By David Ciccone, posted Tuesday, Sep. 19th, 2006
Reader Comments: 10
A must have gadget for any mobile warrior!!!
Just recently Think Outside was purchased by Mobility Electronics who are known for the iGO product line. During this buyout I was extremely concerned that they would totally eliminate the Think Outside product line and launch their own. Fortunately they made the right decision and kept the product line and today released one of the must have gadgets for any mobile warrior. The Think Outside Sierra Keyboard is ideally geared for the smartphone user since this portable keyboard includes five rows and full-size keys, providing the closest replication of a traditional desktop keyboard available on the market. Not only does this keyboard work with smartphones it is fully compatible with Windows XP, Mac OS X, Windows Mobile, Symbian and Palm operating systems making it a complete universal keyboard.
For the past few weeks we have been fortunate enough to get our hands on this innovative keyboard and put it through the paces. In this review we will go over the packaging, design and usability of the Sierra keyboard. For me this keyboard offers a tremendous amount of flexibility for the person who has a multitude of Bluetooth devices in which they would like to carry one keyboard.
David,
Great podcast on this keyboard. As a Sony 180p owner myself, did this work well? I have a non-foldable 8 inch mini keyboard from Ergonomic Resources but I like the folding feature which protects the keys better than mine. Also, I think I saw a shift key on both sides of your demonstration. Is that correct?
Just received mine today. Payed $88 thru Ebay. I am using this with my V6700. I am on the road quite abit. I send many emails from the front seat of my vehicle. With my 6700 in the windshield mount and the keyboard on my lap (notebook underneath)I am able to email away without touching the screen. One of the best buys for my geek habit.Well, my TomTom is right up there also.
The review stated that the manual could of been better. I totally agree. If I hadnt seen the video podcast, I might of had a moment of frustration.
The extra row is great for numbers but this thing doesn't lock in the middle, plus the stand has to be removed to use it, not to mention fingerprints on the chrome case. I'll stick with Think Outside's standard BT keyboard, I've adapted just fine to the function keys. CompUSA has the 3 row BT keyboard for $89 now also.
Reidan, sweet device, and close but not specifically there with what I had in mind. I was thinking more along the lines of a foldable 12"-14" screen/projector stand alone combo that would have a similar form factor of the Sierra keyboard when it is folded. Challening idea, but definitely doable and at least iGo is one step closer to that goal.
I can definitely see how this would benefit Dave, since the screen size of his Sony is closer to a size that would not create a large amount of visual discomfort over a period of 1 to 2 hrs or so.
Funny you should ask for that Physboy. Yesterday I went to the iGo website, the company that owns Think Outside. They have just the device you are looking for!! The iGo Pitch Duo. Do not know much about it, but it sounds like a real cool device. Connect the Pitch Duo to your device via Bluetooth and the Pitch Duo is connected to the projector via VGA cable. Follow the link to learn more.
For me the keyboard functionally seems sound but practically is not suitable. I mean if I need to be productive (e.g. 1 hour or more at a time on a computer.) on the road, there currently is no substitute for a notebook.
Now if they were able to get video out through USB, BT or IR and there was a portable projection or flexible foldable lcd screen that had the capability of working with increased screen size resolutions, then we would be talking a true notebook replacement with this keyboard and your mobile device.
Hey, that thing looks exactly like my old Targus Folding Keyboard I got back when I got my first iPaq 3650!!
(I may be restating what you said during the video, but I do not have speakers at work since I work out in cubicle land so I could not hear what was said.)
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