Sony Ericsson / Sony : Symbian phones : Think outside bluetooth keyboard received
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I just received yesterday my Bluetooth keyboard (from expansys
http://www.expansys.com/product.asp?code=113674 ) for my P900,
http://www.thinkoutside.com/products/stowaway-bt.html , and weighted them with
battteries and memory cards:
Psion 5mx: 370g
P900+keyboard: 350g
Granted, it is not integrated, but the separate keyboard solution
has advantages over my previous Psion 5mx:
* it is easier to carry 150g in a pocket and 200g in another
than 370g in one
* the keyboard is MUCH better than the psion (which was MUCH better
than any integrated PDA :-), it is a full laptop keyboard, with lots
of programmable PDA-useful keys, and it is usable on your knees or
even standing up as it locks open.
PS: I bought a P900 in february only when this keyboard was announced. For me
a keyboard was also a mandatory item for any PDA/smartphone.
Touch and feel is the same as a good laptop. (I also found the 5mx keys to
hard on edge so I missed quite a number of presses while touch
typing). Bluetooth works quite well, no hassle once you have done the initial
"pairing". It has also a nice set of redefinable shortcuts for various apps
and functions, making it quite useful. There is no number row, you have to
press a "Fn" key for it, but it doesnt seem too bad.
What is great is that arrow and page up/down keys work perfectly, something
lacking with the pen-based entry modes.
The only lacking feature would be some trackpoint devices, as you have
sometime the need to touch the p900 screen to activate some menus or icons. I
guess some "macro" app p900-side activated via key shortcuts could do the
trick. Also I didnt find yet a way to quickly activate BT on the phone without
using some menus.
I think I will not buy a P910 now. The virtual keyboard (with ezitab
predictive input, and the graffiti-like system are quite usable on the go),
and I like to use my P900 without the flip for slimness and protection (I
replaced it with a strong 1.5mm polycarbonate transparent lid covering the
whole screen held in place with scotch tape). If I was using the P900 with the
flip on, I would probably upgrade to a P910, though.
Note that you cannot use a palm-based device (such as the treos) a their
OS is not powerful enough to handle a bluetooth keyboard.
In summary, a killer device if you take notes in meetings.
[ This Message was edited by: colas on 2004-10-01 21:36 ]
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Posted: 2004-09-30 14:12:52
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I am very interested in it too and guess the bluetooth is what I want more then the cheaper IR. Too bad it doesīnt support Swedish language.
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Posted: 2004-09-30 17:37:07
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Does the phone have to be docked in that cradle? I couldn't understand whether the cradle was meant to be used as a stand for the phone or whether it required a physical connection.. If the later is the case it wouldn't make sense because it's supposed to be a BT keyboard. Morever, if the cradle is just a stand for the phone can it be detached from the keyboard?
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Posted: 2004-09-30 17:51:48
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on swedish: you can enter most LATIN-1 chars via alt-key combinations
on cradle: it is just a plastic stand. the phone can be anywhere, even in your pocket :-), and it can be easily detached
[ This Message was edited by: colas on 2004-09-30 17:02 ]
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Posted: 2004-09-30 18:01:15
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Good! How much did you pay for it? Haveīnt so far seen it in Sweden. Think itīs quite necessary to have the phone in front instead of pocket so you know if the typing is working:-)
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Posted: 2004-09-30 20:45:38
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I bought it on expansys
http://www.expansys.se/
you also have a list of resellers at:
http://www.thinkoutside.com/company/resellers.asp
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Posted: 2004-09-30 21:00:30
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Surely battery wise the Series 5MX be the winner though... mine lasts for ages on 2 AA rechargeables...?
If the P900 requires BT on, then the battery should be eaten rather quickly, when typing intensively... I suppose the IR version would probably be better battery-wise too following that...
Also, since there is no way of rotating the screen typing area, the Series 5 should be superior surely...
Then again, I suppose we are all different users... I kinda like the P900 and Series 5 combo...
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Posted: 2004-10-01 02:49:01
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On batteries, you must known that the psion has 2 problems:
[1] it drains current even when turned "off", this current not being monitored by the "battery info" menu.
[2] you must change rechargeable AA immediately else it drains the backup battery, and then you loose data. so you must be sure to replace rechargeable NiMH before they risk going down (alcalines go down slower, giving you advance warnings)
The external keyboard uses absolutely no current when off or not typing after a timeout, and there is not damage in letting batteries drain.
So the psion solution is not a definite winner for batteries. I would claim the opposite: I do not have to nurse carefully my psion batteries health anymore!
On screen... this has nothing to do with the keyboard? you could use an external BT keyboard with a 640x480 color pocket PC PDA/phone if you want.
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Posted: 2004-10-01 08:54:36
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I too have moved from Psion 5 MX and IR phone combination (T610) to P910 & Bluetooth keyboard. I have had a wish list for some time as well; ie a Symbian OS smartphone with touchscreen, stereo sound and support for 1GB memory cards. So far it is a good solution but the PDA software on and for the Psion is so much better, especially when you consider how old it is and how little memory it uses. I am astonished how many features are missing from the latest Symbian software.
The instant on and useable keyboard of the 5MX are still a great solution, my SO says she pays for hers every day, with work she can do for one client whilst waiting around for another. I don't need the keyboard so much now, and find the browser and e-mail client on the P910 more useful. There is no contest on battery life, the 5MX is so much beter, but remember but not with the backlight on. However the p910 even on really really heavy use has always lasted me a day, That included watching 2 hrs of master and commander on a plane and listening to 3 hours of MP3s at the airport. But to be on the safe side I did get a spare battery.
The
keyboard is great but I think the cursor keys could have been better implemnted and yes a pointing device would have been great, maybe like the nipple on this thinkpad I am using now?
[ This Message was edited by: VinnyP! on 2004-10-01 09:56 ]
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Posted: 2004-10-01 10:53:12
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the PDA software on and for the Psion is so much better
So true. Ironically, I think part of it is that UIQ has been designed for pen-only input, and thus do not make use of keyboard shortcuts that were so useful on the psion. I hope the advent of a keyboard on the P910, alas lacking some control or alt keys (maybe some keyboard driver could simulate it: e.g, press "internet" side button + A to get Ctrl-A ?) will push UIQ developers to include keyboard shortcuts...
A side note: my post is here for people wanting to go to a PDA instead of their psion, but fearing the move because of the keyboard. I am not saying that every psion users should go the PDA+keyboard route. If the psion satisfies your needs, do not move. (and I would pay to get the psion "word", "data" apps - and others on the P900: QuickOffice and Handy databank are jokes in comparison).
[ This Message was edited by: colas on 2004-10-01 11:27 ]
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Posted: 2004-10-01 12:26:56
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