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Belkin Portable Keyboard
September 4, 2001
At first glance, the Belkin Portable Keyboard is simply perfect. It folds up into a tiny package remarkably similar in size to the Palm Portable Keyboard, or PPK. It comes with a very nice black leather-look carrying case (the PPK does not). It is compatible with m100, III, V, and VII series Palms right out of the box. And it costs $25 less than the PPK.
The installation procedure is pretty straightforward— copy the driver software from the floppy disk included in the box and HotSync your Palm handheld. Once you enable the driver you’re ready to go. In order to connect your Palm, you’ll need to unfold the keyboard by pressing in the little latch on the bottom of the keyboard, open the case, and then push the red handle on the right hand side to the left in order to merge the two halves of the keyboard. This is very similar to the procedure for setting up the PPK, though the Belkim keyboard folds in half, rather than in quarters as the PPK does. Next you either directly attach your handheld if you have a Palm V, or you use the special adapter included with the keyboard if you have an m100, III, or VII series Palm.
As you can see, the Palm sits on the left edge of the keyboard, which can take a little getting used to. There are however several design aspects that make this keyboard an absolute delight. The first is the generous use of rubber on the outside of the keyboard case. When it is unfolded and placed on a table, it doesn’t slip and slide around, as my PPK tends to do. It also seems to be much sturdier in design than the PPK, and very closely approaches GoType levels of durability. All of the required keys are here, including Command, Function, and application keys. Several special operations are available once you press down the Function key, such as scrolling, cancel, delete, new, note, details, and OK. And while it may not be the easiest thing to do, it is possible to use the Belkin Portable Keyboard in your lap— it gives slightly in the middle, but it doesn’t completely fold in on itself like the PPK tends to do. The stand that supports your handheld is also adjustable to three different positions, allowing you to set the best viewing angle and avoid glare from overhead lights.
The reason that I am not completely head over heels in love with this keyboard yet (though I will admit to a medium-sized case of infatuation) is that it is rather tricky to actually type on. I’m not exactly sure what the problem is. It may be the smaller keys, though I have rather small hands and don’t have any problems at all typing on the GoType, which is only 80% of a full size keyboard. Due to the folding nature of the design the spcaebar is separated into a fairly long part on the left hand side and a smaller button on the right hand side. Even though these buttons are right next to each other when the keyboard is properly set up, I always seem to hit the space between the keys, rather than the actual space bar.
I have noticed that with practice my typing on the Belkin Portable Keyboard has improved somewhat; it could simply be that this is a product that takes a little getting used to. As with all products, it’s best to try and find a display model in the store so that you can actually try it out before you buy. While I can’t claim to speak for everyone, I feel that this keyboard is a very good value, especially for those who would like to own a PPK but can’t quite justify the expense.
