Jailbroken iPhone 3G gets external keyboard, says "Hello"
By Laura June 
posted November 5th 2008 11:57AM
posted November 5th 2008 11:57AM
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
posted November 5th 2008 11:57AM
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I don't think it will be likely that Apple will ever release a external keyboard. Jobs' whole emphasis on the iPhone was that everything was going to be touchscreen and it was the future - no need for physical keyboards, styluses.
How are you going to make fun of BlackBerry's and Palm's for having an physical keyboard or stylus which makes it outdated and hype up a whole touchscreen device because it's the future then come back and release a external keyboard?
I'm not here to insult anyone but if Apple did release a keyboard, it just proves that you can't replace a physical keyboard with a touchscreen (incl. the Storm's keyboard)
With or without a k-board it's still the same piece of crap.
A 3G phone that you can't even use as modem for your laptop.
A browsing device without copy and paste.
One camera only and that's a useless 2mpx.
...Don't get me started, I have had an iPhone for less than 2 months ad I can tell 1001 reasons why the extra k-board may be an improvement on this faulty project but is still too little too late.
Waiting for the TC HD to land on our shores I have adopted a Samsung Omnia and every time I use it I can't help wondering why Apple still manages to rip off so many people.
With or without a k-board it's still the same piece of crap.
A 3G phone that you can't even use as modem for your laptop.
A browsing device without copy and paste.
One camera only and that's a useless 2mpx.
...Don't get me started, I have had an iPhone for less than 2 months ad I can tell 1001 reasons why the extra k-board may be an improvement on this faulty project but is still too little too late.
Waiting for the TC HD to land on our shores I have adopted a Samsung Omnia and every time I use it I can't help wondering why Apple still manages to rip off so many people.
The iPhone's BT is crippled? Oh. Maybe that's why my G1 came like that. Ah, well. I guess WinMo ain't so bad.
I agree that the virtual keyboard is not ideal in a lot of situations. But given the choice between that vs added bulk and reduced screen real estate, I'll take the virtual keyboard.
I also don't see the harm in allowing external BT keyboards. It's pretty darn near a computer, and I could see me doing a fair bit of work on it. It wouldn't replace my laptop, but I cant see why it couldn't be a repository for bulk data entry or text.
Why this is a fail, by Level 5
---why you are wrong 5 times.
1 - The iPhone has a perfectly decent keyboard, it just needs to have landscape availability at all times. I own a Sprint Mogul, and I find the iPhone keyboard to be not quite as good, but it's more than adequate.
----Perfectly decent? try typing without looking directly at it?
2 - Kills practicality, as noted above
---Really? if it's 1/8" of an inch thick and protects the screen?
3 - Kills size - I mean look at it
---see above. .125" thicker will not "kill practicality" unless you're wearing skin tight Vidal Sasson jeans?
4 - Needs a custom cable
---not if there's a good aftermarket bluetooth version!
5 - REQUIRES jailbreak
---again, not if there's someone like DLO or other manufacturer makes it.
I'm no fanboy, trust me, but this is lame. A hack to get a landscape keyboard for SMS, etc and haptic feedback would be better than this solution IMO
---the Iphone has a beautiful screen and it sucks to have to cover 80% of it with a "keyboard." I loved the treo keyboards because I could type without looking at every keypress!
I'd buy one and I'm certain MANY others would too.
What some of you are overlooking here, is that it probably has less to do with this person's preferences regarding iPhone's on-screen keyboard, and more to do with expanding upon the iPhone's usefulness even further by freeing up all the screen real estate that the on-screen keyboard requires.
There are times where one may need to be able view large amounts of data on-screen and also be able to interact with it. Even the most basic of apps on these devices, Safari, would benefit greatly from supporting an external keyboard like this one.
That really looks like an iPhone to me...not a 3G iPhone...but looks can be deceiving
A keyboard is #1 on my iPhone wish-list. With 16G of iPhone space, I would ditch my computer currently used for taking massive marathon notes. A real keyboard+iPhone= real computer.
yes, but it's have to be bigger than that. My old school got enough palm devices for the whole class, as well as 3/4 folding keyboards. The keyboards didn't work too well because they connected with IR and were slow and unreliable. But they were very comfortable for note-taking. This keyboard, however, would be w-a-a-a-y to small.
This is stupid! As all of you said, iPhone already has a keyboard. If you want to "feel" the buttons, then at least make it a bigger size!
I agree that the iPhone does not need a built-in thumbboard ala Treo or Blackberry.
But why NOT provide compatibility with external Bluetooth keyboards? People can touch type 60 to 80 WPM on one of those, vs. hunt-and-pray on the soft keyboard (or a thumbboard.)
It'd be totally very useful for an iphone to sport this kind of keypad. It'd be even -gasp- useful for serious corporate meeting minutes/notes kind of mileage.
Unhappily this hack is totally "unhip" as it stands, and it would be a cool day in Jobsland if it was manufactured. I think it's totally cool btw, but I am a geek so what do I know? I represent a tiny fraction of target consumers.
In case if it were officially denied and leaked spyshots of a radikal mindblowing totally revolutionary keyboard design (read: total rip-off from palo alto or sony or even htc or whatever): then maybe I'd do a rethink, discounting the unholy/unclean jailbreak obligation..
