MobilePen Bluetooth keypad for cellphones and PDAs

If you're looking for a little more real estate for text entry on your cellphone or PDA, you may want to take a look at the MobilePen, a Bluetooth keypad that works with any Windows Mobile or Series 60 device. In addition to providing a screen-based QWERTY keypad, it also offers handwriting recognition in both English and Chinese. However, at about $430, we'd just as soon pick up a new PDA with a larger touchscreen display rather than get another overpriced peripheral.

[supersocialist @ Jan 10th 2006 5:48PM]

I wondered where all the crack cocaine went, and apparently these guys are smoking it in copious amounts. $430? But never mind the cost, which is probably only so high so that people will dismiss this out-of-hand instead of giving it serious thought. But let's give it some anyway.

We'll ignore that built-in keyboards are more and more common in smartphones and this is obsolete to begin with; there are surely some folks with older phones that might find this useful if it cost a tenth of the MSRP up there. Forget that, because the best part is just ahead:

We've got three things to hold--your cell phone of choice, stupid keypad, and its uncomfortably small stylus. BUT LOOK MA--ONLY TWO HANDS. It's going to be extremely awkward to hold the phone and the keypad in one hand while you type with the other.

[Monk @ Jan 10th 2006 5:56PM]

For half the price, you could get an AlphaSmart Neo keyboard. It stores about 250 pages of text, and can beam that text over to the phone or PDA with a couple of button taps. It's not pocket-size, but it's sure a better text-entry option than this overpriced gimmick.

[Sara @ Jan 10th 2006 6:17PM]

Canyou say lay-z? :) It looks really great though, but I think more style over function. Frankly I can hardly afford the PDA or mini-comp in the first place, let alone a 450 buck addon.

[LC @ Jan 10th 2006 6:57PM]

I am trying to see a benefit here but I just can't. Maybe if this thing cost $50 I can, but for those that need an input device, it pales in comparison in both price and funcionality to a bluetooth foldable qwerty tactile keyboard.

[rsc1000 @ Jan 10th 2006 7:34PM]

For god sakes - aren't most Pocket PC or Palm OS deivces with a keyboard less then this anyway? What on earth are they guys thinking? The whole point of a separate keyboard / keypad is NOT needing a stylus. Insane.

[Tim Marman @ Jan 10th 2006 7:36PM]

Uh, what supersocialist said.



$430 for a device of dubious utility? For, as he said, an extra device to carry that does nothing but send input?



Uh, guys, the trend is CONVERGENCE. LESS DEVICES, not more!

[rsc1000 @ Jan 10th 2006 7:43PM]

For god sakes - aren't most Pocket PC or Palm OS deivces with a keyboard less then this anyway? What on earth are they guys thinking? The whole point of a separate keyboard / keypad is NOT needing a stylus. Insane.

[truongn2 @ Jan 11th 2006 1:23AM]

This is cool but really expensive. But it would be nice to have something bigger than a small cell phone num pad to write with.

[Waba @ Jan 11th 2006 4:16AM]

everything you need is included, but you'll need to specify your rig when you order...

[jessica kokotek @ Jan 12th 2006 5:49AM]

why dont cell ph co. make phones with larger letters for all of us over 40. we cant see any cell phone numbers or letters on any co.'s phones because they are too small. All phones are made for younger people. We matter too.