Belkin G700 Keyboard Driver Update
 

I have just received the latest version of the driver from Makodo Chen, and posted it here:

http://home.uchicago.edu/~epperson/...o_192/G700.html

This version is a vast improvement over the last one. Apart from the movie record/playback bug fix, text display while typing is much faster, and the dropped spacebar problem has all but disappeared. (With the previous version, quite a few spacebar clicks wouldn't register, even at only moderate typing speed. I don't know if anyone else had that problem...)

There is still some lag, but the keyboard is much more usable now. Mr. Chen and his partners are obviously working very hard on this project, and as an NX70 owner who REALLY needs a keyboard, I'm grateful for their efforts. Lately I've been on the verge of getting a KB11 and breaking out my soldering iron, but his last release has given me confidence in the G700.

Best wishes,

Mike

P.S. Some users are reporting encountering the following Fatal Alert upon HotSyncing with the latest driver release:

Fatal Alert "Preferences.c, Line:266, PrefDB Open Error"

Fantastic!

Thanks!

glad to hear. I might have to go out and buy a G700 now

question & Extra G700 available
 

This is great news! Looking forward to trying it out.

Sorry I haven't kept up with the threads if this has been answered before - but I was wondering if the problem between having the driver enabled and hot synch still exists? Same question with regards to apps running slow if the driver is loaded in internal memory? - i.e. do I still need to move it to memory stick when not using it?

Keep up the good work guys!

BTW - I have an extra Belkin G700 (Made a tactical mistake while doing the eBay bid!) for the NX70V - if anyone is interested in buying one send me a note (ruub@adelphia.net). It's in the original packaging, etc.

ruby

Is this new driver just for the NX70? Or does it work on T-series too?

ruubster... the driver still causes slow down. I can't remember whether the hotsync issue has been fixed yet or not though. I know you can start a hotsync with the driver on, but I cannot remember whether the driver will automatically reactive afterwards or not.

MonkeyK... this driver is for OS5 devices. I believe 1.7 is the newest version for OS4 devices. This version worked flawlessly on my NR70V. You can go to the Belkin support page to find the newest OS4 driver.

Some users have encountered the following Fatal Alert upon HotSyncing with the latest driver release:

Fatal Alert "Preferences.c, Line:266, PrefDB Open Error"

I'm getting this same error whether syncing via Cradle or wirelessly, with the driver either enabled and disabled. :mad:

I emailed the issue to Makodo and hopefully he'll have a fix for it soon.

Just checked Belkin's site, they ahve new more universal PDA keyboard coming out that is wireless using IR. Cost only $60.

Although is just another battery to worry about, but. As far as ir, looks like it has little reflector that fits on PDA, the clie's clamshel seems ideal for this. I already have BT stick so would rather have that, not that I need to type 30' away from my screen. I loved my old Targus Stowaway keyboard for my Handspring but they not seem to have any support for NX or Palm OS5

http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProd...oduct_Id=144042

Problem with that (since this is in the NX Series forum), and if my understanding is correct, is that it is NOT compatible with the NX's enhanced IR.  Am I right about that? Is anyone aware of an IR input device that is compatible wiht NX's enhanced IR?

Regards...

I just tried this driver. There is a visible delay between keystrokes being registered on my NX70V, and moreover the 1, q and a keys didn't seem to get registered at all. What is even more curious is that neither problem occurs when I use the driver from the Belkin website. (Did you by any chance post an older driver by mistake?)

The only problem with the driver from Belkin's website so far is that not all spacebar presses get registered, but in this case this seems to be a hardware problem. Namely, if I hit the extreme right side of the spacebar key, it doesn't register, but if I hit the middle or left side, it does. Does anybody else have this problem with their G700? Should I just exchange my G700?

Alex

The NX actually has two physical IR ports. One is the normal strength port that the OS uses. The second is the enhanced port that Clie RMC uses.

Hi Alex:

The driver I posted is indeed the latest one. The spacebar issue you mention was definitely a problem with the previous version, and I encountered the problem exactly as you described--the right side of the spacebar wouldn't register, etc. I have a feeling that perhaps the earlier release of the driver didn't take into account both the left and right switches. Since the problem is solved with the latest version, I can't think of any other explanation. I haven't had the 'q,' '1,' and 'a' key problems, though...

As for your other observations: Do you think the text display lag is the same as with the previous release? To me, it seems to have improved somewhat, but I can't really tell. The biggest bug so far with this release is the fatal error mentioned earlier in this thread. Some people are getting this error and others aren't. I've been corresponding with the driver's programmer about the problem but he still hasn't locked it down. It would probably help him if those who are getting the error could email him with the info; if he has us all trying different solutions at the same time, it would probably speed up the process. (I've been doing hard resets with selective program installations to try to pin down a possible conflict. Haven't found it so far...)

The programmer's name is Makodo Chen, and his address is:

MakodoChen@darfon.com.tw

Albert Hon, the previous project leader for the G700 driver, gave out Makodo's address in the other G700 driver thread, so I don't think he'd mind it being listed again here. Makodo and Albert seem like really nice guys and I'm certain they'd appreciate the assistance.

Hopefully the final version of this thing is just around the corner...

--Mike

I didn't try the earlier releases of the beta driver. I only tried the driver from Belkin's website and the latest driver you posted.

The driver you posted also doesn't register the right-hand side of the spacebar. Does the spacebar really have two key switches? (I remember a similar problem with a PowerBook 190. It turned out that there was only one key-switch and it was off to the side with the key mechanism a bit flawed.)

I think I was wrong about the 1 key not working. Only the Q, A and Z keys don't work.

Maybe I am not actually getting the latest version of the driver from your site due to caching or something? (I know that sometimes files updated on a website don't propagate for a while.) Could I get you to email it to me? (ap85@georgetown.edu)

Does the programmer read this forum, or should I email my comments to him separately?

Alex

Thanks for the clarification! :)

Just downloaded this driver, and it works worse for me than the last one, I'm afraid. The 'm' key didn't seem to be working either, and the typing seemed slower, if anything. have gone back to previous version...