FOLDING KEYBOARD IS CORDLESS

What's the biggest pain about using one of those handy personal digital assistants or PDAs? It's having to enter information using the stylus. More specifically, it's trying to enter large amounts of text using that hard, skinny little, finger numbing, hand cramping implement of torture better known as a stylus. The stylus is OK for tapping on menu selections and screen buttons but word processing continues to be the most daunting task when it comes to operating one of these little electronic marvels. You can buy a more ergonomically designed stylus but it is the keyboard that still remains the best way to enter lots of text.

Over time, manufacturers have added PDA improvements such as color screens, more sophisticated applications and have increased connectivity by adding everything from wireless email, internet browsers and built-in cell phones. To make text entry easier, some have added little thumb keyboards but they are still awkward. So in response to this stylus inefficiency, some companies have developed add-on keyboards with varying degrees of success. The first keyboards were full sized keyboards you had to tuck under your arm and lug around. Sort of defeats the whole idea of being a portable device, doesn't it? The next generation brought smaller folding units so as to make things more transportable.

But all of these keyboards still share a common flaw. You have to physically connect them to your PDA via a cable or directly insert the PDA into the keyboard. Because there is little standardization from model to model, even within the same manufacturer, chances are the keyboard you buy has to be specifically designed for your PDA or supports a limited number of models. But now a new keyboard from Pocketop, Inc. has come up with a better way to do things by literally cutting the cord. Aside from the obvious advantages, a cordless solution provides a more universal device that can work with most any kind of PDA that uses the Palm or Windows CE operating system.

The Pocketop cordless keyboard uses an infrared beam of light to interface with your PDA's built-in infrared port. But the innovation doesn't stop there. The keyboard comes with a hinge that lets you attach the folded closed keyboard directly to your PDA making everything easier to carry as a single unit. Also included is a small stand so you can position your PDA at a proper viewing angle. Since most PDA's infrared receiver are usually positioned on its side, the stand includes a small mirror so the Pocketop's infrared beam can be detected.

Opening the keyboard at its center hinge reveals a nice size keyboard with keys that travel with a solid touch. Some keys also sport blue lettering that identifies them as special function keys. These correspond to extra PDA functions so you don't have to keep reaching for your stylus.

But one of the nicest features is the included software that lets you orient the PDA horizontally in a landscape position so that you have more characters per line than you would normally with the PDA propped in its vertical position. In fact, the software lets you rotate the PDA at 0, 90, 180 or 270 degrees.

The Pocketop weighs in at a mere 4.2 ounces and is about a half inch thick. Pocketop says you can expect 6 to 9 months of use from the one AAA battery needed to power the keyboard. According to Pocketop's CEO Bill Wrixon, another version of this keyboard will use Bluetooth wireless technology but don't expect to see that until sometime later next year.

The Pocketop sells for $99.