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UPDATE: Virtual Keyboard Review
By David Ciccone, posted Wednesday, Jul. 7th, 2004
Reader Comments: 34
We have been lucky to work with the folks over at iBIZ to get an exclusive of the new iBIZ Virtual Keyboard. In this review we will go over the software install process, fuctionality and ease of use. Many sites have labeled this product vaporware but as you can see we have it. The Virtual Keyboard leverages the power of laser and infrared technology and projects a full-size keyboard onto any flat surface. As you type on the laser projection, it analyzes what you're typing by the coordinates of that location.
Once we received the virtual keyboard I was able to talk with a representative of iBIZ to explain the current situation. As many of you are aware of the litigation issues going on with this keyboard, I was assured that iBIZ is currently looking into a redundant supply chain so the minute we hear they are ready to ship you will know.
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The virtual keyboard comes with adapters for Palm, PocketPC, USB, Serial and a power cable to charge the device. In order to load the software driver the user needs to copy the appropriate device driver onto the iPAQ and launch the cab file. Once this process is complete the user will find an icon in the program tab of the iPAQ. Once the application come up you are prompted with a considerable amount of options to select from. First the user would need to click on the “Enable VKB” to create the partnership with the device. Once this happens you will hear a notification beep that the unit has accepted the relationship. Once you enable the relationship you can then select the intensity of the laser that is appropriate for your surface.
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When you click over to the properties tab you have an option for sensitivity of your fingertips. We found that setting number 6 was just right for our liking. You will also notice an auto repeat tab that we chose not to select due to the higher success rates we were able to obtain. Another great feature in the software is the ability to see how much power you have left in the device!
As you can see in this picture the unit projected beautifully and I was pleasantly surprised. It took us about an hour to get used to the typing style and also for us to get the feel of typing on a flat surface. I liked the overall clarity of the projection and also was impressed with the availability of an up,down,left,right arrow this was a nice touch and responded appropriately.
The only downfall that I noticed was that iBIZ might have thought of also including a universal docking station for the iPAQ. If you look at our photo’s you will notice the iPAQ was laying down and the cable supplied was extremely short. I was able to utilize on of my own universal cradles which made the typing experience enjoyable. During this time we were also able to achieve around three and a half hours of typing time before we had to charge the Lithium Ion battery.
Overall I feel iBIZ has delivered a stellar product. The projector was extremely durable and well manufactured. We did notice though the classic two fingered hunt and peck style of typing works best with the Virtual Keyboard. Which, if you use it with your iPAQ could be heaps faster than using a tiny on screen keyboard or handwriting recognition entry. If you are a geek like I am then you will love this unit.
Read the letter from Ken Schilling, CEO iBIZ
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I am Krisia Mae Junior student. I have a project,to find a invention and ask for some questions.And the Virtual Laser Keyboard amazed me.1. May I ask who invented the virtual keyboard?
2. What is the purpose for inventing the virtual keyboard?
3. Who will benefits the virtual keyboard?
4. In what year does the virtual keyboard was invented?
5. It is laser right? Do it harm our eyes? please help me...
thanks and Godbless..
Posted by
Krisia,
Wednesday, Mar. 4th, 2009
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if any one could help me to answer some of my Q about virtual keyboard,, just email me today please.. at babykrish_mine@yahoo.com,, please,..
Posted by
Krisia,
Wednesday, Mar. 4th, 2009
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hi,,
Posted by
Krisia,
Wednesday, Mar. 4th, 2009
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This is a good idea for small PCs like PocketPC.
-----
http://hot-virtual-keyboard.com
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Man this keyboard is so neat! I just bought myself one and I'm in love! I see this review talks about the serial version, but today there is one that work with Bluetooth, and it is so wonderful with my Blackberry 8700... no wires! I didn't buy from Golan-tech though - couldn't find their store online. I bought from an online store www.virtual-laser-keyboard.com and they shipped it to me in 3 days and their support is great. I trully recommend. And don't forget to choose the Bluetooth one! Who needs wires? :) Cheers all teck geeks.
Posted by
tinor,
Tuesday, Dec. 19th, 2006
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iBIZ is not the only US distributor.
Golan-Technology (based in CA) also distributes the i.Tech Virtual Keyboard.
