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Survey: Do you use a keyboard? Do you travel with it?


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Topic: Survey: Do you use a keyboard? Do you travel with it?

DBrown
Member

Registered: Jan 2001
Location: Midwest
Posts: 232

I'm curious. If you own a keyboard for your Visor, please answer these questions:

1) Does it stay in one place, generally, where you plug your Visor into it?

2) Does it travel with you?

3) If (2) was yes, then: How many different places do you stop to actually type something with your Visor and keyboard on a typical day?

I'm interested in knowing if there would be a market for a simple stand/adapter that would allow you to use a standard PS/2 keyboard with your Visor. This would assume you do most of your typing in one place (where the keyboard is). It could be considerably less expensive than the Visor compatible keyboards out there are.

Thanks.

Dave

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01-10-2001 05:12 AM

Traveliter
Member

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 100

I own and use a Stowaway Keyboard for the very fact that it is very portable. If I needed to input larger chunks of text but I was stationary and always at one place, then I would use my regular PC. Say for example, if you were to create a cradle that connected to a regular keyboard, I don't know that I would use it. However as I said, I use my Stowaway for portability reasons.

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01-10-2001 06:16 AM

vandy
Member

Registered: Jan 2001
Location:
Posts: 18

I read somewhere that there's already a setup that allows one to use a regular keyboard with a PDA. Anyway, I teach and do research so I'm pretty happy with my Palm Vx and its companion foldable keyboard (by ThinkOutside). I keep 'em in the pockets of my vests or jean jackets. My spouse has a similar set-up (Visor and Targus Stowaway). She carries them in the Targus PDA/Stowaway combo case (sidebar: she put the velcro on the snap-off cover instead of the Visor).

01-10-2001 06:30 AM

Toby
Member

Registered: Jul 2000
Location:
Posts: 3034

quote:
Originally posted by DBrown
1) Does it stay in one place, generally, where you plug your Visor into it?

No, it's nearly always in my briefcase/backpack. The only time it's not is when I'm using it.

quote:
2) Does it travel with you?

Of course.

quote:
3) If (2) was yes, then: How many different places do you stop to actually type something with your Visor and keyboard on a typical day?

Depends on the reasons for the travel. Normally, it's used either in meetings/seminars to take notes or at the hotel for email, notes, to do stuff, or lists.

quote:
I'm interested in knowing if there would be a market for a simple stand/adapter that would allow you to use a standard PS/2 keyboard with your Visor. This would assume you do most of your typing in one place (where the keyboard is). It could be considerably less expensive than the Visor compatible keyboards out there are.

I'm sure that there's probably a market for it. The question is whether there's a market for multiple ones. The Happy Hacking people have a cradle in the works IIRC (they already have one available for the Palm III).

01-10-2001 02:43 PM

Scalpel
Member

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Seattle, Wa, USA
Posts: 66

1) Does it stay in one place, generally, where you plug your Visor into it?

No, I have a gentlemen's bag (NOT a purse!) that I carry it in.

2) Does it travel with you?

Definitely. In fact, I always look forward to getting on the plane, pulling out my "laptop" (Gotype + VPL), and still having room on the folding try for a cup of orange juice.

3) If (2) was yes, then: How many different places do you stop to actually type something with your Visor and keyboard on a typical day?

I tend to use it at work next to my normal computer, for taking long notes. I also use it at restaurants when eating out, if I have to type anything longer than a sentence. I tend not to use it elsewhere, since setting it up on a park bench or newspaper box is just being obnoxious...

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"Scalpel"
Atomic Hyrax Games

01-10-2001 05:21 PM

John Nowak
Member

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Redwood City CA
Posts: 472

quote:
Originally posted by DBrown
I'm curious. If you own a keyboard for your Visor, please answer these questions:

1) Does it stay in one place, generally, where you plug your Visor into it?

Do you mean "Do you always use the keyboard in the same place?" If so, the answer is no; I use it on my desk at work, at meetings, at resturaunts, and in my living room.
[/B][/QUOTE]

quote:
Originally posted by DBrown

2) Does it travel with you?

Yes. On most pleasure trips I'll take it in lieu of a laptop; I'll also take it along to write notes at museums or other touristy things.

quote:
Originally posted by DBrown

3) If (2) was yes, then: How many different places do you stop to actually type something with your Visor and keyboard on a typical day?

