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iGo Stowaway Ultra-Slim Bluetooth Keyboard for Blackberry and other PDA/ Handhelds
See it at Amazon.com for $129.99Average Customer Rating
(4.0 out of 5)
Amazon Customer Reviews
Most Helpful First | Newest First | + Share181 of 184 people found the following review helpful:
Great keyboard from the makers of stow-a-way
(5 out of 5) by Donald E. Thompson on May 9, 2005 (Los Angeles)This is my third keyboard that I've purchased for my PDA (Axim X50v) and I'm thrilled with the quality and performance of this keyboard. I highly recommend this product to anyone considering a keyboard.
I first bought a Belkin IR keyboard from Office Dept and it sucked. It felt cheap. The keys were poorly spaced and I couldn't get it to work with my Axim X50v. But in reality the biggest problem was the cheapness of the keyboard. I paid $60 for the keyboard and felt that I should have paid $20. Piece of crap. Decided to return it within 5 minutes of opening the box.
The second keyboard I bought was the "Dell Axim X50V Portable / Foldable / Full Size Bluetooth Keyboard" from Suntekstore / Amazon. This keyboard sucked for several reasons. First off, while it may have number keys (unlike this keyboard) the keys are all undersized so I couldn't type with them. Not a good start. Second problem is that the keyboard was made for cell phones, NOT PDA's! I couldn't put my Axim on the stand without it falling over or leaning at an unacceptable level toward the ceiling. Total crap. And the third problem was that I couldn't get it to connect to my PDA. I'm sure i could've figured out the third problem but the keyboard sucked so bad I made the decision to return it after an hour of opening the box.
Then I ordered the Think Outside keyboard...
This keyboard is head over heals better than the other keyboards that I just mentioned. The keys feel nice and they are well spaced. Opening the unit was a little stiff at first, but now slides open and closed easily with a satisfying "click" at either end of the process. The Axim fits PERFECTLY into the cradle that is built into the unit (I use the Axim in landscape position). I was also able to get this keyboard to work in about 30 minutes. Not plug and play, but reasonable. The keyboard sacrificed the number keys to make room for the larger key spacing, but I haven't found that it's a problem to type numbers by holding down the function keys. The best thing about this keyboard however is the quality. I paid $90 for it and I'd do it again in a second.
BTW, for those of you who are trying to figure out if the extra money for bluetooth is worth it, it is! I keep my PDA in its cradle by my computer charging when I'm at my desk. At any time I can flip open my keyboard and start typing notes without ever removing the PDA from its cradle. It's very convenient!
I've owned the keyboard for about a week and I'm very thrilled with the quality and performance it. It's a joy to use and easily doubles the usefulnexx of my PDA
don
I first bought a Belkin IR keyboard from Office Dept and it sucked. It felt cheap. The keys were poorly spaced and I couldn't get it to work with my Axim X50v. But in reality the biggest problem was the cheapness of the keyboard. I paid $60 for the keyboard and felt that I should have paid $20. Piece of crap. Decided to return it within 5 minutes of opening the box.
The second keyboard I bought was the "Dell Axim X50V Portable / Foldable / Full Size Bluetooth Keyboard" from Suntekstore / Amazon. This keyboard sucked for several reasons. First off, while it may have number keys (unlike this keyboard) the keys are all undersized so I couldn't type with them. Not a good start. Second problem is that the keyboard was made for cell phones, NOT PDA's! I couldn't put my Axim on the stand without it falling over or leaning at an unacceptable level toward the ceiling. Total crap. And the third problem was that I couldn't get it to connect to my PDA. I'm sure i could've figured out the third problem but the keyboard sucked so bad I made the decision to return it after an hour of opening the box.
Then I ordered the Think Outside keyboard...
This keyboard is head over heals better than the other keyboards that I just mentioned. The keys feel nice and they are well spaced. Opening the unit was a little stiff at first, but now slides open and closed easily with a satisfying "click" at either end of the process. The Axim fits PERFECTLY into the cradle that is built into the unit (I use the Axim in landscape position). I was also able to get this keyboard to work in about 30 minutes. Not plug and play, but reasonable. The keyboard sacrificed the number keys to make room for the larger key spacing, but I haven't found that it's a problem to type numbers by holding down the function keys. The best thing about this keyboard however is the quality. I paid $90 for it and I'd do it again in a second.
BTW, for those of you who are trying to figure out if the extra money for bluetooth is worth it, it is! I keep my PDA in its cradle by my computer charging when I'm at my desk. At any time I can flip open my keyboard and start typing notes without ever removing the PDA from its cradle. It's very convenient!