Posted by
Chichiri,
Tuesday, Aug. 1st, 2006
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IT IS CONFUSING TO READ ABOUT THE IBIZ (IBZT.PK) VIRTUAL LASER KEYBOARD. KEN SCHILLING GOT OFF HIS BEHIND, AFTER TWO YEARS, AND FINALLY STARTED SELLING THE VKB KEYBOARD LICENCED TO ITECH CORP. AND GIVEN SALES RIGHTS TO SEVERAL VENDORS...IBIZ BEING ONE OF THEM NOW. IBIZ IS THE ONLY USA DISTRIBUTOR WITH THE LOW PRICE.
I APPLAUD "KEN SCHILLING" FOR SELLING THE KEYBOARD FINALLY, EVEN IF IT IS THIRD PARTY. HE WAS THE ONLY ONE IN THE BEGINNING, TWO YEARS AGO. THE VKB ISRAEL PHONY CON REPS THAT KEN DEALT WITH, LOSSING 400K,THEY WERE SO GOOD, THEY EVEN PRODUCED A FEW CASES OF THE VIRTUAL KEYBOARDS, SOME WORKED MOST DID NOT, TO REALLY FOOL THE COMPANY.
IBIZ IS COMING BACK AND THIS TIME AROUND "KEN" MADE SURE TO SECURE A " WORLD EXCLUSIVE SELLING RIGHTS” TO THE NEW VIRTUAL KEYBOARD MADE WITH A UNITED STATES COMPANY IN PA. CALLED VIRTUAL DEVICES INC. (VDI).THIS KEYBOARD IS BETTER AND MORE VERSATIAL THAN THE "LASER" TYPE KEYBOARD.
THIS VIRTUAL KEYBOARD DOES THE SAME FUNCTIONS AS THE VIRTUAL LASER KEYBOARD. IT CAN ALSO MORPH TO A PIANO KEYBOARD AND PLAY LIKE A PIANO.
IFYOUR INVESTING FOR THE FUTURE, THEN GET IN ON THE BOTTOM WITH THIS ONE. THE V.D.I.SOON TO MARKET VIRTUAL KEYBOARD IS MADE WITH POWERFUL LCD LIGHTS LIKE THE ONES ON KEYCHAINS AND REQUIRES NO FEDERAL LICENSING FROM F.C.C. LIKE THE LASER VIRTUAL KEYBOARD. THE PRODUCTION OF PARTS ALSO ARE FAR LESS IN COSTS WHEN MASS PRODUCING THE, VDI VIRTUAL KEYBOARD.
WHAT THAT MEANS MY INVESTING FRIENDS IS THAT "KEN" WITH IBZT.PK (IBIZ) CAN HAVE THESE SOLD TO RETAILERS UNDER 80 DOLLARS. TANDY CORP. COMP USA, ALL OF THE IBIZ CORP. SELLERS WILL ORDER THESE.
THE REASON YOU DON'T SEE IBIZ SELLING THE ITECH (VKB)LASER KEYBOARD TO THE STORES, IS IT IS STILL PRICED TOO HIGH AT $145.00, TO HAVE RETAIL STORES SELL IT.SO IT IS ON THE INTERNET ONLY FOR NOW.
THE VDI VIRTUAL KEYBOARD IS THE NEXT KEYBOARD IBIZ IS GETTING READY TO MARKET AND THIS ONE IS “ALL THEIRS” TO SELL TO EVERY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD. HOPE THAT HELPED GIVE UNDERSTANDING.I FOUND A GREAT WEBSITE THAT HAS A FILM OF WORKING LASER KEYBOARD AND TIES IN ALL THE INFORMATION.GREAT RESEARCH/INFORMATIOM SITE ABOUT BOTH VIRTUAL KEYBOARDS.HTTP://WWW.NEWVIRTUALKEYBOARD.COM
Posted by
,
Wednesday, Oct. 5th, 2005
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i bought the virtiual laser keyboard. it did not work well in regular light conditions. when i got a rma to retun the product it was returned to me undeliverable. i did not know the i was dealing with a foreign country do not buy it unless you are willng to take a chance it will work for you.
BUYER BEWARE
buyer beware
dont buy unless you want to take a chace it will woke for you
Posted by
,
Friday, Sep. 16th, 2005
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The Virtual Laser Keyboard is available!