Even with izealots discluded, consumeroids will worship any fruitdesigner-clad offal as long as it was blessed by his iJobsness. It'd be the Nokia Communicator that never was (except being a brick: is that a cmmncator in your jacket, or did you just have half the money for a b0ob job). iphone with a keyboard? sign me up, I'll type the copy and paste! And forgive/forget "save link as.."!
Obligatory disclaimer: I totally dig the iphone, it's the current epitome of what a snappy user interface should be (R.I.P, Palm). I currently am burdened with -'nother gasp- a winmob plasticky and laggy "diamond" thingy because of my deviant choice of devices, being a control freak-c_m-masochist.
Or maybe I wanted a device that at least could do what was required, be a slim pdaphone with the usual bells and whistles AND work nicely with stuff as advertised. You know, maybe sending an occasional file or ringtone over the bluetooth. Or browse/edit/copy files over wifi. Watch an Xvid on 2.8" VGA goodness without conversion but with some eye-strain. Or maybe change my UI (not only GUI) to suit my habits. Or reliably backed-up my call-log; sync'd contacts, notes, tasks every time. You know, totally geek stuff. Not being 16 for as long years, just the interface and my "tunes" are no longer enough for me.
-----------
It'd be totally cool to have a thin big screen no-nanny device with a sturdy/useful slide-out keyboard. whatcha say apple? looking for another vocal convert? add the keyboard, add installing programs and copying files without your blessing, and my money is yours.
But hey - touch HD is just around the corner. It may be WM, but it ain't wishware and vaporware. And touch pro is here now. hmm. let's think.
Why anyone would want this? those touchscreen sliders with qwerty keyboard underneath are the dumbest thing ever. Can't part with the idea of "Key"? Then, why bother with touchscreen?
I've written essays for school on my iphone without much hassle.
Its a bloody phone/ipod. If you really want to spend your pathetic lives typing on a phone, get a blackberry and stop whining. Lord you people are sad.
Slightly off topic, but iphone was released in SA, huge party, but people came more for the party and less for the phone.
People in SA prefer the diamond /Omnia. Simply because they have better features. Can copy+pate without hassles, multitask when needed.(Ever heard of mxit? Java IM client)
But most of all, its price! The contract for the iphone is as normal about 50$ pm*24 + 200$.
Normally phones on contracts are free. Omnia 50$pm*24. Diamond 30$pm*24.
Support for a keyboard like this can be had through mini-usb on the diamond or through bluetooth with some help from winmo developer magic.
I have used an iphone before, it was great, for about 6h. Then it started to irk me, majorly, I do enjoy using copy and paste, mms-ing + using REAL gps. App store is easily implemented in winmo and is already in android. iphone users if youre happy, fine, but when MR. Jobs gives you an iJob up the ass, don't complain, youre the one who originally bent over
Hey, look, It's apple's EeePc
Anyoone know where i can actually buy that little keyboard? (its just a tiny usb keyboard)
I want one for my car pc.
Thanks!
wah
all about the future version of Apple’s iPhone....
http://snsays.com/1858/iphone-3g-tethering/
how about the better option....
mytouchkeys.com
Why this is a fail, by Level 5
---why you are wrong 5 times.
-----Why YOU are wrong 5 times.
1 - The iPhone has a perfectly decent keyboard, it just needs to have landscape availability at all times. I own a Sprint Mogul, and I find the iPhone keyboard to be not quite as good, but it's more than adequate.
----Perfectly decent? try typing without looking directly at it?
------- It's perfectly decent, after using one for almost 2 years, i'm able to type up paragraphs without looking at the screen, i mean sure you have to glance to make sure you didn't skrew up, but honestly, i can promise with practice you can type faster on that since you're able to make mistakes and keep going.
2 - Kills practicality, as noted above
---Really? if it's 1/8" of an inch thick and protects the screen?
------ Well sure, the keyboard may be 1/8th of an inch, but how about the mount it's on? Also can i point out the iphone is less then half an inch thick, so adding 1/8th of an inch you're increases it's width by 25%
3 - Kills size - I mean look at it
---see above. .125" thicker will not "kill practicality" unless you're wearing skin tight Vidal Sasson jeans?
------I actually AM wearing skin tight jeans, i mean, the iphone in a pocket is only JUST thin enough to not be annoying.
4 - Needs a custom cable
---not if there's a good aftermarket bluetooth version!
------EXCEPT APPLE DOESN'T SUPPORT BLUETOOTH KEYBOARDS
5 - REQUIRES jailbreak
---again, not if there's someone like DLO or other manufacturer makes it.
-----The problem isn't hardware, it's software! you'd have to install a hack that cuts across all apps on the iphone into the app store, PROBABLY won't get passed.
I'm no fanboy, trust me, but this is lame. A hack to get a landscape keyboard for SMS, etc and haptic feedback would be better than this solution IMO
---the Iphone has a beautiful screen and it sucks to have to cover 80% of it with a "keyboard." I loved the treo keyboards because I could type without looking at every keypress!
------The treo had a small screen compared to the iphone because 80% of the phone WAS keyboard. The touchscreen keyboard is the reason it's thin and has such a pretty screen.
This hack was a great proof of concept, and shows what the iPhone is capable of. In reality it's going to be up to apple to do something about it. I see no reason really in having a keyboard, the same size as the onscreen keyboard, and having to lug it around. Plus if it's bluetooth you're sucking battery. But i would LOVE to be able to have a thin full sized keyboard i could throw in a bag to take notes with.