Just when you thought that there couldn’t possibly be another thumb-style keyboard available for the Palm, I’m here to tell you that you’re wrong! Seiko Instruments, Inc. has its own thumb board for the Palm V/Vx, m500, m505, and m515 that has been conveniently named the Thumboard. I was sent the m505 version to review.
When the box arrived I could hardly wait to get it open. And I was not disappointed. the PDA slides into the device, allowing you to use your thumbs to type on the small keyboard while holding it between your two hands.
Let me start at the beginning. When you first receive the Thumboard, you get the accessory itself, an instruction manual (which you don’t really need), a floppy disk containing the driver software (but since my PC doesn’t have a floppy drive, I went ahead and downloaded the driver directly from Seiko’s Web site), and a postcard you can use to get a free carrying case for your Palm/Thumboard Combo (I just sent this in). Just install the driver to your handheld, attach the Thumboard, and you’re ready to go. I mean that in the literal sense.
Since the Thumboard covers the entire Graffiti area, you won’t be able to use “sliding hacks” while you’re using this accessory. However, Seiko did include function keys that allow you to access both the silkscreen buttons and the four hard buttons on the front of the unit. I also found that the Thumboard, while made of plastic, seems durable enough to hold up to long use. The keys are easy to press, although people with very large thumbs may find the key spacing to be a little cramped (I found it comfortable to hold and use). Using the keyboard to type up memos and notes was quick and easy. I really didn’t have much trouble with the keyboard layout. The only key that felt like it was out of place was the ENTER key.
The Thumboard is so convenient that I can use it anywhere, even when I don’t have a table available for the full-size keyboard. For portable data entry, my choice from now on will be my new Thumboard. It’s a lot less annoying than Graffiti, even though I’ve had a few weeks of experience with it as opposed to almost eight years worth with Graffiti. You might want to try the Thumboard and see if it meets your needs.
The Thumboard is available at Proporta and other retailers.
Price: $29.95
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