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Landware Go type Keyboard F/Handspring Visor | |
Type:
keyboard/keypad
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| Product Reviews from Amazon.com (Rating System 1 to 5) |
| Review | Rating | Last Updated | Great keyboard for small hands, TakeNote word processor a plus
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. | 4 | Today | Impressed my Friends
This thing is really great! I got my Visor Prism a good while ago, and since I'm finally back in school I started looking at keyboards. Of course you all know that the choices for a full size keyboard are the Gotype! and the stowaway. In almost any case I'm willing to sacrafice compactness for functionality. Which perfectly matches the scenario of the Gotype! vs. Stowaway. All my friends that have Visors(3) thought that the stowaway was the best by far just because it folds down to pocket size. But I was wishing on the Gotype! to be the best. It has shortcut keys programmable for up to 18 different functions. The keys aren't that small, they are actually better than keys on a full size keyboard. Although, I must admit, after using the Gotype! for a while, when I went back to a full size keyboard it seemed huge. The typing is so great I even typed up a whole paper on the palm os. With the portability compared to a normal keyboard, as I was typing my paper, I was able to take the keyboard all over the house with me. The absolute ONLY problem I had was when the keyboard wouldn't respond I had to do a soft reset, and this only happened twice. The first day I brought it to school my friends were amazed. All day they were begging me to try it. I even used it for an interview for our school paper. This makes any typing application perform ten times better. And this also works with AOL Mail for IMing and checking mail. My friends are insane for this keyboard, I will be using this for as long as I have my Visor Prism. | 5 | Today | Big hands? Then look elsewhere
I recently purchased the GoType keyboard for the Handspring Visor directly from the Landware website, and unfortunately have found it to be, for me, an almost completely unusable product. This isn't to say that it's a BAD product, however. For a lot of people, it's no doubt extremely useful. The keyboard itself is very well uilt and fully functional, with nicely laid out keys. Though a bit bigger than the Stowaway when not in use, it's still pretty compact, and can easily fit inside a bookbag. And while the outer casing can get a bit scratched and dinged, it does a good job of keeping the keyboard itself safe from damage. But now the bad part. If you have large hands, and especially if you hunt and peck, this keyboard is very difficult to use. The keys are just too close together, and have a very low profile, requiring you to press them down firmly right in the middle of the key to register the keystroke. Using the GoType, while still faster than graffiti, has cut my typing speed down to less than half of normal (and I'm not that quick to begin with), and long term typing leaves my wrists sore. In a lot of cases I'm actualy faster using the stylus and the onscreen keyboard on my Visor, and can actually type faster using a thumbboard. To make matters worse, the keyboard did not come with the promised bundled software (TakeNote and WordSleuth). The Landware website I bought it from was advertising a free bundle with Blue Nomad's excellent Wordsmith program, but even that was a bit misleading: I had to email their support department to discover that the software is not "bundled" with the keyboard, you have to download it, then email them for the serial number, then email Blue Nomad for the registration key (none of this is ever explained in the documentation or their website; I only discovered any of this after emailing technical support; to their credit, they did respond very promptly to the email, though I still don't have TakeNote or WordSleuth as promised). All in all, the GoType hasn't been a good experience for me. If you have smaller hands it might very well be a great buy, but for my money it just doesn't cut it. | 3 | Today | Very pleased
Initially I passed on the GoType! keyboard for my Visor Deluxe because the keys are smaller and closer together than a standard keyboard. So I bought a Targus Stowaway. But, it gave me annoying little software conflicts that meant it often did not work when I first attached the Visor. (A soft reset followed by a warm reset solved these.) I got used to the spacing on the GoType! keys very quickly. I like the compactness of the GoType! Although it is a little bother to set the Beam preference to "on" and enable the GoType! software before docking each time I use the keyboard, it is still easier and faster to set up than the Targus. I love the fact that the software works each time everytime. Once in a while I do have to do a soft reset. Teamed with the free WordSmith software that came with my unit, it makes a very useful tool and is fast becoming my favorite mode of entering and editing text during my day. I set it up when I arrive at my desk and leave it set up until I leave. I only wish the Visor were firmly snapped into place when docked on the keyboard. I am thinking of making two wire hooks joined by a rubber band. I would place one over the top of the Visor and hook the other to the retractable supplimentary support foot. I learned the hard way the unit will not work if you attach a jumper wire inside the Visor so you can charge on your cradle. There is a web site that tells how to do that, but do not do it if you are planning to use the GoType! keyboard. | 5 | Today | Best investment I've made since going back to school.
