iTech Bluetooth Virtual Keyboard Review

[Phøenix]

Okay guys I saw this product and got that "I just gotta have it" feeling in my gut so I hopeed online and ordered it: https://mytreo.net/store/product.php?xProd=311&xSec=53




I know the Treo has a built in keyboard but for long posts in threads in here or on other sites, or for typing out long e-mails or even working on a Word or Excel document when I'm away from home, this seemed perfect! Looks sweet, especially for tech-geeks like me! Well, on to my review.

I had problems pairing my Treo 650 and the Virtual Keyboard (VKB) for quite some time. Apparently you have to install the software from a mini-CD they include with the package, but here's the thing, the setup process pops up a browser window so you have to download the software, but it kept popping up a blank page! Now why the hell just make things simple and have the setup process auto-run like everyone else does? I mean *sheesh*! So finally I outsmart the damned thing and use the Explore feature to browse through the disk and finally get the drivers and HotSync to my Treo. Finally! Now comes the pairing issues.

The instructions say to pair the device as you normally would, but once it's detected, the device while emit a short tone and you have to press a pairing code of your choice between 1-8 numbers and press "Enter" on the projected keyboard. Of course like every other BT device, I chose 0000. That didn't work and kept giving me an error message saying it was unable to pair my device to my Treo. I kept trying that then finally moved to 1111. That too didn't work. Now I get pissed and try to call the company but guess what? No contact number. I hop on the web and Google the hell out of the company (iTech) and finally come up with a contact number....IN HONG KONG! Apparently they don't have any US offices, WTF?! SO what am I to do at a time like this? I was about to hop on everythingtreo and post in one of the forums for help, but then I realized that this is a brand new product that just hit the market and I'm probably one of the first (if not only) member here to have this new toy so who the hell is going to be able to help me. Last case scenario, I call Palm.

Enter the new chapter of Hell. Now what I'm about to say here should not be construed as bigoted or offensive because it's not, it's just ridiculous. Why is it every single damned time without fail I call any company for technical support I get someone with a thick Indian accent who is very hard to understand and constantly forces me to repeat myself because they have trouble understanding me?! I speak perfect eloquent English and I would like to get a tech support rep when I call companies who can respond and understand in kind. I understand outsourcing to India is cheaper, but come on man, this is ridiculous! I spend 45 minutes on the phone just trying to explain my problems to the rep. that I can barely understand and who barely understands me. Makes me want to shove a pencil in their ear! :mad: At least be able to speak, understand, and be able to be understood perfectly the official language of whatever country you are assigned to provide technical support for.
I spend about 45 minutes on the phone with a woman from Palm tech support who constantly asks me to explain my problem to her. After about 4 times of telling her the same damned thing she finally get it, but only half the issue. I explained exactly what the device was yet she kept thinking it was one of their wireless keyboards and giving me instructions for their product. It also seems their end-all-be-all fix to everything is a soft reset. Geeze man! Even a n00b geek could figure that out. An uber technophile like me knows that isn’t going to work if my HS850 headset is working just fine with it and I explain that to her. She still insists on a soft reset. I refuse because I tell her I'M TALKING TO HER ON MY TREO! She tells me she has to speak with a supervisor to find out more information and to check to see if this product is compatible with my Treo. Time spent on the phone at this point is about an hour. I get pissed and hang up. I try pairing again. This time I use code 2222 on the VKB and enter the same code on my Treo and miraculously it works this time! Thank God! :D

I then have to go into the VKB program on my Treo and enable the keyboard and tweak some settings and I'm good to go, which I do. I finally get to start using the VKB and it's pretty nifty. The keyboard projection is decent size and registers what you type fairly accurately. It takes some getting used to though but like all new products there is a learning curve and an adjustment period. I play with it for an hour or so and the novelty quickly wears off. The device is not even close to the size of a cigarette lighter as advertised first off, it's more like the size of a small Nokia and it's thick, not slim as I was lead to believe from the advertisement (great more bulk to carry around :mad: ). I also realize that the amount of times I'm probably going to use that thing to bang out a long e-mail or post in a thread is like 1 out of 200.

The VKB is getting sent back for a refund on Monday. Chalk if up to an impulse buy for a major techno geek. Guess it cost me the price of shipping to learn that lesson. Chalk it up to an impulse buy and a lesson learned.

My final recommendation, if you've got the money to splurge and you've got nothing better to do with $200 and you really need to have bragging rights, then this is a nifty novelty, but for the rest of you guys, save your money until the price drops to about $45-$50.

~Phøenix

[chris]

My gut says I could do without a virtual keyboard.

I just assume get a "traditional keyboard" for less money.

[chris]

By the way, thanks for the "early adopter" review.

-Chris

[Phøenix]

My pleasure chris. But you gotta admit, the thing does look cool in the pics and the novelty of using one is appealing.

But honeslty, how oftern would you even use a traditional keyboard with the Treo? I mostly use the built-in one.

[chris]

I'm guessing most who use keyboards have their office in "Starbuck's". That's usually where I see Palm keyboard users. Most places you would need a keyboard, I'd think it'd be difficult to get the right area to use the virtual keyboard.

Well, at least you can return it. Is there anything they can't do with Bluetooth?

-Chris

[hummerwags7]

Is this VKB compatible with the Treo 600. If not could I use a Bluetooth SD card to make it compatible? Thank you for your help.

[Phøenix]

It says right on the page I provided the link to what the VKB is compatible with. I don't see the Treo 600 listed there. As for a Bluetooth SD card, I'm not sure if that work but I don't see any reason why it shouldn't.

[lulugirl896]

If you could get a bluetooth card working with the 600, believe me, there will be a lot of happy campers out there!

[hardwalk]

I just purchased this keyboard and have not had any of the problems listed, in fact upon following the user guide closely my 650 paired instantly. The keyboard works fine, I am not typing 75 wpm but you could not do that on the phone either. It suits me just fine on the jobsite.

[Chichiri]

The earliest VKB driver designed for treos is the VKBPalmOS5_V4.6.5_EN.prc,
which is listed for the treo 650, tungsten series, and generally all other palms that are compatible with it. Whether it works on the treo 600 depends on the version of the OS. (upgrading the OS would make the driver work with it)

I'm currently aware of another VKB US distributer, Golan-Technology, which is based in California.