I purchased the GoType! Keyboard with a software bundle which ihcluded a basic word processing application called TakeNote! and a thesaurus application called WordSleuth from Landware. After installing the hardware and the software everything worked great. However as soon as I went to enter the registration codes for the word processor - the registration was regected because the registration code as marked on the CD was deemed to be incorrect. The thesaurus code worked fine. I emailed the support team at Landware and was directed to a web address where I was to download a different version of the software that responded to the registration code. After installing this - everything seemed to be going well - until I switched off and disconnect my Palm IIIc. Upon reinserting the Palm and switching the palm on, the GoType! software (and therefore my Palm) refused to detect the keyboard while being 'enabled'

I re-emailed the support team at Landware and received the following response:-
"Thank you for your interest in LandWare. What version of the driver are you using? Apply some force and insert the Palm all the way into the GoType!."
I then received an atuomated reply as follows:-
"To help us provide a fast resolution to your emailed support question, we require that you resubmit your email message through our web-based Support
Wizard form located at: http://www.landware.com/help.
The Support Wizard form will ensure your email message contains all the vital configuration information necessary for a quick and accurate response.
Our Support Wizard, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, also includes answers to over 90% of the questions received daily by our technical support staff. The Support Wizard allows you to obtain:
- Detailed Product Descriptions
- Visual Tours
- System Requirements
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Upgrade Information
- Error Messages and solutions
- Access to web-based forms to send a message to our support staff
To access the Support Wizard, click or copy the following link
http://www.landware.com/help and paste it into your browser.
For your convenience, we have included direct links to common areas of the
Support Wizard. Click one of the following links or copy and paste it into your browser:
1 - Assistance with a product activation code:
http://www.landware.com/help/registration/faq
2 - For product upgrades:
http://www.landware.com/upgrade
3 - For product documentation:
http://www.landware.com/manuals
4 - For sales related questions:
http://www.landware.com/sales
Thank you for your support of LandWare's Product and Services!
LandWare Support Team"

I replied with:-
Look I am just being messed around here. I'm not interested in your automated reply emails.
I have been to your site - If you had read my earlier email you would have been aware of that. THE GOTYPE WILL NOT WORK!!!!!! - POWER GETS THRU - THE SOFTWARE 'ENABLES' BUT DOES NOT DETECT THE GOTYPE KEYBOARD. THE DRIVERS ARE UPDATED & CORRECT - THE REGISTRATION CODE IS CORRECT. THE PALM IS CORRECTLY CONNECTED TO THE GOTYPE!:-
1. I went thru the section on 'product activation codes' - it doesn't apply to this situation.
2. I have been to the upgrade section and downloaded the latest driver and reinstalled - no change - because the driver is the same as the driver on the installation CD I have.
3. I have been all the way thru my manual and the online manual - with not change.

It seems to me you guys don't have the answer - either on your site or at your support base. If that is the case - please tell me how I go about sending the GoType! back - the product quiet clearly is defective.
Thanks
Glenn M Barrett

So I received this back:-
"I am just trying to help here. If you don't want to answer the questions, contact the Sales Dept. for a refund.

So, what version of the driver are you using? Did you make sure the Palm is fully inserted?

ท Go to the application list on your handheld (application/house button).
ท Tap the menu button on your handheld (button below the application/house button).
ท Select 'Delete' This will bring up a list of applications.
ท Email me the list that appears."

By this time I am really annoyed at being treated like an ignorant kid. I sent this in reply:-

I am just trying to help here I realise that and appreciate your help and support.. If you don't want to answer the questions, contact the Sales Dept. for a refund. I believe I have answered your questions -> I don't want a refund - I want the problem fixed
>
>So, what version of the driver are you using? I mentioned that I had updated to the latest available driver -> that is version 1.6.1 (I believe I had also stated this in a previous email) Did you make sure the Palm is fully inserted? Yes refer below "THE PALM IS CORRECTLY CONNECTED TO THE GOTYPE!" which in other words "it is fully inserted" I really do object to being treated like a child here - I realise you may often get people who are so silly they would not have inserted the Palm correctly - I am not one of those people. I expected to be treated with a degree of respect. The very first thing I did was to check if it was inserted correctly and have done each and every time it has been inserted