I've owned the keyboard for about a week and I'm very thrilled with the quality and performance it. It's a joy to use and easily doubles the usefulnexx of my PDA
don
87 of 89 people found the following review helpful:
Put to the TREO 650 challenge
(5 out of 5) by Ali Hasan on Jul 29, 2005 (Eagle County, Colorado)I purchased this keyboard so that I could start doing some serious word processing on my Treo 650, and I've been absolutely pleased!
First off, the keyboard does not come with the Treo 650 driver --- you must DOWNLOAD THIS DRIVER OFF OF THINK OUTSIDE'S website
However, downloading the driver is easy, and from there, you can sync it to your Treo, or email it, in an attachment, to it
Once the drive is installed, the keyboard is flawless!
My biggest complaint about BlueTooth keyboards is that they lag, as you type ---- but this is not the case with the Stowaway --- every key I pressed showed up INSTANTLY upon my Treo 650
So far, it has worked terrificly with my address book, calendar, and email (VersaMail)
In addition, the keyboard folds together well and is EXTREMELY thin and portable ---- I don't know if you could carry it in a pocket - but a backpack, briefcase, etc will not feel any extra weight with this product
lastly - these keyboards are small --- I wish the delete key was bigger (as I often make typos) but nonetheless, I'm very happy, and certainly, typing on this quicker than the phone's keyboard
highly recommended!
HAPPY TYPING! HAPPY BUYING!
First off, the keyboard does not come with the Treo 650 driver --- you must DOWNLOAD THIS DRIVER OFF OF THINK OUTSIDE'S website
However, downloading the driver is easy, and from there, you can sync it to your Treo, or email it, in an attachment, to it
Once the drive is installed, the keyboard is flawless!
My biggest complaint about BlueTooth keyboards is that they lag, as you type ---- but this is not the case with the Stowaway --- every key I pressed showed up INSTANTLY upon my Treo 650
So far, it has worked terrificly with my address book, calendar, and email (VersaMail)
In addition, the keyboard folds together well and is EXTREMELY thin and portable ---- I don't know if you could carry it in a pocket - but a backpack, briefcase, etc will not feel any extra weight with this product
lastly - these keyboards are small --- I wish the delete key was bigger (as I often make typos) but nonetheless, I'm very happy, and certainly, typing on this quicker than the phone's keyboard
highly recommended!
HAPPY TYPING! HAPPY BUYING!
55 of 55 people found the following review helpful:
The Only Choice For Mobile Professionals
(5 out of 5) by pinxet on Aug 13, 2005 (USA)ThinkOutside Stowaway Keyboard
Pro -
* Near full-size key spacing. Easy to for a touch typist to use accurately with no loss of speed or learning a new keyboard feel
* Unfolds and Folds easily
* Unfolds and locks securely - can be used in a lap without risk of board assuming the characteristic "V" shape of bent HP iPaq and Freedom keyboards.
* Folds to small size
* Removable cradle
* Folds to small lightweight size
* Easy to use software
* Simple power management: powers down upon closing; powers up when opened.
* Protective case included.
Con -
* No number/symbol row. Need to use awkward alt-key combinations. Not appropriate for extended numeric data entry or spreadsheets.
* Cradle difficult to remove
* Protective case cheap vinyl
* Does not sit totally flat on a flat surface.
In so many fundamental areas where other mobile Bluetooth keyboards fail, Think Outside got it right.
They are the *only* contender who remembered that a mobile keyboard will be used in mobile situations - read: "on a lap" - and designed the board to sit sturdy without risk of bending when the board's center is hovering in the air between one's legs.
They also remembered that one advantage to using a wireless connection is it gives the user an option to place the handheld to any convenient location within range. The cradle however requires a distressing effort of bending and twisting to remove, which makes the user fear breaking the cradle.
Additionally, this board is designed for use by experienced touch typists, and does not require users to re-calibrate the fingers to type on significantly smaller keys as does the Freedom Keyboard.
Finally, despite its slightly Rube Goldberg appearance, this keyboard is solid, with a refreshing amount of metal in it's construction. It will take some reasonable punishment - the HP iPaq and Freedom keyboards are cheap plastic children's toys by comparison.
Were I able, I would dock the Stowaway ½ star on two points: The lack of a number/symbol row of keys and it's instability on a flat desk.
The absence of a number/symbol row reduces the width of the folded board by only ¾". Given that I could replace my laptop with a handheld and folding keyboard if I had reliable means to enter numbers onto a spreadsheet, I would gladly accept a Stowaway model which is 4.25" wide when folded, instead of the current 3.5".
In all other ways, Think Outside built this board for professional use. They forgot however, those of us who crunch numbers on Excel, requiring use of cumbersome alt-key combinations (which cannot be locked) for numeric entry.
Although very stable when sitting on a desk, the unfolded board sits on a thin base 5.75" long, with two cantilevered "wings" extending 2.25" in the air past the sides of the base.