It can be purchased at: www.virtual-laser-keyboard.com
Posted by
asafloml,
Sunday, Oct. 31st, 2004
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I am soooo confused! Let me see if I get this right. iBIZ is not selling the Virtual Keyboard because they are in a lawsuit. They entered into this suit because they signed a license agreement for the VKB IP but the licensor was not the sole owner of the IP. Is that correct?
Are their other companies selling the VKB's. If so does anyone have any sales figures on how well they are being received?
Posted by
johno,
Wednesday, Oct. 6th, 2004
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Good review. I agree with your comments completely. I also was fortunate enough to test a VKB unit and really liked the form and function of the device. The more I used it the better I got and the more I liked it. I also found the iBIZ people to be professional and responsive. The iBIZ version of the VKB actually looked better and more substantial than the competitor. It is a real shame that the manufacturer dropped the ball, but iBIZ will return with other interesting products. Looking forward to the new VKB, BlueDock and others. Keep up the good work Dave.
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It's funny how you can review a keyboard that they never produced and now you are highlighting the blue dock for this company that many consider a scam.
If you want a real VKB made by a real manufacturer of products and not just a middle man, go here and get one right now.. http://www.internity.co.uk/vkb.asp
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on the last pic it ?looks? like you are typing really fast... REALLY fast
Posted by
Nirvana,
Thursday, Jul. 15th, 2004
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These photos were taken by me. I have the unit given to me from iBIZ
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Dave,
Great article. Can't wait until thay are available. One question, did you take the photos or were they supplied to you from Ibiz. Is that an actual close up of the VKB you received in lower left of article.
Thank You
Posted by
tadtam,
Friday, Jul. 9th, 2004
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Hi Dave:
Iwanted to say how much I appreciate your comments on iBiz's Virtual Keyboard. If you liked this, I think you'll appreciate that not too far down the road, I heard the company may introduce a virtual monitor, using a similar type of display technology...in color. The screen could be any flat, upright surface, but could be a clear plastic surface. If that happens, look out IBM, Dell & HP!!!
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Well its been a while since I commented. Many of you have been sending me emails telling me iBIZ is a scam! I have to disagree, the folks at iBIZ that I deal with (high up in the org!) are extremely helpful with any of my questions. Just because a company announces a product and has some manufacturing issues doesnt make the company a bad company. I read many reviews of the iBIZ Pocket Radio in which they were stellar reviews! The company makes a great product and hope you use your own judgement not what others say.
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I actually had to wait 4 months for my Pocketradio at first but it did appear too.
Posted by
stimey,
Tuesday, Jun. 29th, 2004
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What a great review Dave! It is nice to see someone getting the news out there so we know that it really is real.
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I have to say this .. Every company has some sort of issues with an innovative product. I already placed my backorder since I was very happy with my PocketRadio by iBIZ! I don't think Dave would post this review if this was a scam or should never come out. Heck i didnt even have to pay for the thang until it ships anyway.
Posted by
stimey,
Tuesday, Jun. 29th, 2004
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For those interested in the legal issues, here's a link to a story I posted about them at pocketnow.
As for the pros and cons of the Virtual Keyboard, I haven't used it, but I'm in Nate's camp. There seem to be too many compromises compared to existing solutions.
For hunter/peckers, thumb boards are smaller, don't require a flat surface and don't require as much setup.
Full-size foldable keyboards ( with number rows like the old Stowaway keyboards) are better if you have the flat surface available -- they have tactile feedback and can be used for touch typing.
As I've said elsewhere, the Virtual Keyboard looks high on the cool factor, but low on the real-world usability factor. I'd rather see a Bluetooth version of the Logitech KeyCase for the Pocket PC.
Steve
Silicon Valley Pocket PC
http://www.svpocketpc.com
Posted by
Pony99CA,
Tuesday, Jun. 29th, 2004
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I dont think you really got the point of the review. When something is announced it always has its pro's and con's. Heck think about the Compaq Aero? Was that the best device? It was much more expensive than the Palm right?
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This is a nifty idea, but has little practical application. Anyone wanting to type with two fingers could simply buy an attachment "thumb keyboard" for $12.95. They are smaller, don't require charging, and don't use a cable.
