External Keyboard suggestions.

[Guest]

[terran]

I think it's great that the OQO has its own keyboard, and I use it for web surfing, etc. But for extended periods, it hurts my hands to hold the OQO while typing with thumbs only. Because of this, I'm in the market for a portable keyboard for travelling. I've been looking at the Stowaway Bluetooth Keyboard (seen in OQO's store), and the FrogPad.

I'm intrigued by the fact that I can type with my left hand while using the mouse with my right hand, on the FrogPad...but is it so much of a novelty that I'd still be better off with a full keyboard? Or perhaps I won't use it enough to "remember" the special key layout? They're both about the same price, so that's not a deciding factor. Portability is #1 with Usability in the #2 spot. I'm indifferent to whether it's Bluetooth or USB.

Do any of you have a FrogPad and/or Stowaway Keyboard? Pros? Cons? Suggestions? Recommendations?

Primary usage would be for simple email and some .NET programming.

[Caleymac]

IMHO:

I tried the Frogpad about a year ago.  I could never get the hang of it and ended up hunting and pecking on an unfamiliar keyboard.  I monitored their message boards for a while, and never ran across anyone who was able to reach high levels of speed with the keyboard.  You could dedicate yourself to learning the layout...but what happens when you have to use a mainstream keyboard?  If you are doing programming, you will use a broader character set then someone just typing out standard documents.  These uncommon characters will make the frogpad more difficult to learn and use.  Conceptually the Frogpad seems to make a lotta sense...it didn't work for me.

I had a Think Outside bluetooth keyboard prior to my OQO acquistion three weeks ago.  The OQO connects without any problem.  The stand meant for a cell phone or PDA on the keyboard holds the OQO in place perfectly.  Two AAA batteries means never having to worry about recharging the keyboard.

[terran]

Thank you for the reply. That's what I was looking for. I'm glad you had experience with both!

With the FrogPad, intellisense would help...sounds like it'd be necessary to program at any decent rate of speed.

Maybe I'll take a look at eBay. If I can find one cheap enough, that might be worth it, anyway! hehe.

Thanks again!

Update: I'm borrowing one of the roll-up rubber keyboards from work, this weekend. I can't say it's the easiest thing to use (just feels weird, and buttons don't always make "contact"), but at $25, it's pretty compelling when stacked against the $120 - $150 of other bluetooth products.

Any thoughts on the rubber keyboards...in addition to the other two mentioned above?

Thanks!

[Kenrick]

I've got the Think Outside Stowaway Sierra Bluetooth Keyboard and really like it, although I don't use it too often (I normally just use the built-in keyboard).

At home on my network sometimes I use remote desktop to the OQO.  It works great on a wired network, a little slow but usable on a wireless connection.  I did this sometimes for visual studio coding.

[terran]

...At home on my network sometimes I use remote desktop to the OQO....

Not a bad idea! While that won't be possible while on business trips, I'll certainly give that a good try while here at home!

Thanks for the tip.

[Laurian]

I'm looking for a keyboard as well.  So far, I leaning towards the Samsung Q1 keyboard. Very thin, small and build in track stick. 

I have an Ipaq Bt keyboard.  Does anyone know if it will work with oqo?

Laurian

[zeb]

There are a couple of types of Stowaway keyboards. I use the Stowaway ultra slim bluetooth as well as their bluetooth mouse. The Model 02 fits nicely on the stand included with the keyboard. The stand can be removed from the keyboard, if necessary. What is nice is the Stowaway case fits the keyboard and an extra OQO single capacity battery.

http://www.igo.com/product.asp?sku=2524884

[terran]

Well, I didn't get to use the borrowed, roll-up, rubber keyboard as much as I'd wanted. However, it might be acceptable, considering the low price.

You have to make sure you hit the keys squarely and firmly. I certainly can't type anywhere near my maximum 90wpm, since I have to take so much care in hitting them. Though, with as little as I would use it, I'm OK with the slower typing speed.

