It’s a very nice looking bit of gear, and works extremely well keystrokes are precise and responsive; the software allows you to set the speed of typing repeat delay and rate.
Looking at the keyboard in the closed position there’s the logo on the top, a tasteful silver and black colour scheme, (its black on the inside) and a sliding tab on the end that locks the two halves together in the closed position. When you fist open the keyboard you get a feel of quality and a well-built unit that looks good.
Battery life is supposed to be 168hrs standby and 90hrs of solid typing; the lifespan of each key is 10 million keystrokes.
It takes 2 x AAA batteries and they are inserted into a raised compartment on the top left of the unit, which fits into a corresponding indentation on the right side when the keyboard is closed. In the middle of the keyboard next to the battery compartment there is a slider button that locks it in the open position. After the keyboard is opened, you slide the lock to the left, but don’t forget to slide it back before you close the keyboard.
It’s a very nice looking bit of gear, and works extremely well keystrokes are precise and responsive; the software allows you to set the speed of typing repeat delay and rate.
Looking at the keyboard in the closed position there’s the logo on the top, a tasteful silver and black colour scheme, (its black on the inside) and a sliding tab on the end that locks the two halves together in the closed position. When you fist open the keyboard you get a feel of quality and a well-built unit that looks good.
Battery life is supposed to be 168hrs standby and 90hrs of solid typing; the lifespan of each key is 10 million keystrokes.
It takes 2 x AAA batteries and they are inserted into a raised compartment on the top left of the unit, which fits into a corresponding indentation on the right side when the keyboard is closed. In the middle of the keyboard next to the battery compartment there is a slider button that locks it in the open position. After the keyboard is opened, you slide the lock to the left, but don’t forget to slide it back before you close the keyboard.
On the top on the right hand side there is a pop-out stand. To use it, pull it straight out, and then swivel it to the left, where it snaps into a small slot on the left side of the keyboard. To release it, simply push the slider to the right and reverse the process. You can also remove the stand from the keyboard completely; there is a small slider switch on the keyboard you need to press to release the stand.
The stand has a rubber mat on it which is meant to hold your pda at the desired angle, it does an “ok” job of that, I find that when my atom is in the silicone case it will stick well on the stand but if its not in its case it will slide down. That’s where the advantage of bluetooth over infrared comes into play, this keyboard has no problem working from up to 20 feet away so you can have your pda sitting in a cradle on your desk and still be able to utilize the keyboard to its full potential.
There is a power switch on the bottom left hand corner of the keyboard, when you first switch it on, it will blink orange, then change to a slow green blink
I’m no speed typist but I do ok, and this keyboard was able to keep up with my typing without any problems at all, many of the keys have 3 – 4 different functions which are accessed via the Ctrl, alt gr and fn keys, many of them are self explanatory but some are not, luckily the instructions manuals that come on the CD explain all the different functions.
For WM5 devices you need to download the latest driver from their website, driver installation is very easy, and pairing the bluetooth keyboard to my atom was even easier. There is a little keyboard icon in the bottom right hand corner of my atom when the keyboard is connected
Conclusion
I have been using this keyboard for the past week and I can honestly say it’s an excellent and handy PDA accessory to have. It does everything it says it does and does it well; my only complaint is the slider switches are a little fiddly to use and the power button is in an awkward spot.
I bought mine from Pressdigital for $139, that’s a very reasonable price for such a device. Highly recommended 9/10
Discuss it here
| Chainpus Universal BT Keyboard Deserves 9/10. |
Think Outside Stowaway Travel Mouse
In the box:
Stowaway travel mouse
2 AAA alkaline batteries (batteries last several weeks when used 3 to 4 hours per day)
Free carrying case
CD with Pocket PC drivers (Uses Windows XP driver and HID, no driver needed)
Start-up Guide
Features:
Small but ergonomic styling for maximum comfort
Easily navigate PDA menus and applications
Includes PDA driver for Pocket PC
Supports scroll wheel and right button clicking
Support for Pocket Word, Excel, Messaging & other applications
Dimensions:
Size: 3.74" x 2.17" x 1.38" (95mm x 55mm x 25mm)
Weight: 75 grams
The Stowaway mouse is a comfortable little Bluetooth mouse measuring 95 x 55 x 25mm, that helps turns your PDA into a mini laptop. If you have the Chainpus Bluetooth keyboard, you can type letters, memos, tasks, make phone calls and mouse around with your stowaway mouse without ever having to pick up a stylus and reach over and tap the screen. This mouse makes web browsing easier and a lot more fun.
The stowaway mouse has two buttons and a scroll wheel, which also acts as a third button, the buttons are programmable I have left the buttons as standard but have programmed the scroll wheel to close programs when its clicked, its really speeds up things.
The bottom of the mouse has a see through plastic cover and an on/off switch to save on battery power. The mouse will turn itself off after a while if its not being used, but as soon as you click a button on the mouse the curser appears on screen of your PDA.
Again you will need to download the latest drivers from the website for WM5 devices, installation is very easy and straightforward and pairing the mouse to your PDA is also an effortless task.
Conclusion:
This is a fantastic little mouse it works extremely well and it’s very responsive, not only can you use it on your PDA but you can also pair it to any bluetooth enabled PC or Laptop. I find I can also use it quite successfully in the car; I have my atom sitting in the holder on the dash and use the stowaway mouse by using my thigh as a mouse pad works quite well.
Along with the Chainpus Bluetooth keyboard this mouse helps turn your PDA into a tiny laptop instead of an overpriced organiser. I bought this mouse from Organiser World for $99 plus $10 for overnight delivery to Sydney. Highly Recommended. 9.5/10
Discuss it here
| Think Outside Stowaway Travel Mouse Deserves 9.5/10. |