On Thu, 18 May 2006 19:12:57 -0400, "Angie Matney" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
I am not currently subscribed to the BrailleNote list, so if anyone wants to forward this to that list, feel free to do so. (In fact, you can pass it on to anyone who might find it useful.) I've been trying to find a good external keyboard for my BrailleNote mPower for some time. I don't like the BN's loud, clanky keys. I'm glad to have them for situations where I need braille entry, but I wanted something else for taking notes. I initially tried a roll-up rubbery kind of USB keyboard that I got for $20 at CompUSA. I had the larger model that I used with a laptop until it died a few months later. I was hesitant to buy the smaller one for the BN, but I really wanted a different keyboard. Sadly, my keyboard's space bar died after about a month of loyal service. I then bit the bullet and bought the Stowaway Bluetooth keyboard from ThinkOutside (I hear Del's PDA keyboard is a re- branded version of this one; I don't know if that's true or not). Anyway, This keyboard is excellent. I didn't think I would like it, since you have to press a key in conjunction with the keys on the "qwerty" row to type numbers. But this is easily done. Also, the Question mark is typed by pressing shift + right-arrow. This is good, because the right arrow is where the slash is on a normal keyboard. In summary, this is an excellent keyboard. But it can be kind of expensive, and I have found that my BN's connection with it is sometimes finnicky. I just received a Targus folding USB keyboard that I ordered from www.toshibadirect.com. The keyboard was $34.99 plus shipping and tax. I think it was around $45. I think it could be just the think I'm looking for. It's about the size of the ThinkOutside keyboard--just a tiny bit larger. It has a retractable USB cable, which is not at all what I was expecting. The cable is wrapped around a reel in such a way that as you pull it out, it extends at both ends and locks into place. When you finish with it, you just pull a little on the end connected to the BN, and it retracts automatically. This is hard to explain, but it's a really neat design and lets you lengthen the cord enough to get it out of your way. Also, this cable detaches from the keyboard, so it should be easy to replace if that is necessary. The keys are a nice size--full PC size. The keyboard doesn't have the standard arrow keys. It has something like a PDA's navigation key in the bottom right corner that acts like the arrow keys. This means that the slash, etc., is where it "should" be. The only thing I don't like about this keyboard is that for some reason, the top row is moved farther to the right than it should be. The top row consists of escape, the number keys, and a few other things. The number row will take a bit of getting used to. But some might prefer this to the Stowaway's method of doubling up the numbers with the "qwerty" row. The Targus also has page up and page down keys on the right side. These keys are smaller than normal keys, but they are very easy to find. Here are the pros for the Targus keyboard: * much cheaper than a bluetooth keyboard; * Doesn't require batteries or drain your BN's battery as much as bluetooth does; * Has arrows and page up/down keys that are immediately tactilly distinguishable; * has detachable retractable cable that will be very easy to transport; * most keys are where they should be; * should work right away with the BN. I do still like the Stowaway keyboard, and I'll probably still use it on occasion. I might start using it more with my PC, though, since I can use this new one with the BN. I'm really impressed with this new Targus keyboard. Here is the link to the keyboard: http://www.toshibadirect.com/td/b2c/adet.to?seg=HHO&poid=311408 Angie ___ To leave the BrailleNote list, send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To view the list archives or change your preferences, visit http://list.humanware.com/mailman/listinfo/braillenote
