.FLYINGHEAD PRODUCT REVIEW
.TITLE The Targus Universal wireless keyboard
.AUTHOR James Booth
.OTHER
.SUMMARY James Booth recently bought a Targus Universal wireless keyboard. It sucked. Customer service was poor. To learn why this is a device you should definitely not buy, read his article. And take heed.
I have recently been on a pilgrimage to find a keyboard for my new Palm Tungsten T2. I considered the Palm IR wireless keyboard, shown in Figure A (see http://store.palmone.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1387252) and the Targus Universal wireless keyboard (see http://www.targus.com/us/product_details.asp?sku=pa870u) as my two primary candidates.
.FIGPAIR A The Palm IR wireless keyboard lacks dedicated number keys.
I had formerly used a Targus Stowaway keyboard with my Visor Platinum, but really didn’t consider this style of keyboard as it runs off of the PDA’s battery and I was concerned it would drain the battery too fast. I ended up choosing the Targus wireless model, shown in Figure B because it offered some features that the Palm model didn’t, such as dedicated number keys, hard button controls, and an 8-way Navigator button.
.FIGPAIR B The Targus Universal wireless keyboard seems like a good choice.
The Targus model is also an inch and a half larger than the Palm, which was very important, as I need a full-size keyboard for touch typing.
.CALLOUT Well, I’m afraid they failed miserably.
.H1 Preview
The Targus Universal wireless keyboard is a battery powered, IR connected keyboard for use with most Palm OS PDAs and Pocket PCs. The IR sensor is positioned on a rotating arm to ensure a connection no matter where the IR sensor on your device is located. As stated, it has the four hard buttons located on PDA devices, the 8-way Navigator for cursor movement, and various and sundry other function keys. Targus claims the keyboard also fits the definition parameters of a full-size keyboard.
.BREAK_EMAIL It gets worse. A lot worse. To read all about this sad product, tap your mouse here.
.H1 The good
Would you like to know the best thing about the Targus Universal wireless keyboard? Of course you would, otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this. The best thing is how fast it got here. I ordered it at 8:30pm one night and it was here at 10:30am the next day. Now admittedly, I did choose overnight shipping, but I expected a one-day delay because of how late I ordered. So I was impressed with how fast my order was filled.
The rotating arm seems to be a good feature. It allows you to position your device in either a portrait or landscape position without the use of mirrors. I also found the response of the IR connection to be quite acceptable. As far as I could tell, it was instantaneous. I couldn’t detect any delay in processing at all.
Another relatively small, but important feature that has a very large effect on the use of the keyboard is the hinge lock. It’s amazing how many folding keyboards are lacking this tiny, but vital, feature. But the Targus Universal wireless has a hinge lock.
The Universal wireless keyboard, being wireless, requires its own power source. This comes in the form of two CR2032 lithium batteries, like the ones that go in calculators or car remotes. I felt this was a boon as alkaline batteries have a tendency to wear out pretty fast. The batteries for the Universal wireless are included in the package with the keyboard.
I wish I could say there were other things about the Targus Universal wireless keyboard that I liked. There just aren’t any. And that leads me to…
.H1 The bad
You’d think by now that I’d have learned to look past the hype and to research the reality. Well, I guess I didn’t, and in the end I was very disappointed. I had previously used a Targus Stowaway keyboard with my Visor, so I thought I knew what to expect. I guess making assumptions didn’t work out too good for me, now did it? Of course, that’s why there are product reviews like this one. So read on.
Most of the keys are full-size, which is good, but for some reason typing just felt cramped. Some of the keys are considerably smaller than full-size though, and this makes touch typing very difficult. One of the hardest keys to hit was the right Shift key because it’s one of those smaller keys, as are all the number keys.
The key that I had the biggest problem with by far though was the Space bar. It’s split in two in order to accommodate the folding of the keyboard. The only problem is that Targus left a rather large space between the halves, right where my thumb normally hits the bar. I’m right-handed, so I use my right thumb to hit the Space bar, and in this case I had to adjust my hand to an uncomfortable position to do it. I don’t know, maybe it works for left-handed people.
Another area that I found deficient was the hard function keys. These four buttons perform a dual function with the assistance of the Shift key to activate Apps, Menu, Find and Calculator, as well as the traditional Date, Address, ToDo, and Memo. The problem with these buttons on this keyboard is that they’re hard programmed. They can’t be reassigned. I’ve remapped the hard buttons on my Palm and expected that when I hit the corresponding buttons on the keyboard that it would activate the apps I have assigned to them. It didn’t. That was how it worked on my old Stowaway and that was what I expected here. I was disappointed that it didn’t work that way.
Another shortcoming of the keyboard is actually the 8-way Navigator button that replaces the cursor keys. The problem is that the Navigator button doesn’t work with Palm OS 5. Oh, I could get left and right out of it, but not up and down. With there being no cursor keys, I was basically up the creek as far as cursor movement goes.
The keyboard does have some programmable function keys in the form of Alt (number key), but the functions that I assigned for cursor movement, other than PageUp and PageDown, didn’t work either. So I had no way to move the cursor line by line other than the Navigator button on the Palm or tapping the screen.
.CALLOUT It was essentially worthless with my T2.
.H1 The ugly
In case you haven’t guessed, I wasn’t the least bit impressed with the Targus Universal wireless keyboard. Every feature that I counted as a desirable attribute turned out to be missing or nonfunctional in the end. Targus claims that with this keyboard and its features, you won’t have to use your stylus or buttons, you know, tap-free. Well, I’m afraid they failed miserably, at least when it comes to using it with a Palm OS5 unit like my T2. Maybe this keyboard works properly with Palm OS 3 or 4 devices and Pocket PCs, I don’t know. But I do know that it was essentially worthless with my T2.
This keyboard has, or had anyway, the potential to sweep the handheld keyboard market. Too bad Targus dropped the ball. Here’s what needs to be done to make this keyboard all that it should be…
First, make it fully functional and compatible with Palm OS 5. Second, do something about that Space bar. The middle is where most people hit it. Third, make those hard buttons correspond to the ones on the PDA, regardless of what app is assigned to them.
I think if these things were fixed, the smaller keys would be livable. Targus’ customer support isn’t winning any awards with me either. Although they processed and shipped my order very rapidly, they aren’t as anxious to take the keyboard back.
I’ve requested an RMA (Return Merchandise Authorization) number and return instructions for a refund twice. I have yet to get a response from them. This really sticks in my craw too, as customer service is one of my biggest pet peeves. In the end, I had to call them in order to get the information I needed for my refund. Before it was all over, I had to file a complaint with my bank to get a refund.
All in all, lumping everything together, I’d have to give the Targus Universal wireless keyboard a 2 out of 5. I’m really leaning towards a 1 because of the way their customer service has blown me off, but as I couldn’t test it with a Pocket PC or older Palm OS device, I’m willing to give Targus the benefit of the doubt on those. Either way though, I’m afraid you’re likely to be taking your chances with this product.
.RATING 2
.BEGIN_SIDEBAR
.H1 Product availability and resources
For more information on the Palm IR wireless keyboard, visit http://store.palmone.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1387252.
For more information on the Targus Universal wireless keyboard, visit http://www.targus.com/us/product_details.asp?sku=pa870u.
.END_SIDEBAR
.BIO James Booth is a self-taught PC and Palm device user who dabbles in graphics and photography. He can be reached at lizardworks@mchsi.com.