You guys are doing a good job and I know it must get very frustrating at times. But questions such as "is your Palm fully inserted" while may be a question that needs asking - is a bit like asking if I put my cloths on before going to work this morning. I apologise if my reply was a little abrupt - but I am sure you will also appreciate the frustration this end, when I have installed everything and all was going well except the TakeNote! registration. After that issue was rectified - things were fine until I switched everything off. Next day when I went to use the GoType! keyboard - nothing!!!! No other software had been installed or removed other than 'TakeNote!'

>ท Go to the application list on your handheld

>(application/house button).
>ท Tap the menu button on your handheld (button below the
>application/house button).
>ท Select 'Delete' This will bring up a list of applications.
>ท Email me the list that appears.

There is 973K of memory available
JackFlash has installed - Diabetes, GoBar, Santas List, SolFree and yahtC into Flash Memory with only 2K of Flash Memory left

The List is:-

AcctMgr
Act Names
Address
Applications
Blocks
Calc
CSketch Pad
Date Book
Diabetes
Documents
Ex-AMAW
Expense
FireViewer
FPDesign
Galax
GoBar
GoType!
Graffiti
Gulliver
HanDBase
HardBall
Hearts
Hi-Note
HotSync
JackFlash
Mail
Memo Pad
powerOne
PalmBasket
PalmHanoi
PalmJongg
Parens Lite
PmRemote
Prefs
Quizzler
Santas List
Security
SFCave
Sheet ToGo
SheetView
Signature
Sol Free
SplashPhoto
SysInfo
TakeNote!
TimeReport
To Do List
TrapWeavr
Welcome
WordSleuth
WordToGo
WordView
yahtC

Thank You

Glenn

All I have received since is the automated reply I received before. They have made no more contact with me.

I apologise for the marathon length of this response - but the point I am trying to make here is that the support team of Landware have not treated me the respect all customers deserve. It is quite clear I have responded to all the issues they have raised. I have been accused of not answering their questions - which quite simply is not correct. They are implying that I don't have the intelligence to ensure the Palm is inserted correctly before contacting them.

I have been left with a sour taste in my mouth over my dealings with the Landware support team. If I ever do get the Keyboard to work or replaced - I certainly will not be recommending the product to anyone on the basis of my dealings with Landware.

Regards

Glenn M Barrett
Auckland
New Zealand

Dear Julie, 

Could you please include the following message on the "Owners'
Comment Page" for the GoType! keyboard. I hope it will be
helpful, especially for the users who bought one of the first
generation of these keyboards. 

Best wishes,
Anthony Jameson

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Two years ago, I was an enthusiastic LandWare customer: I bought one of
the first generation of their GoType! keyboards and convinced several other
people in my department to do the same.

But by now I'm frankly appalled by the sort of support that the company
gives to people who spend substantial sums of money on their products. I've
written my GoType! off as a total loss and ordered a keyboard from another
company.

For starters: I wrote to their technical support addresses on three
separate occasions and never got a response. It seems that to get any
answer, you should write to the company's higher-level officials, some of
whom are listed in the company web site. But the answers I got were even
more exasperating than the silence of the support group.

The main issue was the way in which the company discontinued its software
support for the first generation of its keyboards. These keyboards reversed
the usual positions of the Right-Shift and Up-Arrow keys, causing touch
typists continually to fly accidentally into the middle of the previous
line of text. (See, e.g., Julie Strietelmeier's original Gadgeteer review.) 

In response to complaints in reviews and discussion groups, LandWare
inserted a simple checkbox option in its driver that allowed users to swap
the keys back to their normal positions. Fine; but as soon as they had
corrected the design error in the hardware of their newer keyboards, they
promptly removed the one-line fix from the software driver, putting the
early buyers back in the same dilemma that they had originally been in.

I've written numerous messages to LandWare officials begging them to put
back the one-line fix so that I could again use my $80 keyboard. But they
frame the problem as one of a small number of users who are asking for an
unusual "legacy" feature, rather than as a matter of their obligation to
provide uninterrupted support for those who pay for their products.

