Gadget Review - Stowaway BT Keyboard by ThinkOutSide

..and here's the happy family shot..my essentials as a modern day uRoadWarrior. The picture also shows the Stowaway keyboard closed..it takes 2-3 seconds to unfold..another 3-4 secs to reconnect to the mini..so you're in business in under 10 secs!

The Fongster's long awaited review..here it goes!

Pros
- Slim, compact and good quality. Everything is "tight" and snaps in/out in a very reassuring manner! It's almost classed as a gadget designed by Q for James Bond..it flicks open with a "fffschik"..press another button that goes click and unfold to reveal a glorious looking keyboard. :)
- Keyboard is very ergonomic. Standard key sizes..The feel of the key "bounce" is perfect for touch typist! But..check out the Cons below as well..:)
- PocketPC shortcuts..all work perfectly! Love to be able to do Ctrl-B and Ctrl-U just like the real deal..:)
- Quick release. No fumbling. A 3 step open and 3 step close procedure. 2-3 secs each.
- simple program (comes in cdrom for ppc and symbian) installation and "brainless" on the o2 xda mini
- pairs easily with o2 xda mini. Reconnects immediately upon next use.
- Great battery life (apparently!) 300 hours on 2 AAA batteries. Can't wait that long below writing this review..:)
- LED indicator for operational status.
- It works very well with windows XP (need SP2 which contains BT stack that provides HID profile). XP detects this as a HID device.
- Works well when other BT devices are in use. I was able to receive a call from my mobile BT headset and continue typing away with no loss of BT connection.

Cons
- expensive. You pay premium prices..:)
- For compactness, only 3 rows of keys..no dedicated number row. No big deal to me however.
- The rightmost key on the keyboard is the delete key. This can be a nuisance to touch typist like me who are used to "feeling" the last key thinking that it is a right arrow only to hit delete instead.
- Due to the light weightness of the keyboard..hitting Alt-tab can cause the keyboard to topple to one side! :) But acceptable..
- No Insert key.
- No track ball/nipple. Yep..I'm asking too much for such a keyboard..:)
- Linux fans will be somewhat complaining...|, {,}, & keys are accessed by pressing the Fn then corresponding keys...:(

The Fongster's verdict of the Stowaway BT keyboard? --> Thumbs UP!

Ok..here's the Stowaway keyboard with the o2 xda mini. Again, love the combination! The bluetooth connectivity b/w this pair is great..pair it once and the next time you open up the BT keyboard..give it 3-4 secs and it automatically reconnects. Only quirk is I'll have to repair if I use the BT keyboard on the u71p and then decide to switch back..oh well, small issue! :)

u71 and the Stowaway BT keyboard..together at last!

Here's a picture of my u71p with the Stowaway keyboard...all that is missing now is the Stowaway BT mouse..which I don't really need 'cause using my finger on the touch screen in place of the mouse is actually more ergonomic for me! :)

New Gadget! Stowaway Bluetooth Keyboard

Yes..at long last, I finally took delivery of a gadget I have been yearning for a good year or so (been very costly when it was first released and couldn't find a decent US site to buy it from)...thanks to Mr Gadget, I am now a proud owner of the Think Outside Stowaway Bluetooth Keyboard!

This is definitely my favourite gadget at the moment without the shadow of a doubt! I am able to use this on both my xda mini and my U71p..

I'll be writing my review soon as I'm currently testing it on both devices.