Just thought I'd add my 2 cents. Rumor says there's a new programmable FrogPad on the horizon, so that may help with my need for something that allows me to program well. We'll see...

[Over Achiever]

I use the stowaway keyboard at home with the Microsoft wireless preenter 8000, both connect via bluetooth without problem, and I like the feel of the keyboard, reminds me of a laptop in the spacing, number row, and key travel. Only annoying thing is the slight bow in the middle of the keyboard, wish it was a bit more rigid.

[BuildYourUMPC]

There are many keyboard options available for the OQO.  We recently picked up the Think Outside Bluetooth Stowaway Keyboard (XTBTUE) and found it works great with the OQO model 02 and connects in about 60 seconds.  It has a nice stand that detaches from the top of the keyboard that the OQO lays against at a nice viewable angle.  It also comes with a small black carrying case for easier portability and protection.  We offer some of the best prices for this keyboard and pictures of the Stowaway keyboard can be found at http://www.buildyourumpc.com/Bluetooth-Keyboard-XTBTUE-iGo-ThinkOutside-p/xtbtue.htm.

[terran]

pictures of the Stowaway keyboard can be found here.

That's a slick little keyboard! Though I might have to opt for the larger version, as I'd really like a separate row for numbers. Hitting the Fn key each time I need a number (which is quite often)? Hmm....

[Justin]

I used the think-outside stowaway BT keyboard for awhile, but found it to be a little flimsy and awkward to use as a full-size keyboard since I usually had the keyboard on my lap when I travelled with it.  It's still the best one available as far as I could tell but just wasn't right for me so I gave it to my brother for his Axim X50v.

Right now I'm using a 9 1/2"x5"x3/4" almost full-size netplay keyboard that's detachable from a Logitech PS2 controller: http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-NetPlay-Controller-Sony-Playstation/dp/B00006SKJ4
It's thin and light enough I can always stash it easily for travelling.  The only drawback is getting used to holding the Fn key for PgUp&PgDn, everything else works great and it's very rugged.  Despite the bad reviews there, the keyboard part is great.  Can't report on the joystick part because It's big and heavy so I only tried it a couple of times.  For $20 I'm very happy with the purchase.

What I really want is a infrared laser bluetooth projector keyboard, but I haven't been able to rationalize the price (yet).  Still, it's the coolest keyboard I've ever seen and from reviews I've read it works very well despite the lack of any tactile feedback.
http://www.iwantoneofthose.com/projector-keyboard/index.html
It's a frickin' laser beam!  how cool is that?

[terran]

Well well...I suppose I should let you all know what I decided on (took me long enough, don't you think?).

I opted for the Targus USB Portable Keyboard. It was the perfect balance of size, features, and price (hooray for eBay).

I only have 2 issues with it.

1) I plug it in (USB) and the OQO doesn't recognize it at all (Windows says there's a problem with the USB device), but when I plug it in through a USB hub, it works flawlessly. I've tried it on other computers...some it works on, and others it requires a hub. Very strange, but not a real nuisance for me.

2) While I do have a dedicated row of numbers, it's much smaller, so typing them is more difficult. I'll learn their position in no time, I'm sure. No worries!

[zanesmurf]

- - -
What I really want is a infrared laser bluetooth projector keyboard, but I haven't been able to rationalize the price (yet).  Still, it's the coolest keyboard I've ever seen and from reviews I've read it works very well despite the lack of any tactile feedback.
http://www.iwantoneofthose.com/projector-keyboard/index.html
It's a frickin' laser beam!  how cool is that?

Getting a Virtual Keyboard on ebay for a little bit cheaper may appease the rationalization monster.

[msftguy]

i have the stowaway fullsize bluetooth keyboard and i always have a hard time getting the oqo to recognize it and keep recognizing it. for instance, if i stop using it for a few minutes, it must go into sleep mode or something because i have to manually reconnect it.

i am currently looking for something else now.