For a couple of months they've been mentioning a "special edition"
version of their driver which is to be released at some unspecified future
time for those who explicitly request the original bug fix. So those users
who have not yet given up on the company may want to write them to be put
on the waiting list for this edition of the driver.

Best wishes,
Anthony Jameson

I have a Palm III and could not get the GoType! driver to address the
keyboard. I downloaded the latest driver from LandWare, talked to their
staff, talked to the Palm support staff. Bottom line --- Palm's attitude
"If your Palm III is working/synching properly, there's nothing wrong
with it." Landware's staff tried many things, to no avail.

I eventually installed the driver on another staff member's Palm IIIx
and it worked perfectly with the keyboard. I sold it to her and will
wait for the Palm Portable Keyboard to make an appearance at an
OfficeDepot store near me
(After checking one store near me this morning, I find that they only
have the Palm keyboard for PalmV!)

--
Steve Moskal

Hi Julie.

I agree that navigation is sloppy and somewhat nonexistent to say the least.
I almost returned mine and then decided what the heck, it does type faster
than I can write, but you do have to keep tapping to get around the different
fields.

I think that if palm had more commands programed in the palm then the gotype
would work better. You could use the command key to navigate with. When you
are in the address book you can get to a listing by hitting the enter key and
then you can get to the note by using the command key and a, as if you were
attaching a note, but I could not find a way to get to the edit screen
without tapping the screen.

Hopefully someone will come up with new software that will address these
issues.

Until then, I guess we will all have to "hunt and tap" or peck.

Oh well.

Regards,

Ned Hartman

I just purchased my GoType! keyboard yesterday.
They already fixed the right Shift key position so it rest next to the ?/
key.
The new version comes with version 1.5 driver.
Nice product.

Rainer

Ever since I purchased the GoType! I have had problems with it disabling itself. Just about the time I get ready to use it at work, it's not working. Or I can use it once or twice and the next time, it's out of order. What am I doing wrong? Can you make any suggestions and explain how I can make it work again? It is currently sitting on my desk collecting dust [inside it's case] and I miss it.

Thank you,
Marcia

I was and I'm very dissatisfied with this product.  I only do two or three
data entries a day and it takes longer to "futz" with it before my data entry
than my actual data
entry. I just want to turn it on and do data entry and shut it off.  To me
Landware rushed this product out on the market to fast.  They also should
obsolete the stylus when using the keyboard and put more navigational
commands in the keyboard.  I'm just hoping future drivers will alleviate this
problem. Thanks for listiening.

Jim Peckio

I too like this keyboard very much
I have both the gotype and the newton and I much prefer the gotype.
I don't have to lug around a cable and I don't have to do a soft reboot
every time, as I have to when  I use the Newton keyboard. this is a
time-consuming affair if you have lots of stuff in memory and lots of
3rd party apps.

One thing  that I find earksome with the gotype is the fact that if I
walk away from my work for more than 3 minutes and the Pilot turns
itself OFF, I have to re-seat the Pilot to get the keyboard to work
again.  It would be great if the keyboard remained activated when you
turn the Pilot back on.

An alternative is to disable the Pilot's ability to turn itself off (I
use Cesium), but that scares me, as I am not always disciplined enough
to turn it off manually.

M. Simard

One of the reasons I bought the GoType! was the price.  Start adding
bells and whistles and the next thing you know...
I just bought my GoType! (5/99) a few days after I bought the PalmIIIx.
My previous organizer was the Sharp OZ9600II Wizard which I've dearly
loved, except for the lack of PC interface.  Even got used to the little
keyboard as a touch-typer.  The GoType! seems huge compared to that, so
I guess it's all in what you're used to.
I realize that all the ideas about modem add-ons and ports, etc. are
nice and that most of these inputs were written before the introduction
of the PalmVII, but there you go.  Gots yer modem, gots yer special
subscription e-mail server, gots yer "I can't afford that much" price!
Love my Palm and the GoType!

