The problem with a Palm handheld, I hear most often, is that it doesn’t have a keyboard. It’s pointless explaining to the uninitiated why Palms are the techno-wonder they are; why its operating system is crash proof while being only a few hundred kilobytes, why the device is light enough to be carried in my shirt pocket, why it can store several years of datebook entries or thousands of contact details (the latter takes up just 100 kilobytes). Nor is the point that the devices are perfect for inputting short messages and phone numbers.
It is also pointless to explain that having to type on the miniaturised keyboards on other personal digital assistants is even more frustrating than the Palm’s ubiquitous stylus and touch-screen-based system (nor that the other manufacturers are rushing to imitate it with a slimmed-down version of Windows).
In fact, since some very clever people invented a folding keyboard that folds out into a full-size laptop keyboard, I’ve taken to just flipping it out to show them.
Sometimes there are inventions that just impress the hell out of everyone for their sheer brilliance.
I’m typing this article on one such keyboard, sitting in bed. I sync with my laptop when I’m finished … and now I’m working with the same document.
The keyboard’s sheer innovative genius is folding closed into a bundle about the size of my first Walkman and not much larger than my Palm V itself, but still unfurling into a keyboard the same size as my laptop’s. As an example of engineering brilliance, it never fails to impress both myself and the awestruck people in meeting rooms.
It compliments the handiness of the Palm so perfectly. It is light and clicks out easily, and draws very little battery power from Palm itself. And, well, it’s just so bloody innovative.
The foldaway keyboard is made for the Pocket PC range of handhelds too and costs from R1000.