For anyone wanting to type full-speed (I'm up to around 70 words per minute), a full-size keyboard is necessary. The good news: they sell collapsible keyboards that don't require power, hold the Ipaq upright while typing, and it doesn't take up much more space than my Ipaq 2215. I won't be carrying it in my shirt pocket, but it easily fits in a briefcase, jacket pocket, backpack, etc.
Oh, and it costs half as much and is available right now... ;)
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this looks like a cool product... but i think im gonna wait till maybe a bluetooth vertion comes out... i dont like cables :P
Posted by
RogerB,
Sunday, Jun. 27th, 2004
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Dave,
I really enjoyed your review of the device and my skeptisism is not with you or any others who reviewed this device in good faith, it is with iBiz and VKB and completely revolves around their ability to create and sell a mass market consumer version of this product.
iBiz again strikes me as premature in allowing this device to be preordered when they are, according to their lawsuit, no where close to even estimating when they will actually have a product to sell. I have reviewed the information concerning VKB and have to admit they seem as fly-by-night as the conment who initially took iBiz for 400,000.
In order to get more information I will be contacting VKB Inc directly today, the actual producers of the device, and find out from them what they think is going on...if they will answer my questions.
The device is interesting, unusual and could have great use in specific situations. It is clearly not for every user, but then nothing is.
Thanks for the excellent review and for adding more information to the unfolding mystery. I am honored to be "working" on this developing story with you, in a manner of speaking.
RobertS
Posted by
RobertS,
Sunday, Jun. 27th, 2004
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No official statement on shipdate.
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doyou think they will be ready to ship them, and if so do you think they will have practical applications. thanks
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You can program F Keys to do such Macros. I cant complain honestly. I can type faster on the iBIZ keyboard than the software keyboard on my iPAQ.
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Thanks for your immediate reply, David!
'Tis as expected: it does not allow actual typing. Only hunt-and-peck, one-key-at-a-time typing. So I'm still unclear: how is this any easier than using a mini-keyboard (hardware or software)? It sounds harder, because it requires more hardware, battery drain, stuff to go wrong, and physical space.
Again, what about multi-key strokes, where your fingers block the sensor's view of other fingers? How do you do CTRL+SHIFT+ anything? Or ALT+ any key above it? And all similar combos?
Thank you!
Glenno
Posted by
glenno,
Saturday, Jun. 26th, 2004
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How are virtual keys projected through your blocking fingers? How do you see the bottom row of keys and spacebar, at the very least?
As I stated you need to "We did notice though the classic two fingered hunt and peck style of typing works best with the Virtual Keyboard."
2. By what method does it use to detect "key presses"? How can it detect fingers BEHIND fingers (say, your thumbs tapping the spacebar, or multi-key maneuvers like Shift-Q)? How does it distinguish taps near the borders of keys?
Obviously if you use the hunt and peck technique this would not be a problem.
I understand your concerns but seriously I will never give a good review unless I feel the product stands up to my standards. It has its niche and it will not replace a standard keyboard ever. But at 2oz this baby is portable.
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As you know I'm completely skeptical about the Virtual Keyboard, but since you have one you can answer the obvious questions. (I'd love to be totally wrong about this.)
1. How are virtual keys projected through your blocking fingers? How do you see the bottom row of keys and spacebar, at the very least?
2. By what method does it use to detect "key presses"? How can it detect fingers BEHIND fingers (say, your thumbs tapping the spacebar, or multi-key maneuvers like Shift-Q)? How does it distinguish taps near the borders of keys?
3. How does it distinguish between resting your fingers on or barely grazing a key, and meaning to press keys? Or does it?
The only way I could imagine any of this works at all is if you have to lift your hands up between every key press... but that wouldn't allow multi-key maneuvers, and anyway would make it worse than tapping a software micro keyboard right on the PDA screen, since that takes no extra hardware or power and is just as fast.
I look forward to hearing how this can possibly work. Thanks.
Glenno
Posted by
glenno,
Saturday, Jun. 26th, 2004
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YES it comes with drivers.......
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Dave can you ask them if they'll make a driver for win2k or winXP?
I plan on getting a UPC like the OQO, Sony VGN-U70, or Flipstart and see another market they can sell to.
Thanks! It's awesome that these vendors love to come to you first...you're the Dalai Lama of PPCs. ;)
Posted by
fil,
Friday, Jun. 25th, 2004
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Whoa...this is awesome! I must admit Dave, I am a bit jealous on this one!
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