The Right Type of Accessory for PDAs

Here’s a paradox: The most vexing part of the RIM Blackberry pager-cum-PDA, the miniature keyboard, works better when snapped on the bottom of a Handspring Visor Pro. On the Blackberry, it is an annoyance. But on the Visor Pro, it’s rather handy.

Part of the difference is that the Blackberry tries--unsuccessfully--to be a PDA, and the keyboard is the only means of entering information. But with Kensington Technologies’ $50 PocketType keyboard, the Visor retains its ability to use Graffiti to enter data with the stylus. Or, users can snap off the PocketType and use a larger keyboard such as Targus’ Stowaway Portable Keyboard.

In operation, PocketType offers some nice features. It adds a scroll wheel to the Visor’s range of controls, which lets users page through an e-book, document or to-do list more quickly than with Visor’s built-in up and down buttons. The keyboard is laid out in the standard QWERTY fashion. The buttons are very small but easy enough to hit. A built-in spell checker fixes most typos caused by clumsy fingers. Rather neat. What really sells PocketType, though, is the ability to use it with one hand. That’s not as important for looking up addresses as it once was because more recent Visors have a one-handed look-up feature.

And PocketType leaves the top of the Visor, which contains the Springboard module slot, available, allowing users to use the keyboard and a wireless modem to send and receive e-mail. Users can still reach the Visor’s stylus as well.

By contrast, the $96 Type ‘N Go keyboard/container from Fellowes Manufacturing Co. is a nonstarter. It takes the simple Visor and bulks it up to the size of a supermarket romance novel. The case offers good protection for the Visor, but the keyboard layout--on the panel that folds away from the Visor’s storage area--is too cluttered. There are keys for almost every Palm operating system function--and that’s part of the problem.

The other part is that the device didn’t work with either a Visor Platinum or Visor Pro model: The software loaded onto the hand-helds, but neither unit responded. By contrast, the PocketType worked with the Visor Pro in a heartbeat.

In addition, Type ‘N Go blocks access to the Springboard slot and the Visor’s own stylus. It adds a stylus of its own, but it’s a flimsier, plastic replacement that’s not as good. At a price rivaling that of the full-size Stowaway keyboard, this Fellowes product is overpriced and under-capable. For one-handed, walk-around typing, the PocketType is just the ticket. And its price is easy to handle too.

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Mark A. Kellner is a freelance technology writer and hosts “Mark Kellner on Computers” at www.adrenalineradio.com from 5 to 6p.m. Thursdays. He can be reached at mark@kellner2000.com.