Gary Beckwith

Julie - there is something which I encounter with the GoType! Keyboard
which never seems to appear in any reviews (but which Landware seems to be
aware of).

If you are taking notes, and there is no input for 2 minutes (which is my
default for inactivity before the Pilot shuts off), I find that when I turn
on the Pilot again while in the GoType cradle, the driver gets "lost", and
the keyboard is no longer active.  The only way to activate it then is to
"shut it off again, then turn it back on" while it is in the cradle, after
which all is fine.

Is there a reason that no one finds this to be incredibly annoying (as the
only drawback ever mentioned is the right Shift key, which I find
infinitely less annoying!)

Your thoughts?

Note: There's an easy fix, get version 1.02 of the driver which is available on Landware's website. I just tried it and it works fine for both the .prc and hackmaster version...jas

Mark S. Putter

I contacted Landware about the shift key location and there working on
fixing it.  I don't know whether it will be physically different or just
changing the layout (as in changing qwerty to dvorak) but they say it will
be out first quarter of 1999.  I'm holding out on buying owe till then.
Nick Hughes

The GoType Keyboard is a must-buy, if you really want to get something done
on your Palm. For me now, while writing in the memo pad, instead of
thinking how tedious it is to write individual characters, I think of how
many words are left until I have to start a new memo... Sigh. 4K is big for
a daily journal entry.

It always helps to read the manual (RTFM), and there are such keyboard
accelerators as Alt+Done for "Details" and Alt+Enter for "New". I still use
the stylus, but at least it's kept to a bare minimum. And I don't worry
about the right shift at all. I'm not much of a good typist (I'm left shift
heavy). I'm a programmer, and I'm more annoyed that the left and right
braces and brackets ( '[', ']', '{', '}' ) are in the wrong position, right
next to the space bar and arrow keys. But hey, I'm not programming on my
Palm 3 (... yet!).

So now that you're entering all that info, you may want to improve your
editting software. SmartDoc (doc reader/writer) comes to mind, but also you
may want to search and replace, drag-move, drag-copy, and enhance the
clipboard size. EVEdit, a shareware Hackmaster hack, seems to solve these
issues.

Though I think GoType is good, I wish there was a way to move key
assignments around. For example, if I could redefine the right shift +
arrow combination, I could page forward and page back with one hand. (Okay
okay, so you can do that easily with the rocker switch, but that's beside
the point.)

Great job Landware. You've turned my geek-toy into a serious tool.

- Clifford Caoile

I love the keyboard - my only complaint is the one mentioned in your
article about the right shift key and the arrow key - I am fast touch
typist and if I don't concentrate, I end up in the middle of a sentence
above where I am typing and it is frustrating to later figure out what I
was trying to type! I have used the keyboard in meetings and it is so
much easier than trying to take handwritten notes - it is a GREAT
addition to my Palm III!

Judie Hurtz

Hi,
Just wanted to say that I have been using the GoType keyboard every day
since I recieved it and I love it.
At first, I admit it was a bit of a pain to have to switch between typing
and tapping, but now that I know what it can and can't do it's not as bad
as I thought at first. It also helps to learn your programs command
switches ( I never used them before the GoType) and to use them instead of
the pull down menus when possible.
As for the modem issue, I think a nice compromise would be something
similar to the bridge that would go between the keyboard and the pilot that
would allow a serial port hookup if you needed it. That doesn't sound like
a very difficult thing to develop (Not that I'm an expert). This way you
could buy it if you want it, and not buy it if you don't.


Thanks for all your great reviews,

Frank Bott

Hey,

Got my Go Type unit first week of Dec-98 and find it to be a dream. When at a meeting I use it to take notes and then hook up to the desktop PC and send the note all over Canada to others that could not get to the meeting. I am not a fast typist but I do like the feel of the keyboard and the size does take some getting use to, for me it took about 10 minutes. This product is a great idea and I use it every day in business. Hats off to the inventor, great job.

Pat Karowich

I am using the GoType! keyboard with one of the original Pilot 1000s
with a 1 meg upgrade card. I love the keyboard and use it a lot.

