Review by Katrina T. Rivere
If there's one thing I've learned about owning a PDA, it's that the keyboard is mightier than the sword. I take notes and write
random thoughts on my PDA using my stylus - and it's a chore. So imagine my delight when the editor asked me to test the
Targus Universal IR Wireless Keyboard! Finally, the perfect accessory for a writing machine (that's me!).
Installation was a snap - no problems with the IR connection between my
Palm Zire 71 and the keyboard. I average 70 words per minute and this keyboard matched my speed. The keys are sized just
right, and they have a nice to feel to them. What I didn't like were the number keys and those for "shift," "control," etc. I
found the space bar and backspace key problematic. The space bar, divided into three tiny keys, is a puzzle because there's a
small space bar right beside an even smaller space bar. The backspace key is undersized, becoming a bane especially for those
who commit a lot of typos.
The mouse pad function is cool because it lets users navigate menus easily. In Word-to-Go, however, I couldn't scan the
document using the mouse pad and had to resort to my stylus to move the scroll bar. The PDA holder slate has three
adjustable wire arms to keep the handheld in portrait position. The manual says you can place your PDA in landscape mode but
no matter how hard I squeezed my Zire 71 in this mode, it just wouldn't fit. Another trivial thing, but it's rather funny and
reflects the production values of this product: "Graffiti" is misspelled as "Graffetti" in one of the keys.
All in all, the P4,490 Targus wireless keyboard is a good accessory. My primary frustration with my PDA is my inability to
easily enter brief notes or compose articles. But with a portable keyboard like this Targus, entering data has never been this
easy. In fact, I typed this review entirely with it.
GRINS
? easy installation and good IR connectivity
? keys have a nice feel
? mouse pad function for stylus-free navigation
? portable and easy to use
? works with most Palm OS and PocketPC 2003 PDAs
GRIMACES
? space bar, backspace and number keys are smallish
? I can't navigate a Word-to-Go document using the
mouse pad
? wobbly mounting panel and arm assembly
? no stylus holder
THE LOWDOWN
Writers, poets and random note-takers who don't mind a rather dorky IR arm sticking out of the keyboard will appreciate
this gizmo.
