Bluetooth Keyboard -- am I missing something?

joshiese · 10-12-04, 11:48 PM

I am just wondering if I am missing something with this bluetooth keyboard from Dell....why should I pay $125 for a wireless keyboard for a PPC with a screen so small that you need to be 2 feet or less away from to see? Is there some advantage to the wireless part over the standard "wired" keyboard? Just seems like another thing to buy batteries for....someone please enlighten me.

deftech · 10-13-04, 12:16 AM

The biggest drawback to the keyboards that fit a PPC connector, is that they generally are just designed to be used in portrait (upright) mode. Because the connector is used, you cannot turn the PPC on its side if you want to type in landscape mode.

With the Bluetooth one you can flip the PPC any way you like and still be able to type, since it is not tied down by a connector.

Also, if you switch to a different brand PPC, you will likely still be able to use a Bluetooth keyboard as long as the new PPC supports Bluetooth. The "wired" keyboards are PPC-model-specific.

joshiese · 10-13-04, 12:41 AM

Hey thanks deftech, I didn't even think about the landscape mode thing, thats a really good point....

Does the Dell BT keyboard come with a stand for the Axim to hold it in either landscape or portrait mode?

Originally Posted by deftech

The biggest drawback to the keyboards that fit a PPC connector, is that they generally are just designed to be used in portrait (upright) mode. Because the connector is used, you cannot turn the PPC on its side if you want to type in landscape mode.

With the Bluetooth one you can flip the PPC any way you like and still be able to type, since it is not tied down by a connector.

Also, if you switch to a different brand PPC, you will likely still be able to use a Bluetooth keyboard as long as the new PPC supports Bluetooth. The "wired" keyboards are PPC-model-specific.

silentknight · 10-13-04, 12:42 AM

Originally Posted by joshiese

Does the Dell BT keyboard come with a stand for the Axim to hold it in either landscape or portrait mode?

Yes it does.

joshiese · 10-13-04, 01:09 AM

Originally Posted by silentknight

Yes it does.

Great thanks guys.

10-13-04, 01:42 AM

Also: most cases interfere with the connector on an attached kb. You have to either remove the case to use the kb or mod the case...

Aleph · 10-16-04, 04:37 PM

Being that this keyboard uses BT, would it work with a BT-enabled Tablet PC?

Jukov · 10-16-04, 07:30 PM

BT keyboard? What a dumb idea! What if I want to use my BT phone for browsing?

10-16-04, 07:36 PM

Originally Posted by Aleph

Being that this keyboard uses BT, would it work with a BT-enabled Tablet PC?

As long as a device driver is available for the tablet O/S, yes. For WinXP and Win2K almost certainly yes.

10-16-04, 07:37 PM

Originally Posted by Jukov

BT keyboard? What a dumb idea! What if I want to use my BT phone for browsing?

I'm not quite sure what you are trying to say here!

Jukov · 10-16-04, 08:28 PM

what I'm trying to say is that if I want to browse the web w/ a BT phone as a modem I won't be able to use the keyboard (!BT keyboard!)

Oakley · 10-17-04, 12:28 AM

Correct rne if I'm wrong but you can correct more than one device at a time. (p.s. My first wifi post =P)

klinesamuel · 10-17-04, 01:54 PM

I am typing this message on my Dell bluetooth keyboard while being connected to the internet via my Sony Ericsson T616 bluetooth phone. I just wanted to show that you can connect several bluetooth devices to the Axim at once.
Sam

10-17-04, 05:55 PM

also, you can now keep the keyboard if and when you upgrade your PPC. You could not always do that before even within the same product line in the past. Example is iPAQ 36xx to iPAQ 39xx same basic body style different connector

Jukov · 10-17-04, 06:29 PM

OK... when I said dumb idea I meant dumb me.. :D <Jukov, quite ashamed of his stupid remark, hoping no one heard it>
I'm glad it is actualy possible. How many devices can you work with simultaniously?

Originally Posted by klinesamuel

I am typing this message on my Dell bluetooth keyboard while being connected to the internet via my Sony Ericsson T616 bluetooth phone. I just wanted to show that you can connect several bluetooth devices to the Axim at once.
Sam