MobileBurn's Bluetooth keyboard shootout
By Ryan Block 
posted July 11th 2005 5:31AM
posted July 11th 2005 5:31AM
You want a qwerty keyboard for that cellphone, but you're attached to that tiny little SMT5600 (or whatever)—well, you can have the best of both worlds. Kind of, if you're willing to carry another device. And while the market might be a few dozen (non-fabric/optical) keyboards short of making a more complete Bluetooth keyboard shootout, Mobile Burn put the ThinkOutside Stowaway, Nokia SU-8W, and Freedom Input Freedom Keyboard to the torture test of what we assume was a few dozen "quick brown foxes" in rapidfire succession. We won't tell you who won, but let's just say it wasn't the Nokia or Freedom Input.
I just got my ThinkOutside keyboard from Amazon.com on Friday, and am very impressed so far. I've yet to write a blog entry (though that's coming this week!), but the setup went quickly... once I discovered that I had to download the Smartphone drivers from the ThinkOutside Web site. (I have the Audiovox 5600)
But overall, the device folds up nicely, has a removable phone/PDA holder, and has a nice size, while a small footprint.
Very cool.
well its not qwerty but the frogpad is awsome!
I'm looking for one of those really low profile (like that in the pic above), laptop like keyboard but with a full set of keys. i.e. keyboard that is almost flat on the table and has short key press travel. Anybody know where I can get one?
Thx
I've owned both the Freedom Bluetooth keyboard and the ThinkOutside Bluetooth keyboard. I sold the Freedom and kept the ThinkOutside. I can say, without a doubt, the the TO keyboard is vastly superior to the Freedom keybrd.
The Freedome KB is bulky, hefty and of flimsy construction as compared to the TO KB. The thing just FEELS cheap. It's also not sturdy in the least and cannot be securely used on a lap or any other surface that itsn't completely flat and stiff even though it has sliding tabs to help prevent it from collapsing in on itself. The slides aren't adequet. I do like the extra dedicated row of buttons on the Freedom but the keys are definitely smaller and take some getting used to. Also, I had some MAJOR issues pairing it with my Dell Axim X30H which Freedom now admits a problem exists. So I tossed the POS on eBay and have been with my ThinkOutside BT Keyboard (and mouse) ever since.
The ThinkOutside BT Keybaord screams class and quality from the moment you take it out of the packaging. It's strudy, well constructed and "solid". Just opening it is an exercise in beauty. No wonder it's won awards and is on display at the Museum of Mordern Art here in NYC! It's just that beautiful!
I love the way it automatically turns itself on when you open it and reconnects with the last device it was paired to without any intervention on the user's part. It also automatically powers itself down when it's not used for 3 minutes but then automatically turns itself back on with a press of ANY key.
Speaking of keys, the keys are definitely comfortable and comparable to the keys found on full desktop keyboards. Kudos to ThinkOutside for making the keys large and managable... but there is a price to pay: no dedicated number row. The top row of keys have to do double, even TRIPLE duty. It's incredibly disorienting entering a simple number. There in lies a huge learning curb. It's also slow and arduous entering a large set of numbers. TO should have included a "numbers lock" key to aid in entering large sets of numbers. ANNOYING!
Also, I've noticed that some keys stop responding or have a hard time registering. I've found known issues with the "L", "K", and "J" keys not responding and reported on TO's own forums. The problem seems pretty widespread, so you have been warned. I, myself, have had issues with the above keys. It is intermitten and not always present. Sometimes I open the keyboard and everything is fine. The later those keys stop resoonding. And sometimes I open the keyboard and immediately those keys refuse to respond but then later the magically come back to life. Go figure, but it is NOT an isolated occurance with my unit. Many others have experienced it. Do your research before plunking down your cash.
All in all, the ThinkOutside Bluetooth Keybaord stands head and shoulders above any other BT keyboard and has earned it's accolades.
i'm setting up a mac mini as my main digital hub (tv, audio, video, internet, etc) and need a small bluetooth keyboard with a small foot print.. i was thinking about using one of these keyboards.. your thoughts? will it work? is there any better one?
my personal review on the thinkoutside:
http://www.clubsonyericsson.com/en/products_uaccesories_thinkoutsidebt.shtml