On a typical day, I don't use it at all; on a day when I'm using it, I'd say maybe two or three places.

quote:
Originally posted by DBrown

I'm interested in knowing if there would be a market for a simple stand/adapter that would allow you to use a standard PS/2 keyboard with your Visor. This would assume you do most of your typing in one place (where the keyboard is). It could be considerably less expensive than the Visor compatible keyboards out there are.

Not to rain on your parade, but I'm pretty sure there already is one out there. Personally, I wouldn't buy it, because it isn't very portable, you'd need to buy a new PS/2 keyboard or keep plugging and unplugging the one attached to your computer (of course, if you had a keyboard lying around, this problem goes away), and I already have a Stowaway.

quote:
Originally posted by DBrown

Thanks.

Dave

You're welcome, and good luck!

01-10-2001 05:45 PM

PDAENVY
Member

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan USA
Posts: 790

quote:
Originally posted by Scalpel
...I tend to use it at work next to my normal computer, for taking long notes...
[/B]

I just got mine, so my use patterns aren't really established, but I don't do the above. Instead, if I'm at my desk at work, I run palm desktop, type memos with my real keyboard, and synch them into my VDX.

I do use it at home when my wife's around and I don't feel like banishing myself to the basement (where my desktop PC is) to write lengthy notes.

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01-10-2001 06:34 PM

Vegaman Dan
Member

Registered: Oct 2000
Location:
Posts: 34

A full sized keyboard is large, clunky, and usually attached to a computer. That's good since they aren't portable.

A Stowaway or GoType keyboard folds up and is portable. The Stowaway even can be kept in a belt pouch just like your Visor. I'm not sure how one can cram a PS2 keyboard into a belt pouch or similar. I don't think they would even fit into a laptop case. I definately wouldn't be carrying around a full sized keyboard- if so, I'd just carry one of my laptops instead.

As for it just being a convenience that you could whip out a keyboard at home or office and type in your notes directly to the Visor- nice, but again the folding keyboards are better suited. If I want the convenience of a full sized keyboard for hours of typing, I'll do it on a PC with full editing, then port that to the Visor later.

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01-10-2001 07:35 PM

pcgamingnet.com
Member

Registered: Dec 2000
Location: East Coast, USA
Posts: 134

i have been a stowaway owner/user for about a week now, and i love it..

1-2) it goes where my visor does if i am planning on doing a lot of typing and combined w/ wordsmith this is very effective.
3) it depends, if i have to enter a quick note, obviously i am not going to whip out the keyboard, but the portablity of the stowaway allows me to use it when i need to take lengthy notes, or type assignments when not near the pc...

highly recommend targus stowaway.
gl,
brandon

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brandon
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01-10-2001 08:57 PM

Helen5
Member

Registered: Dec 2000
Location:
Posts: 50

quote:
Originally posted by Scalpel
Definitely. In fact, I always look forward to getting on the plane, pulling out my "laptop" (Gotype + VPL), and still having room on the folding try for a cup of orange juice.

<snip>

I tend to use it at work next to my normal computer, for taking long notes. I also use it at restaurants when eating out, if I have to type anything longer than a sentence. I tend not to use it elsewhere, since setting it up on a park bench or newspaper box is just being obnoxious...

Scalpel...

You did it for me. Pushed me into buying the Stowaway.

I've been going back and forth on splurging on one. Yesterday, after reading Scalpel's message and thinking of facing a NY to SF flight on Friday, I picked one up.

I'm sitting at work now with it beside my regular computer. Since I use my Visor for personal stuff only, I can see using it this way often. I had DayNotez already installed on my VDX, and last night loaded WordSmith for good measure.

I'm in love... but I think I'll avoid park benches also.

Helen

01-11-2001 06:02 PM

Winchell
Member

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Baltimore MD, USA
Posts: 717

Congratulations on your purchase of a Stowaway.

If you are not afraid of Hacks, do check out LapTopHack, as it makes the Stowaway much more useful.

01-12-2001 03:54 PM

Scalpel
Member

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Seattle, Wa, USA
Posts: 66

quote:
Originally posted by Helen5
[BI've been going back and forth on splurging on one. Yesterday, after reading Scalpel's message and thinking of facing a NY to SF flight on Friday, I picked one up.[/B]

The other nice thing is that due to the smaller size of the Visor/keyboard combo, the problem wherein someone tilts the seat back and snaps your laptop screnen in half doesn't happen...

Plus, it's always pleasing to watch other "tech" people on the plane look jealous that I've got a Visor/keyboard, and they've got huge laptops.

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"Scalpel"
Atomic Hyrax Games

01-12-2001 05:34 PM

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