Business Trips with the eDGe (long post)

The "chicklet" keyboard, as so many people call it, is indeed 1.2 cm longer than the eDGe, but only half its width and is NOT a full-sized keyboard (i.e. it does not have a numerical pad). The Microsoft keyboard is WIRELESS, which will currently NOT work with th eDGe until Entourage enables full bluetooth capability with it; also it is longer than the "chicklet" keyboard by about 2.2 inches and much wider as well.

Besides, the "chicklet" is only $15 USD vs. $60+ USD for the Microsoft Arc Wireless keyboard---so you could buy 4 "chicklets" for the price of one brand-name low-profile keyboard that does the same thing as the USB one!

I actually have already used the the ms arc keyboard with my eDGe, it is wireless but not bluetooth, it comes with its own dongle. I have the opportunity to buy one for about the price of the chiclet keyboard so I am trying to decide between the two. Size and usability are to be the deciding factors.

Oh, well then... The "chicklet" is smaller and not as big (I know that's pretty vague) as the Microsoft one and does not come with a wrist support bar.

Reviews of the chicklet keyboard say that the keys are a little hard. Mine will arrive tomorrow and I will be able to compare it to the very old-school keyboard I'm using now. (Huge, *bouncy* keys.) I'm on the road for a few months, so I'll have both keyboards with me, and we'll see whether I'm tempted to revert back to the huge acer keyboard for comfort. I do like the idea of one small enough to fit inside the case (hard sleeve) with the edge. This keyboard now is really big, so I pack it in checked luggage. The other one I'll put right in the case/laptop section of my carry on bag and be able to use it at the airport during layovers.

Just posted a picture of the keyboard set up with the edge: http://yfrog.com/n0rn6dj

It's the perfect size! Thanks for the recommendation, ShiningT1g3R!

- Arrow keys work just fine (I find that I use them a lot)
- Shift key works much better than my previous keyboard which would often get stuck in caps lock when I tried to capitalize.
- I'm used to the Mac keyboard, so I like the spaced out key layout just fine.
- The feel is "quick and snappy" - the keys are quite responsive and bouncy in a tight way (not in a cushy way like my huge, old keyboard with the huge cube keys). But, still bouncy - just more like a tightly-stretched drum skin kind of bouncy than an inflatable castle kind of bouncy. I don't have to over press.
- The keyboard is slightly raised at the back, so the angle seems just fine for typing.
- I'm able to type at my full normal speed and everything seems to keep up with me just fine. (I normally type in the high 80/low 90 wpm, and this keyboard isn't making mistakes. I sometimes am, but not the keyboard!)
- Even though it's raised, it does feel flatter than the big keyboard I was on. So far, not a problem, and I'm used to a laptop anyway which is quite flat.
- This will easily fit in my carry on bag's laptop compartment with the edge.

The only thing that now is a little annoying is that the USB and power connectors are now really noticeable in that they stick out in front of me when I have the e-ink side lying flat on the table face up so I could write in landscape mode. Before, the keyboard was so massive that I didn't really notice them stick out. Now, the connectors are a lot more exposed, so the keyboard can't sit right up against the edge of the machine unless I have the ink side folded flat under. In that position, it really does look like a tiny little laptop/desktop.

A picture is worth a thousand words