Wireless Handheld Keyboard and Trackpad for UMPCs
There have been a number of UMPCs released this year, some with keyboards (convertibles) and others without (slates). As useful as slate UMPCs can be, there are still times when a little keyboard would add some utility that is missing. Those folks at Brando, makers of a wide range of computer gear, have a wireless keyboard that is designed for such use with UMPCs.
The USB Wireless Handheld Keyboard and Touchpad is exactly that, a portable keyboard that works with Windows systems that need a thumb keyboard solution. What sets this gadget apart from others that have appeared in the past is the inclusion of a touchpad with two mouse buttons. It uses a USB dongle on the UMPC side to provide a wireless connection to the keyboard. It might be useful to those slate users who run programs that have a lot of key commands. The keyboard features backlit keys and comes with a charging cradle. $60.
(via Red Ferret)
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You might just have a net book?
is it windows only? That’d be … unfortunate.
(why doesn’t it just use bluetooth, instead of its own wireless dongle?)
Seconded, why dongles?!? I dont have many usb port but I have Bluetooth, and it supports HID keyboards and Mice…
Being familiar with this business the main reason that the choose not to use bluetooth is the cost. Bluetooth has licensing costs associated with it and the chips cost more. Additionally, bluetooth chips consume batter life faster.
All that being said, I agree that from the customers perspecive no dongle is better that adding another one.
The site says it’s designed for HTPCs (Home Theatre PCs), rather than UMPCs. I’m not sure how well it would work with the average UMPC sitting on your desk, unless it has a kick-stand. Have you had some wires crossed here? ;)
No, I was carrying the usage scenario further than that, given the focus of this site on the mobile computer market. It would certainly work with HTPCs, that’s a given. It will work with any Windows PC.
The keyboard is great and I purchased it 6 months ago, but I purchased it at efo site. Cheaper than above site, only US$45 including shipping fee.
Share it : http://efo.buy-lowest.com
For $20 (or less) I highly recommend this usb keyboard that was made for the Playstation 2:
dreamGEAR MINI-Key for PlayStation 2
It’s much more portable and I don’t think twice about just plugging it in, banging out a few sentences, and then unplugging it and stashing it away again. It works great on the Xbox 360 too, BTW.
Why do you need to be wireless when you’re using a 7-inch screen? How far away do you need to be?
I use the viliv s5 as a phone with a bluetooth headset. The software on the viliv s5 does not accommodate use of the headset to answer phone calls. I am hoping that I can use a shortcut key on this keyboard to do that. Also the 5″ screen just gets pretty tiny sometimes so I think this will be a great alternative for brief input. I went ahead and purchased one. Thanks for the review!
I also have the dreamGear mini-key (2 of them, actually).
They do work. They’re not excessively comfortable, and are missing some keys you’d want for, say, working in a linux/unix terminal shell, but they get the job done for the basics.
I use BlueRemote on my Treo!
http://www.palmgear.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=software.showsoftware&PartnerREF=&siteid=1&prodID=124035
Touchpad and keyboard!