MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Accessories Best portable keyboard for the eDGe

devseev · 05-01-2010, 11:06 AM

After some frustration with the Targus USB foldable keyboard, I decided to swap it for an ADESSO SLIMTOUCH MINI AKB-410UB USB Keyboard. It's definitely bigger (actually close to the dimensions of the eDGe itself, though much lighter obviously), but I LOVE IT.

The keys are a joy to type on - better than most full size keyboards I have seen. Definitely beats the Targus foldable USB hands down. All the shortcut keys work, as described in this thread. The arrow keys are super-useful for scrolling, shift-Arrow selects text in Word2Go just like in MS Word.

The best thing about the keyboard is that it it has a space to rest your wrists, so it's super-comfortable to type for extended periods, even when it's resting on your knees. This may seem like a little thing, but unless you're seated at a desk in an upright chair - the wrist rest is essential - there's a reason almost all laptop keyboards are set up that way. It also has little foldable legs in the back for a slight tilt if you need it.

The keyboard also includes a touchpad, which, surprisingly, is pretty handy on the eDGe, although takes some getting used to. The first surprising thing about the touchpad is that it works at all. It can be used to scroll a page comfortably in the browser, in PDF2GO or in virtually any other LCD app. Now I don't know how I did without the touchpad! It's also pretty useful in the VNC application to remotely control your PC, although mouse pointer control is by no means perfect. The pointer tends to disappear after you move it around a bit (it's still there if you are looking at the actual screen on the server, but not in the client session), and also it is super-sensitive so a slight touch will take the pointer all way across the screen.

As I mentioned, the biggest con about the keyboard is its size, but for me it's worth it. Also, it's not wireless (yes, there are wireless keyboards that work with the eDGe - if they come with a USB bluetooth transmitter).

The one I have is black, but if you want something to match the eDGe more closely, you can buy the silver one, though personally I am not such a huge fan of that color scheme. There is also a bluetooth version of this for whenever eDGe actually enables bluetooth support.

05-01-2010, 11:06 AM	#24
devseev Edge User	After some frustration with the Targus USB foldable keyboard, I decided to swap it for an ADESSO SLIMTOUCH MINI AKB-410UB USB Keyboard. It's definitely bigger (actually close to the dimensions of the eDGe itself, though much lighter obviously), but I LOVE IT. The keys are a joy to type on - better than most full size keyboards I have seen. Definitely beats the Targus foldable USB hands down. All the shortcut keys work, as described in this thread. The arrow keys are super-useful for scrolling, shift-Arrow selects text in Word2Go just like in MS Word. The best thing about the keyboard is that it it has a space to rest your wrists, so it's super-comfortable to type for extended periods, even when it's resting on your knees. This may seem like a little thing, but unless you're seated at a desk in an upright chair - the wrist rest is essential - there's a reason almost all laptop keyboards are set up that way. It also has little foldable legs in the back for a slight tilt if you need it. The keyboard also includes a touchpad, which, surprisingly, is pretty handy on the eDGe, although takes some getting used to. The first surprising thing about the touchpad is that it works at all. It can be used to scroll a page comfortably in the browser, in PDF2GO or in virtually any other LCD app. Now I don't know how I did without the touchpad! It's also pretty useful in the VNC application to remotely control your PC, although mouse pointer control is by no means perfect. The pointer tends to disappear after you move it around a bit (it's still there if you are looking at the actual screen on the server, but not in the client session), and also it is super-sensitive so a slight touch will take the pointer all way across the screen. As I mentioned, the biggest con about the keyboard is its size, but for me it's worth it. Also, it's not wireless (yes, there are wireless keyboards that work with the eDGe - if they come with a USB bluetooth transmitter). The one I have is black, but if you want something to match the eDGe more closely, you can buy the silver one, though personally I am not such a huge fan of that color scheme. There is also a bluetooth version of this for whenever eDGe actually enables bluetooth support. Last edited by devseev; 05-01-2010 at 12:00 PM.