Thus, if both hands are not simultaneously on the keyboard to balance it, a keypress on either the extreme left or right side will make the board imitate a catapult. A hunt-and-peck, one or two fingered typist will find this frustrating, though a touch typist accustomed to both hands on the home keys will have little, if any, problem.
Compared to the HP iPaq Folding Bluetooth Keyboard or the Freedom Bluetooth Keyboard -- arguably the only other choices for mobile Bluetooth keyboards -- this Stowaway is the only one worth the money you spend for it. Remarkably, it has the lowest retail price of the three on Amazon.
At the time of this writing, the Think Outside Stowaway Keyboard is the clear winner in design, construction, and functionality over all other mobile Bluetooth keyboards. There are simply no other choices for the mobile professional.
Pro -
* Near full-size key spacing. Easy to for a touch typist to use accurately with no loss of speed or learning a new keyboard feel
* Unfolds and Folds easily
* Unfolds and locks securely - can be used in a lap without risk of board assuming the characteristic "V" shape of bent HP iPaq and Freedom keyboards.
* Folds to small size
* Removable cradle
* Folds to small lightweight size
* Easy to use software
* Simple power management: powers down upon closing; powers up when opened.
* Protective case included.
Con -
* No number/symbol row. Need to use awkward alt-key combinations. Not appropriate for extended numeric data entry or spreadsheets.
* Cradle difficult to remove
* Protective case cheap vinyl
* Does not sit totally flat on a flat surface.
In so many fundamental areas where other mobile Bluetooth keyboards fail, Think Outside got it right.
They are the *only* contender who remembered that a mobile keyboard will be used in mobile situations - read: "on a lap" - and designed the board to sit sturdy without risk of bending when the board's center is hovering in the air between one's legs.
They also remembered that one advantage to using a wireless connection is it gives the user an option to place the handheld to any convenient location within range. The cradle however requires a distressing effort of bending and twisting to remove, which makes the user fear breaking the cradle.
Additionally, this board is designed for use by experienced touch typists, and does not require users to re-calibrate the fingers to type on significantly smaller keys as does the Freedom Keyboard.
Finally, despite its slightly Rube Goldberg appearance, this keyboard is solid, with a refreshing amount of metal in it's construction. It will take some reasonable punishment - the HP iPaq and Freedom keyboards are cheap plastic children's toys by comparison.
Were I able, I would dock the Stowaway ½ star on two points: The lack of a number/symbol row of keys and it's instability on a flat desk.
The absence of a number/symbol row reduces the width of the folded board by only ¾". Given that I could replace my laptop with a handheld and folding keyboard if I had reliable means to enter numbers onto a spreadsheet, I would gladly accept a Stowaway model which is 4.25" wide when folded, instead of the current 3.5".
In all other ways, Think Outside built this board for professional use. They forgot however, those of us who crunch numbers on Excel, requiring use of cumbersome alt-key combinations (which cannot be locked) for numeric entry.
Although very stable when sitting on a desk, the unfolded board sits on a thin base 5.75" long, with two cantilevered "wings" extending 2.25" in the air past the sides of the base.
Thus, if both hands are not simultaneously on the keyboard to balance it, a keypress on either the extreme left or right side will make the board imitate a catapult. A hunt-and-peck, one or two fingered typist will find this frustrating, though a touch typist accustomed to both hands on the home keys will have little, if any, problem.
Compared to the HP iPaq Folding Bluetooth Keyboard or the Freedom Bluetooth Keyboard -- arguably the only other choices for mobile Bluetooth keyboards -- this Stowaway is the only one worth the money you spend for it. Remarkably, it has the lowest retail price of the three on Amazon.
At the time of this writing, the Think Outside Stowaway Keyboard is the clear winner in design, construction, and functionality over all other mobile Bluetooth keyboards. There are simply no other choices for the mobile professional.
35 of 39 people found the following review helpful:
Beware for Palm TX and others
(1 out of 5) by Matthew Dioguardi on Apr 1, 2006 (Obu city, Japan)I'm very unhappy to have to give such a nice piece of hardware such a low rating. I really liked the keyboard. It's compact, has a great feel, and is light.
However, it just doesn't work. The problem is specifically with the software, and not the hardware. The device requires you instal a driver on your PDA, and the current driver for Palm doesn't work (for other devices see below). The shift key is very erratic, such that you end up with strings that LOoKs lIKe THiS. If you are using a Palm TX, do *not* buy this keyboard. Unless you can do with out using the shift key!
The company promised a revised driver in March for Palm, and as I write this we are well into April and there is no driver yet. They have ignored mine and *many* others' requests to know what the status is of the update. It's been a complete and eerie silence.
As far as for other products, as I've been frequenting the company's forum pages often, I have noticed there are other PDAs which are suppose to work but don't. I *strongly* urge you to go to Think Outside home page, then go to the forum. There is a forum dedicated exclusively to discussing this product. Do a search there on your PDA and see if other people are having problems or not. If there's nothing there, and your PDA is suppose to work, then you're probably fine.