There are a few problems which are probably due to the Pilot 1000. I
haven't heard back from Landware on this. They sent me version 1.02 of
the Hackmaster extension but that did not cure these problems.

The shortcut key doesn't do anything.

When I call up a memo and press an arrow key, the memo scrolls all the
way to the bottom. ALT +arrow works fine. If I use COMMAND "T" or "B"
and then an arrow key, the rapid scrolling happens. The only
workaround in these instances is to tap somewhere on the screen before
touching the arrow keys.

There is no documentation on this but one would expect that SHIFT +
arrow UP or DOWN would select one line at a time. On my Pilot, this
selects everything from the cursor to the beginning or end of the
memo.

William J. Cuff

Got my GoType! I'm not much of a typist, so it's fine for me. Beats
lugging a laptop. Carry the Pilot and leave the GoType in checked
luggage.

I use the modem frequently, but don't need the keyboard to *send*
e-mail, just to compose it. I guess people would want it *and* the modem
so they could chat? No interest to me. GoType! does exactly what I
wanted it to. Now let's hope someone can hack better navigation.

- Steve Patriquen

I couldn't agree more on the navigation deficiency.  For me that's a
deal breaker.  If I've got a keyboard, why should I have to dink around
with my stylus?!  Perhaps there's a software solution to this problem
that is forther coming but for now the gotype! wont work for me. 

I also agree about the key size.

Good review!

J Miller

Hi Julie,

I bought 2 GO TYPES (one a gift for my dad).  I was originally interested in the idea of connecting a newton keyboard when I read an ad in an old Pen Computing magazine. However, once I saw the GO TYPE a fewweeks ago, I had to have it NOW! My gadgeting brain was salivating for it so I had them shipped next day air. (I also didnt want to take the chance of them running out of stock since Christmas is weeks away).

Since having it, I have been a lot more productive with my pilot. I give Landware kudos for its ease of operation, ergo design and portability.  I loved it so much that I couldnt help but show it off while waiting at the airport. Piloteers like myself seem to have this natural urge to show off our newly downloaded apps, new peripherals, etc to other piloteers. So, when saw this woman at the airport with a Palm3, I just had to show off the keyboard.

Now I have no need to buy a laptop computer, since I can type long notes and drag them into MS Word once I have synced.  Plus, the Pilot and keyboard is much easier to carry around.

WISH LIST:
* I wish my arrow keys could let me scroll through my data.
* I wish the pilot would recognize the keyboard after it goes to sleep.

BOTTOM LINE:
* Its a must have!

My only major future concern for this keyboard is whether or not it will be compatible with the new 3Com Palm Razor organizer that is due out spring 1999.

----Eric Fellen

Kudos to your company for this tool. 

We have been using them for about two weeks now.  We have been using Palm
Pilots for 18 months and had tried to use the other keyboard, but it was too
cumbersome.

We purchsed several GoTypes and use them constantly.  They were ordered the
day we discovered the Gotype in Pen Computing magazine.   It is easy to
capture action items at staff meetings and technical reviews.  People do not
have to wait for the minutes or records to come out to start or complete
action items.

Data entry is easier at a remote desk that does not have a computer terminal.
At remore meetings, notes and spreadsheets are easier to take and manipulate.

Then, when field work is necessary and  only the Pilot is needed, the keyboard
stays in the office or car.

Excellent tool!!  Well done.
As they will be in constant use, we will advise as to durability.

Dave Taylor

JULIE, GREAT REVIEW.

I READ YOUR REVIEW THE DAY IT HIT PGHQ NEWS AND ORDERED MY GOTYPE FROM LANDWARE THE SAME DAY. GOT AN EMAIL FROM LANDWARE THE NEXT DAY THAT IT WOULD SHIP IN 24 HOURS. WAITED A FULL WEEK, EMAILED THEM ABOUT IT. GOT LAME EXCUSE THAT THEY WERE OVERWHELMED, WOULD SHIP THE FOLLOWING MONDAY. THIS WAS ON A FRIDAY. I KIND OF FLAMED THEM FOR SENDING ME EMAIL CONFIRMING, THEN RENEGING. ON MONDAY, I GOT EMAIL THAT IS WOULD SHIP TUESDAY, WITH SHIPPING OPTIONS.