I've had the GoType keyboard for my Handspring for a year now, and it's been a godsend for me over and over. A year ago, I quit my secretarial job and went back to school for my Masters degree. I remembered all the trouble I had lugging notebooks to class during undergrad, and besides - my handwriting is as slow as it is illegible. Add to that the fact that I couldn't afford a laptop and you can see why a keyboard for my Handspring seemed like a perfect solution. I researched the Stowaway as well as the GoType, and decided that the puny desktops in most lecture halls would make the fold-up Stowaway more trouble than it was worth. I was a little leery of the smaller key size on the GoType, but I figured I'd give it a try. When the GoType came, it took me roughly ten minutes to get used to the different key size, and I've never looked back. Now remember, I went from typing on a standard keyboard for a living to taking notes on the GoType, and it didn't present any problem at all. I still do most of my papers on my desktop computer with the standard keyboard, and going back and forth is no trouble. I suppose someone with really big hands might have more trouble, but most people should be able to adjust as "handily" as I did. The keyboard unit itself is light and compact, and fits in a bookbag easily. There is a carrying case available, although I made myself one instead. The function buttons at the top of the keyboard are user-definable, and I've found them to be quite useful. One toggles my clock program on, one toggles back to Take Note!, one takes me to my favorite solitaire game pack... Let me tell you, folks - taking class notes with my Handspring is the greatest thing ever! I get stuff down so quickly that I have time to embellish where I would have been abbreviating. Synchronizing the Handspring automatically puts my notes on my desktop PC, and from there I can dress them up in my word processor. The best thing (especially for Research Methods class - ugh!) was the ability to search on keywords, once the notes were in Word. It takes studying to the next level. Oh - and when a classmate missed a class, I was able to email her the notes. The Take Note! software bundled with the GoType is good, too - quite functional, and you can upload text into it as easily as you can get your notes out. I've downloaded hundreds of pages of research articles into my Handspring, so that I could work on my papers...wherever. I also downloaded an entire e-book into the Handspring and read it there. Not quite as relaxing as kicking back with a paperback, but it's certainly do-able. And this semester, we're supposed to download the class outlines, print them, and bring them to class. I was able to load the entire semester's worth into my Handspring in minutes, and now I don't have to carry around that huge stack of notes. If you're a student or are about to become one, I urge you to try the Handspring/GoType combo. It's cheaper and a lot more portable than a laptop, and you'll love the flexibility. | 5 | Today | Little, but effective
I do love this keyboard. It fits neatly into my backpack, and I often find myself using it on the train on the way to work. It's small and lightweight and perfect for taking notes. I also like how the top part keeps my Visor from ker-plopping onto the floor. The only thing I don't like is how small the actual keyboard is, which is a strange complaint for me since I have little hands. But it's smaller than I'm used to. Otherwise, I totally recommend it. | 4 | Today | Replaced my laptop at college
Like a lot of other new PDA owners, I found myself desperate for an alternative to Graffiti within two days of picking up the stylus of my Visor Neo for the first time. I didn't mind the (slow, aggravating, inaccurate) handwriting system for quick functions like jotting down assignments or contacts, but when it came to typing notes in class, I simply couldn't keep up. That's when I started looking at the GoType and Stowaway keyboards. I liked the small storage and large full foldout size of the Stowaway, but ultimately decided on the GoType because of its lower cost and sturdier design. Many of my classes are held in lecture halls with those tiny, barely-adequate fold-away writing desks, and I also find myself wanting to type up documents on my lap when I'm travelling or not at a desk. In these situations, the one-piece construction of the GoType excels over the Stowaway. What's the point of getting the compact Stowaway if you have to carry a 14" sheet of plywood around with you to stabilize it? I toss this keyboard without any additional protection into a backpack stuffed with books, keys, and art supplies several times a day without any concern for its safety, and haven't noticed any wear and tear on it since I bought it 4 months ago. Since buying the GoType, I've completely replaced my laptop with my Visor at school and on the road. Using either the bundled text software or Documents to Go, I've typed reams of notes, completed homework assignments, answered long emails, and written entire papers on my Visor, things that would have taken me an eternity to do with Graffiti. This keyboard has made it possible for me to go pretty much paperless at college, with the added benefit of weighing at least 5 pounds less (Visor included) than the Toshiba Satellite laptop I used to lug to campus. Other features I like are the foldback panel that allows you to keep your bulky Springboard modules plugged in (very handy when I want to use my Visorphone for wireless Internet access), and the USB Hotsync cable. Only one negative: As others have mentioned, the keyboard *IS* rather small, especially for men, and may take some getting used to. The problem is not so much with the width of the keyboard, which is only a bit more narrow than the average laptop, but with the height of each key, which honestly appears to be only 2/3 the measurement of a normal key, making it very easy to accidentally type "3" instead of "e" or something similar. (Regular keys=square; GoType keys=rectangle with 3/8" height) If you are concerned about this, I recommend heading to a Best Buy or CompUSA nearby and testing out the GoType for typing comfort before ordering. | 5 | Today | Doesn't compare with Stowaway
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. .... | 1 | Today | Welcome to Munchkinland
I bought the GoType keyboard hoping to use it to take notes during meetings and classes, but I've discovered that it's just too darn small for my hands. Although it feels well built, the keyboard is sluggish and will sometimes miss a stroke here and there if you're a particularly fast typist, regardless of where you set the key repeat rate. I've never had this problem on my wife's Stowaway or on my laptop; I move at a pretty good clip across the keys and I want any mistakes I make to be my own, not my equipment's. In spite of my initial impression ("yeah, I can use this") I also discovered that after about a half hour on the GoType my hands and wrists begin to ache due to the unnatural typing position that it forces you into. If you've got larger-than-average hands, or are a 60+ WPM typist, I'd avoid the GoType and try the Stowaway, which is larger to use but smaller to carry, and much more user-friendly. | 3 | Today | do yourself a favor & get the GoType
You want a keyboard. You're sick of entering everything with the stylus and I don't blame you. Now you have to decide between the Landware GoType Pro and the Targus fold-up model. I picked the GoType because it seemed sturdier, more durable, doubled as a HotSync cradle, and came with free software. It's also cheaper. When I opened the box I was shocked to see how small the GoType is -- it folds down into a very compact unit. I admit I was slightly worried about the small keys but I adjusted to them within an hour. The pull-out foot at the base of the keyboard makes it balance perfectly on my lap. The design is very functional -- MemoPad, DateBook, Address Book buttons right on the keyboard, the screen tilts at a nice angle, and there's a slot for your stylus. Now I lie on my bed and use my Visor and keyboard rather than sitting at my desk to use my PC. I didn't expect much of the free software, but I was pleasantly surprised. TakeNote is a full-featured word processing application! I'm now using it in place of Wordsmith. I unhesitatingly recommend this product. I only wish I'd ordered it sooner. | 5 | Today |
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