dark79
10-16-2003, 11:25 AM
I was wondering how many people use the Wireless KB with their T3. I just got mine in today and I have to say I'm kinda disappointed. The driver works flawlessly (a big issue since I came over from using the Belkin G700 with an NX70 and the driver sucked big time), but the design of the KB leaves a lot to be desired. My big gripes in no particular order:
1) You can only use landscape with the Lefty mode on since the IR arm on the KB only rotates one way. I think it would have made more sense to make it work in both orientations or if they really felt the need to stick with one to at least go with the orientation most suitable for the largest amount of people (ie right-handers). It's annoying to constantly have to go into the prefs to change the handedness when I, say, read an ebook, and then decide to type up a paper.
2) The nubs (can't think of a better word) on the part that supports the back of the T3 work great when it's sitting in portrait mode but in landscape mode they (along with the bracket that holds the IR arm) makes the T3 sit unevenly. The result is that when I tap the screen with the stylus, the T3 moves about. Had they added another nub to the lower left of the backsupport it would have held the T3 steady in landscape mode. My only solution right now is to have a small piece of foam taped to it so that it keeps the T3 steady while being soft enough to still allow me to fold up the KB.
3) Can't change while using the KB. I knew the KB ran on batteries before I bought it, but I thought I'd be able to charge the T3 while using a travel charger. However this isn't the case since in either orientation you can't really get to the Universal Connector without seriously putting the T3 off balance since there's nothing to hold it in place. This brings me back to #1, the way it's designed, if the T3 could sit in landscape with the Righty handedness turned on, you could easily plug in a travel charger since the Universal Connector would sit exposed.
4) This could just be my unit, but the IR Arm is really loose. As a result, if I'm not careful, it easily moves out of place (in landscape mode). Tightening the screw doesn't help. The problem is that the bracket doesn't really catch the notches in the arm tight enough to lock it into any one setting (you kinda have to have the KB to know what I'm talking about ).
Granted I've only used the keybaord for a few hours, but I think I'm going to get my hands on a dremel and modify the kb to let me use my T3 in the landscape mode I'm more comfortable with =) (unless I can find a cable that will work as an extention between the T3 connector and say the connector on the Ultra-Thin Keyboard so that I could still use it in landscape mode but without connecting to the keyboard directly).
That said, the responsiveness of it is EXCELLENT! This is DRASTICALLY better than suffering through the sleeping keyboard issues of the Belkin G700. I have no problems with the way the keyboard works, just the way it's designed in conjuction with the T3. Maybe I just saw this KB as being brought out more specifically for the T3 since it allowed for landscape use, but now I think it was just tacked on kinda half-@$$ed.
Opinions?
1) You can only use landscape with the Lefty mode on since the IR arm on the KB only rotates one way. I think it would have made more sense to make it work in both orientations or if they really felt the need to stick with one to at least go with the orientation most suitable for the largest amount of people (ie right-handers). It's annoying to constantly have to go into the prefs to change the handedness when I, say, read an ebook, and then decide to type up a paper.
2) The nubs (can't think of a better word) on the part that supports the back of the T3 work great when it's sitting in portrait mode but in landscape mode they (along with the bracket that holds the IR arm) makes the T3 sit unevenly. The result is that when I tap the screen with the stylus, the T3 moves about. Had they added another nub to the lower left of the backsupport it would have held the T3 steady in landscape mode. My only solution right now is to have a small piece of foam taped to it so that it keeps the T3 steady while being soft enough to still allow me to fold up the KB.
3) Can't change while using the KB. I knew the KB ran on batteries before I bought it, but I thought I'd be able to charge the T3 while using a travel charger. However this isn't the case since in either orientation you can't really get to the Universal Connector without seriously putting the T3 off balance since there's nothing to hold it in place. This brings me back to #1, the way it's designed, if the T3 could sit in landscape with the Righty handedness turned on, you could easily plug in a travel charger since the Universal Connector would sit exposed.
4) This could just be my unit, but the IR Arm is really loose. As a result, if I'm not careful, it easily moves out of place (in landscape mode). Tightening the screw doesn't help. The problem is that the bracket doesn't really catch the notches in the arm tight enough to lock it into any one setting (you kinda have to have the KB to know what I'm talking about ).
Granted I've only used the keybaord for a few hours, but I think I'm going to get my hands on a dremel and modify the kb to let me use my T3 in the landscape mode I'm more comfortable with =) (unless I can find a cable that will work as an extention between the T3 connector and say the connector on the Ultra-Thin Keyboard so that I could still use it in landscape mode but without connecting to the keyboard directly).
That said, the responsiveness of it is EXCELLENT! This is DRASTICALLY better than suffering through the sleeping keyboard issues of the Belkin G700. I have no problems with the way the keyboard works, just the way it's designed in conjuction with the T3. Maybe I just saw this KB as being brought out more specifically for the T3 since it allowed for landscape use, but now I think it was just tacked on kinda half-@$$ed.
Opinions?