I WROTE THEM BACK TO SEND IT 2ND DAY UPS WITH MY EXISTING CREDIT CARD INFO. GOT EMAIL BACK THERE WOULD BE NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE. SURPRISE! :-) I FINALLY GOT IT TODAY (14 DAYS AFTER ORDERING) AND THINK I WILL REALLY LIKE IT. (ALTHOUGH IT MAY BE SOMEWHAT OF A BATTERY HOG-TOO SOON TO TELL) TODAY IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE SEEN OWNER COMMENTS POSTED ON THIS ITEM. (I STAYED AWAY TILL I GOT MINE.)

I HAVE DISCOVERED ONE THING (REALLY 2) THAT HAVE NOT BEEN MENTIONED ANYWHERE, TO MY KNOWLEDGE.  YOU KNOW THE LITTLE HOLES IN THE UPPER LEFT AND RIGHT CORNERS OF THE GOTYPE? THINK OF THEM AS LITTLE INK-WELLS. THEY WILL HOLD YOUR STYLUS, WAITING CONVIENTLY FOR THAT ANNOYING NAVIGAIONAL CHORE OF TAPPING SOMETHING,  WHILE YOU TYPE, BE YOU A RIGHTY OR A SOUTHPAW.

ABOUT THE CASE, I ORDERED ONE AT THE SAME TIME. IT DID NOT COME YET, IT'S ON BACKORDER. OH WELL. MAYBE I SHOULD HAVE ORDERED FROM PGHQ, INSTEAD OF LANDWARE.

PLEASE PARDON THE CAP'S, I'M AN ENGINEER AND BELEIVE IT TO BE GENETIC.

AGAIN GOOD REVIEW, KEEP IT UP.
JIM WISE

Thanks for the great review I would like to disagree with every one
about the modem who needs it I sure don't I also love the fact of how
easy every thing was to set-up it took me about 2 minutes or less and
that is including taking it out of the box. Landware did a great job and
I know I will be a loyal follower from now on Next purchase will be my
case if you haven't already got one now is the time it truly is a great
value if you are a true Pilot believer.

Ron Herrera

Julie,

Great review, I follow palm developments closely and always find you do "the most objective"
job of reviewing on the net. I immediately purchased the GoType, after reading your review,
and agree with your comments.  I would ad a couple to them as I use it with a Mac
PowerPC.  When my GoType arrived I put the disk in my Mac (which can read PC data disks)
and found that while I could see the files, install app would not do its thing. I went down the
hall and docked my pilot into a PC put in the disk and everything installed fine.   The next
problem was that My PalmPilot Professional would not recognize the key-board. I went
through the trouble shoot directions, and then called GoType support. They answered the
phone on the third ring, walked me through a few trouble shooting questions, and
immediately admitted they were having some compatibility problems with the early
Palm's.  They promised a file that would load a work around until they updated the driver.
24 hours later I had an e-mail from Landware support with the promised file attached.   I
installed it followed the directions and sure enough it now works.  I immediately fell in love
with its ability to allow me to take minutes at meetings free of cords and battery worries.

A comment to all who have expressed wishes for a modem in the keyboard. Be careful you
may get what you wish for and ruin a good product.  I believe a better solution is to purchase
any number of memory upgrade boards that include a modem or pager with them and leave
the key board alone.  The modem option would price raise the price to much unless it was
available with or without.  LandWare did a great job of following the engineering principal of
KISS, Keep It Simple Stupid.  The product work's, it works well, its great value for the
money, quit whining and use it already.

Julie,

Great review! I purchased two, one for my wife and one for myself. They work super for text input in memos and JFile data bases. Yes, screen navigation is not perfect but, the only reason I can see to use a keyboard with a PalmPilot is to input larger amounts of information that would otherwise be laborious using Graffiti. With my wife in sales and me teaching at a university we both have tremendous amounts of information to input into our PalmPilots. This product is like a gift from heaven. GoType is worth every dollar, little more than one expects to pay for a good mouse for a PC. To sum it up, the PalmPilot remains as portable and usable as ever but is enhanced by having the ability to easily add a keyboard for larger text input tasks when needed.