Specifically, if you have a palm TX like me, what I would suggest you do, if you have any interest in this keyboard, is to first go to the company home page. Check out the most recent driver for Palm. If they are still on 3.01 which was released in June 2005, don't buy the keyboard. However, if they have a new driver, I would go to the forum page of Think Outside and see if anyone is having problems with it. If not great, if so continue to beware!
I do think other palm devices aside from the TX have been having trouble, but go to to forums and check for yourself regarding the relevant device.
Always check the support forums for any device before you buy! Ah .. if only I had done that before buying this keyboard!
Good luck!
However, it just doesn't work. The problem is specifically with the software, and not the hardware. The device requires you instal a driver on your PDA, and the current driver for Palm doesn't work (for other devices see below). The shift key is very erratic, such that you end up with strings that LOoKs lIKe THiS. If you are using a Palm TX, do *not* buy this keyboard. Unless you can do with out using the shift key!
The company promised a revised driver in March for Palm, and as I write this we are well into April and there is no driver yet. They have ignored mine and *many* others' requests to know what the status is of the update. It's been a complete and eerie silence.
As far as for other products, as I've been frequenting the company's forum pages often, I have noticed there are other PDAs which are suppose to work but don't. I *strongly* urge you to go to Think Outside home page, then go to the forum. There is a forum dedicated exclusively to discussing this product. Do a search there on your PDA and see if other people are having problems or not. If there's nothing there, and your PDA is suppose to work, then you're probably fine.
Specifically, if you have a palm TX like me, what I would suggest you do, if you have any interest in this keyboard, is to first go to the company home page. Check out the most recent driver for Palm. If they are still on 3.01 which was released in June 2005, don't buy the keyboard. However, if they have a new driver, I would go to the forum page of Think Outside and see if anyone is having problems with it. If not great, if so continue to beware!
I do think other palm devices aside from the TX have been having trouble, but go to to forums and check for yourself regarding the relevant device.
Always check the support forums for any device before you buy! Ah .. if only I had done that before buying this keyboard!
Good luck!
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
Excellent addition for my Nokia N800
(5 out of 5) by Anton Kulchitsky on Feb 14, 2007 (Fairbanks, Alaska United States)I ordered the Stowaway keyboard from Amazon based upon all previous reviews. I bought it together with a new Nokia N800 (Linux based PDA). I really worried if it would work with my new PDA. Indeed, N800 is not a Windows or Palm machine and there was a probability of some compatability issues.
However, I was able easily to pair both devices and start to type. You need to pair a keyboard and PDA before usage. Do not forget to press Enter key after entering a code on your keyboard. Forgetting this got me some troubles for about 5 minutes until I googled a solution. Now it is time to talk about the product.
It is just optimal. It is sharp, very firm keyboard which is still very portable. It has a better case than my PDA does! The keyboard uses two AAA batteries and they are lasting for long: at least for 1 month of a very agressive usage. The keys are full sized and very comfortable for typing. I do not like a splitted space button however you need to split one for folding the keybord. There are some trade off to make it portable of course (you need to keep a special button to be able to type numbers as an example) but it is still very nice. The mechanical support for PDAs is also very convenient and can be easily removed if unnecessary.
I highly recommend this keyboard for any actively used PDAs. Especially, if you type e-mails, stories, blogs or other documents on go. Comparing to other keyboard as far as I compared, the famous Nokia keyboard is twice more expensive and twice worse. Though, Nokia is a good company and has good engineers.
Warning: I could not get special buttons work properly with my PDA. I have however a root access to the N800 and hopefully will fix it soon.
However, I was able easily to pair both devices and start to type. You need to pair a keyboard and PDA before usage. Do not forget to press Enter key after entering a code on your keyboard. Forgetting this got me some troubles for about 5 minutes until I googled a solution. Now it is time to talk about the product.
It is just optimal. It is sharp, very firm keyboard which is still very portable. It has a better case than my PDA does! The keyboard uses two AAA batteries and they are lasting for long: at least for 1 month of a very agressive usage. The keys are full sized and very comfortable for typing. I do not like a splitted space button however you need to split one for folding the keybord. There are some trade off to make it portable of course (you need to keep a special button to be able to type numbers as an example) but it is still very nice. The mechanical support for PDAs is also very convenient and can be easily removed if unnecessary.
I highly recommend this keyboard for any actively used PDAs. Especially, if you type e-mails, stories, blogs or other documents on go. Comparing to other keyboard as far as I compared, the famous Nokia keyboard is twice more expensive and twice worse. Though, Nokia is a good company and has good engineers.
Warning: I could not get special buttons work properly with my PDA. I have however a root access to the N800 and hopefully will fix it soon.