GoType Keyboard for Handspring Visor

I upgraded to a Visor setup from my old Palm Pro, and this was the first accessory I bought--I simply could not live without a keyboard. I write for a living and often compose full articles this way--I call it my "laptop killer."I was pleasantly surprised to find that the GoType Pro is subtly but significantly improved over the old model--namely, the key response is crisper, the angle of the keyboard is more comfortable, and the arrow keys have been repositioned. Being able to HotSync through the keyboard (with the included USB cable) is a nice perk. I often find myself writing on commuter trains, keyboard and Visor propped up on my knees--and as uncomfortable as that sounds, the GoType makes it fairly easy and managable. I'm thrilled with this purchase.

I purchased 2 of these when I pre-ordered and thought it would be worth keeping both to share in the office. I was wrong. While the GoType for the Visor is faster to use than the stylus for straight entry, it was difficult to master the keyboard buttons that correspond to the PDA. It is also a little large to carry in a pocket, although a woman may get away with carrying it in her purse/backpack. At that point it loses the immediate practicality in my experience.I also bought the Targus folding keyboard for a few dollars more when it was introduced, and that would be my Handspring-down choice. The Targus folds neatly into a suit-pocket appropriate size and has a roomy feel when extended for typing. I would say that the Targus is twice the keyboard for 10% more in price. Borrow a GoType to try and then buy a Targus to keep and use. You will definitely prefer the Targus.

I'm a much bigger fan of the Targus folding keyboard. For starters it folds into the size of a handspring. Second of all the Landware version's keys are incredibly small. The one feature benefit of landware is that it's a rigid design so it can be used on your lap - while the Targus version is very flexible and needs to be placed on a flat surface to type.

This is a well-reviewed item, so I'll just voice a few points that are not necessarily obvious.1. The keyboard and its function keys were designed to be integrated with Landware's TakeNote word processor/book reader application. Unfortunately, that application was discontinued for download in 2002. TakeNote is one of those truly useful, simple PalmOS programs that is intuitive and just does what it's supposed to, plus there's some depth if you get into all its functions and use the function keys on the keyboard. Definitely worth getting this keyboard with the software on CD if you can.2. The keyboard is not meant to replace a full keyboard or one of those fold-out Targus or Palm keyboards. At the time this keyboard was in demand, it cost about $40 (on sale) compared to over $100 for the Targus or Palm keyboard. I recently got a Palm keyboard for $3. I wouldn't recommend paying more than $15 on eBay for the Landware keyboard if you can't get the TakeNote/WordSleuth disks. On the otherhand, it has a nice form factor which is well suited to airplanes, tiny student desks, etc.3. WordSleuth is for people who like thesauruses. When I used a Palm V with 2MB of memory, there was no way I was going to keep a thesuarus installed. A dictionary would have been useful.

I bought this thinking I'd save [some money] compared to the Stowaway. What a mistake! I eventually gave this away and bought the Stowaway and the difference is like day and night. (Shows buying cheap costs more in the long run). The GoType keys are not the high quality keys found on the Stowaway, which are just like my IBM Thinkpad. They are small (spcing between keys vertically is really small) and they rock, and as a fast typist I get occasional errors. It seems sometimes that the keys do not register if I press off center on them, which happens when you type fast. The small size of the Stowaway allows me to carry it everywhere, while I found I left the GoType in the office. So I end up using it so much more. ....

I wish Landware had made this keyboard just a bit larger. Despite my compact hands, the keyboard size is in that region where it's OK, but not great. I would rather sacrifice compact portability for greater ease of use. And in any event, this is an item that will be carried in a briefcase and not a pocket. I also would have liked a Home and End key included on the board.I like the solid feel of the keyboard and its stability. This keyboard can be used on the lap. The key action feels good.The included software has both a mini-word processor and a Thesaurus. One can import and export documents to and from the word processor. All my existing applications work with the keyboard. The included software makes this board very desirable.There is no delay between the click of a key and the appearance of the character on the Palm screen. This is the primary reason why I bought the Go keyboard rather than Palm's folding keyboard, which reviewers say has a slight delay. That sort of thing drives me bonkers.