really wanted to give it 5 five stars):

- The connection REQUIRES the iPAQ to be in portrait mode, so no using a landscape utility to work with (unless you are really good reading sideways)

- The keyboard requires a solid flat surface. If they had included some sort of bar or other device that would lock the center hinge, it would work much better on a softer or uneven surface (like your lap or a bed).

- You still have to use the stylus quite a bit on menus and dialog boxes. For a touch typist, this is a pain.

Being a touch typist, my input speeds are probably 3-5 times what they were with transcriber and about 7 times faster than the virtual keyboard.

I use this mainly in places where my laptop won't fit such as an airplane seat or in meetings where I want to be a bit more discreet (although it gets a lot of attention).

As I said, I can't imagine going without this device. A real engineering feat.

The Targus Stowaway Keyboard makes it easy when using some of the best features of the iPAQ, such as MSWord. If you think that the excitement stops there, your wrong. This nifty keyboard fits right in your pocket and is as small, if not smaller than the iPAQ. Its built in application buttons, and programable buttons make it 10 times easier to navigate the iPAQ, but don't worry, if you ever get lost in your own little iPAQ world, just hit the TODAY button on your keyboard and your right back home. Although it is a little hard to connect when the CF slot is attached, it can be done, and in no way affects its performance. I would recommend this product to anyone who owns an iPAQ and for its farely low price of ... it's well worth the value.

Finally, relief of stress off the fingers and eyes. It's hard to imagine how I made so far without this keyboard. Without a doubt, this keyboard makes life much, much easier. I used to try to get by using that Transcriber software that came with my iPAQ. It worked fine, but after a while my hand started to really ache. Not only that, it was kind of difficult to concentrate on the notes you are jotting down while at the same time you have to concentrate on writing perfectly so the transcriber can read your writing. And, of course, like any other owner of this product would say, "it's so convenient because you can fold it up and carry it in your pocket." It's almost like carrying a laptop in your pants' pocket.

The "bad" part may be...Well, product reviews say this keyboard is tough and solid. True...when it's folded up. But once you unfold it, it seems kind of flimsy. But what can you expect? Also (it's been mentioned before), there's no locking mechanism to keep the keyboard flat. When you lift it up, it folds down the middle...so you can't really use it on soft surfaces.

Anyway, those aren't the parts that really bother me. What bothers me, and I'm pretty sure it has crossed the minds of the other owners of this product, is the part where the PocketPC docks on to. It has that snappy, thin plastic, metal wire thing going on and kind of gives a feeling of a toothpick holding up an apple when you dock it. I don't know...maybe I'm just paranoid.

Well, none of the "bad" sides of it messed up on me yet so I am not complaining. All I know is that this thing is a savior to my cramping hand. I can jot things down ten times faster.

I've had my PDA for over a year and recently decided to really get into it. I decided that writing, though a cool function within itself, could be irritating if you had to write alot of notes. I decided to buy the keyboard at a local office supply store. I was very impressed. I wrote Targus because I thought the power supply extension wasn't included (it was "hidden" in the fold of one of the edges-look for it!). They immediatly wrote back and asked me for my shipping information. Let's see if I receive it.

Be careful when opening the area that you dock the PDA into. It can be rather fragile and come off. However, it went back into place and still functioned. One more piece of advice. I got this device for less through Amazon.com. I did notice, however, that they like to move the price up and down alot so you may want to keep your eye on things.

I've had this keyboard for over 2.5 years now and it still works great. I used it to take notes on my Ipaq all through law school. It is compact enough to slip into a small pocket in my backpack. It sets up and docks in no time.

The best feature is the keystroke action. The keyboard is full-size and types beautifully. I would prefer it to most laptops I have typed on.

Having hotkeys programmed and programmable to launch individual programs is nice. The only improvement I would like to see would be support for MS Word type hotkeys such as Ctrl-U for underline and Ctrl-I for italics. Cut, Copy, and Paste (Ctrl-x,c,v) hotkeys do work, however.