Keep up the good work. I always enjoy reading you reviews, I check your page daily.

Michael Hazlewood

Hi
I enjoyed your review of GoType.  As usual you are right on target.  I
use DateBook 3 as well as ToDo and Memo+.  I find that the keyboard
works much more efficiently with the original Palm apps than with the
add-ons.  Hopefully, new drivers will be forthcoming to resolve this.
Considering all the pros and cons, the GoType is so convenient for
entering text, that is is well worth living with its shortcomings,
which, I feel, will be addressed by Landware.  They seem to be very open
to suggestions, and Ken, in particular is very helpful
Alan V. Bornstein

Julie,

After a playing around with my GoType keyboard for a couple of days, I
discovered a few "features" that you hadn't mentioned.

- One pleasant surprise is that there is enough "slop" in the docking
connection to let me attach my Pilot without removing it from its slim
leather case.

- I think placing two stylus holders next to the function keys was a good
idea.  It gives me a place to hold the stylus while I'm using the keyboard
that will also make it harder for me to leave the stylus behind when I'm
done typing.

- In my opinion, anyone who is considering buying the keyboard should also
take a look at the GoType case.  It's a nice protective holder that will let
me keep my keyboard, Pilot, accessories, and spare batteries all in one
package.

- One bug that I have noticed is that the Pilot occasionally doesn't
recognize the keyboard when I turn it back on after it has "gone to sleep".
Cycling the power off and on gets the connection working again.

I agree with you that it would be nice if they could tweak the interface a
bit so that you could navigate around applications with less screen tapping.
I'm not so convinced that it needs a way to connect it to a modem.  It would
probably increase the complexity and cost, and there are a lot of Pilot
owners like me who don't need that capability right now.

Ken Jancaitis

i read with interest your article on GoType Keyboard

i brought the PiloKey as i need to type.  It freeze you serial port, if you
need to hot sync you need to reset. it troublesome and also i could not
find any
newton keyboard in singapore or bangkok, and finally i decided to give it
away the PiloKey and wait for my GoType Keyboard. (still waiting)

bye
George Chin

It sure would be nice if there were multiple serial ports on the
keyboard. One for your modem and one for your printer cable or
GPS or even for future devices. Also it world be nice if 3com
made their desktop software a little more annoying. I mean my palm
alarms how come the palm desktop doesn't alarm. Or how about
supporting multiple POP mail accounts. Or integrated e-mail into
the desktop software.

There are all kinds of things that I wish I could see a palm do.
Not necessarily to take the place of a PC but to enhance the
functionality of my palm.

Power to the Palm!

Andrew J. Roberts

Sounds like a neat idea. What they really need to do is build in a
modem (33.6) into the keyboard and you'd have the perfect "docking
station" for checking email on the road. You wouldn't have to make the
keyboard much bigger to squeeze in a small modem board, two AAA batteries
and an RJ-11 connector on the back.

Dave Beneditz

The way I see it, they should have include a modem. I understand that the
keyboard is a serial device that can not be used at the same time as a
modem. But imagine this, you open your keyboard, put your Pilot in the
"cradle" connect power (for 56k modem and keyboard), connect your phone
line. Once that is done you push your "Sync Button" the pilot RAS/dials
your "server" and gets sync. You do your mail update your calendar the sync
again. Sounds great.

Reynaldo Flores

Julie,
Thanks for the review - nicely written and informative, it gives a real
impression of how the keyboard will be for prospective purchasers. Just one
teeny niggle: You mentioned optional keyboards AZERTY and QWERTZ, naming
them as UK and German. AZERTY is French, of course. UK keyboards are QWERTY
same as the US.
By the way, would you be able to change the keycaps if you used an
alternate layout, or would you need a bottle of whiteout?

(Note from Julie:  I'm not sure if you can remove the keys or not... I don't want to start prying on the GoType! that I have.)

Regards,

Richard Shearwood