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Targus Universal Wireless Keyboard Targus Reviewed By: Tyler Reber October 17, 2004 ( Discuss this Review )

Introduction:

Productivity is important to most PDA users, and is often taken quite seriously. One problem that is often encountered with PDA's is the input methods or the lack thereof. The on-screen input methods, such as the on-screen keyboard or block recognizer, are okay, but sometimes they just do not cut it. In a school or professional environment, users may need a quicker, more efficient way of entering data. This is where the Targus Universal Wireless Keyboard comes into play. It offers the portability and versatility that is needed to get data entered fast and efficiently. In this review, I will talk about some of the excellent features that are included with this keyboard and its amazing adaptability.

Setup:

Setting up the keyboard was very simple and only took minutes. The software comes on a miniature CD-ROM, and you install it like you would any other Pocket PC application. Run the software from the CD, and have it install the files to the main memory. The files that it needs to install are pretty small and take up minimal space. After the setup has completed, you will be able to find the keyboard application in your Start>Programs folder. Run it and select "enable keyboard." Place your PDA in/on the pop out tabs, and position the infrared arm so that it lines up with your infrared port. Finally, go into Pocket Word or some other word processing application and start typing. It is as simple as that. The keyboard application also has some other options that allow the user to change recognition speed and repeat speed.

Features:

As I mentioned above, the Targus Universal Wireless Keyboard is very versatile. It includes many features that a mobile professional or a student “on the go” would need. The keyboard itself is powered by two PDA-independent batteries. This makes it nice because you never have to worry about the keyboard draining away your PDA's battery while you are typing. This is also a nice feature because of the way the keyboard interacts with the PDA. As you may have noticed, this is a wireless keyboard. No, this does not mean that it connects to your PDA through WiFi or Bluetooth. This particular keyboard connects to the device through the infrared port. While some may think that this may be a drain on batteries (PDA and keyboard), it actually does not have that huge of an effect. I have had the same batteries in the keyboard since I bought it about a year ago, and they are still going strong. Mind you, I probably do not use the keyboard as heavy as some business-type people may. At times the infrared connection can become a bit slow, but for the most part it works quite nicely.

The keyboard’s packaging states that the keys are full-size. While it may not seem like it at first, this does appear to be true—for some of the keys. I did a comparison to my desktop, and they do measure the same size. This does not apply to all the keys though. The number keys are significantly smaller as well as the backspace and space keys. This can sometimes be the cause for some minor typos. I really think that the backspace bar should be a bit bigger. It can sometimes be a bugger to find—particularly when you are trying to type fast and make a mistake. Once you start to use the keyboard a little more, you start to get used to the keys though. I can, in most cases, type just as fast on this keyboard as I can on my desktop keyboard.

This keyboard is also very portable and makes “on the go” typing quite easy. It is small enough that it can fit in some pockets. If your pants do not have very deep/wide pockets, then you can always carry it in a briefcase or other carry-on. If you need to use the keyboard on your lap, you can open it up and use its locking feature to lock the sides down. This prevents them from flipping up while you are typing. One advantage that this keyboard has over some of the others I have seen is that the "cradle" part is attached. Some other Infrared keyboards have a separate cradle to hold the PDA while you type. This makes it difficult for the user to type on his or her lap. This keyboard can lie out very nicely; and with minimal arrangement, can be sitting comfortably on your lap. You could also do what I did and create your own little lap desk out of foam board or wood. This works very nice, although it takes away from the portability of the whole thing.

Conclusion:

If you are someone who needs the ability to whip out your PDA at a moments notice and start typing, then this is for you. This is also very nice if you do not want to spend the money for a laptop, and find that having a PDA is just enough for you. I carry it around with me at school, and find myself pulling it out to take notes quite often. The user must ultimately make the decision on whether purchasing this would be worthwhile. The Targus Universal Wireless Keyboard carries a $79.99 price tag, so it is not the cheapest keyboard in the bunch. But, if you want something that you can take with you, and use from one PDA to another, then this will work very well.

Pros:

• Very portable - fits in bigger pockets
• Can be used on your lap
• UNIVERSAL! Works on pretty much any PDA with an IR port
• Easy to setup and use
• On-screen mouse

Cons:

• Infrared can be slow at times
• No arrow keys

Rating: