A bluetooth keyboard for $45 -> StowAway "Shasta" for Blackberry (would it work?)

I have been looking for Bluetooth keyboards for a long long time, and
I noticed the prices range from ~$70 to $120.

However, for the first time I see a bluetooth keyboard below the $50
mark. It's the "Shasta" foldable keyboard by StowAway (I own one of
their old IR keyboard for PalmOS devices and it works very well).
However, the "Shasta" is marketed specifically for the BlackBerry.

I wonder... from a wireless protocol point of view... isn't a
Bluetooth Keyboard just a "wireless input device", I mean, generic of
sorts, regardless of what plastic legs the device has to support a
CrackBerry in vertical position?. Or if there anything
"Blackberry-specific" about this keyboard?

Anyone in the U.S. with a N800/N810 willing to take advantage of
Amazon.com's money-back warranty (or willing to sell it on eBay later
to recoup the cost if it doesn't work), care to test it with the Nokia
N800/N810?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BYGGEY?ie=UTF8&tag=mnmsprst-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000BYGGEY

I would buy it, but spending $50 (and not owning a BlackBerry nor
wanting to -I'm happy with my Palm Centro) only to find later that it
doesn't work is not my idea of fun, specially considering I have to
pay reshipping to South America and import duties...

Anyway... if anyone is curious, please checkout that $45 Bluetooth
keyboard.... sounds enticing... but I'm not willing to buy it until
someone report it works (or confirms my suspicion that all Bluetooth
Keyboards are the same from a protocol/stack/drivers point of view).

Thanks,

FC

Done. It probably won't show up for a few days. Wednesday at the
earliest. I will let you know what I find out. Thanks for the heads
up. Looks like a nice keyboard if it works.

On Sat, Oct 18, 2008 at 2:20 PM, Fernando Cassia <fcassia@gmail.com> wrote:
> I have been looking for Bluetooth keyboards for a long long time, and
> I noticed the prices range from ~$70 to $120.
>
> However, for the first time I see a bluetooth keyboard below the $50
> mark. It's the "Shasta" foldable keyboard by StowAway (I own one of
> their old IR keyboard for PalmOS devices and it works very well).
> However, the "Shasta" is marketed specifically for the BlackBerry.
>
> I wonder... from a wireless protocol point of view... isn't a
> Bluetooth Keyboard just a "wireless input device", I mean, generic of
> sorts, regardless of what plastic legs the device has to support a
> CrackBerry in vertical position?. Or if there anything
> "Blackberry-specific" about this keyboard?
>
> Anyone in the U.S. with a N800/N810 willing to take advantage of
> Amazon.com's money-back warranty (or willing to sell it on eBay later
> to recoup the cost if it doesn't work), care to test it with the Nokia
> N800/N810?
>
> http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BYGGEY?ie=UTF8&tag=mnmsprst-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000BYGGEY
>
> I would buy it, but spending $50 (and not owning a BlackBerry nor
> wanting to -I'm happy with my Palm Centro) only to find later that it
> doesn't work is not my idea of fun, specially considering I have to
> pay reshipping to South America and import duties...
>
> Anyway... if anyone is curious, please checkout that $45 Bluetooth
> keyboard.... sounds enticing... but I'm not willing to buy it until
> someone report it works (or confirms my suspicion that all Bluetooth
> Keyboards are the same from a protocol/stack/drivers point of view).
>
> Thanks,
>
> FC
>



--
Thanks,
Aaron Newcomb
http://www.thesourceshow.org
http://www.opennewsshow.org

It is not HID compatible so it needs additional software, see
http://fanoush.wz.cz/maemo/#kbdd

It is the same one as HP iPAQ Bluetooth Foldable just with different key
labels. The same one is also sold by MSI (google for MSI BK100).

I have it and it works fine for me but I wouldn't recommend it to people
who expect things to just work out of box. Also it drains battery
relatively quickly when not in use so expect to change/charge batteries
every few weeks or put a piece of something between battery contacts (or
remove them) when you are not using it for longer time.

Frantisek

On Tue, Oct 21, 2008 at 5:45 AM, Frantisek Dufka <dufkaf@seznam.cz> wrote:
> It is not HID compatible so it needs additional software, see
> http://fanoush.wz.cz/maemo/#kbdd
>
> It is the same one as HP iPAQ Bluetooth Foldable just with different key
> labels. The same one is also sold by MSI (google for MSI BK100).

Thanks for the notice!


> I have it and it works fine for me
Good to know. I'll order it, then...

> but I wouldn't recommend it to people who
> expect things to just work out of box.

Well it should be a matter of insisting to Nokia that they add the
"serial profile Bluetooth keyboards" to the base Maemo OS.
The fact that there are several models that use the serial profile
justifies it, IMHO.

> Also it drains battery relatively > quickly when not in use so expect to change/charge batteries every few weeks

Like I said I have an IR foldable keyboard from the same firm
(StowAway) and there seems to be a contact already there, when you
fold it closed the battery is apparently disconnected from the
keyboard, look for a piece of metal near one of the hinges.

Are you sure you shut it 100% closed when not in use?. Of course
leaving it wide open and not folded will cause it to keep working.

> or put a piece of something between battery contacts (or remove them) when
> you are not using it for longer time.
> Frantisek

This is a good advise for any battery-operated peripheral, but make
sure you close it, then check again on battery drain when not in use.

FC

On Tue, Oct 21, 2008 at 5:45 AM, Frantisek Dufka <dufkaf@seznam.cz> wrote:
> Also it drains battery relatively
> quickly when not in use so expect to change/charge batteries every few weeks
> or put a piece of something between battery contacts (or remove them) when
> you are not using it for longer time.
>
> Frantisek

>From a product review:
"The keyboard does not include a power switch. It will automatically
power off when not in use. One set of batteries should last as long as
3 months with typical use."

Like I said... you are supposed to shut it closed when not in use...
there's a contact there that disconnects the battery....
FC

Fernando Cassia wrote:
> Like I said... you are supposed to shut it closed when not in use...
> there's a contact there that disconnects the battery....

This may be true for infrared one but the bluetooth one needs to retain
pairing information. Once you disconnect battery pairing info is lost
and you need to pair it again (pin is 0000).

Frantisek

On Tue, Oct 21, 2008 at 6:20 AM, Frantisek Dufka <dufkaf@seznam.cz> wrote:
> Fernando Cassia wrote:
>>
>> Like I said... you are supposed to shut it closed when not in use...
>> there's a contact there that disconnects the battery....
>
> This may be true for infrared one but the bluetooth one needs to retain
> pairing information. Once you disconnect battery pairing info is lost and
> you need to pair it again (pin is 0000).
>
> Frantisek

I said "disconnects the battery" because that's what happens with the
IR version.
In the bluetooth version perhaps the same contact disconnects the
RADIO which is the power-hungry element of any BT device.

What I do know is what I read on reviews... the unit is supposed NOT
TO waste battery operating when you fold it and close it.

You still haven't told us if the behaviour you experienced was with
the keyboard fully closed or if you left it standing in open position.

FC

Fernando Cassia wrote:
> In the bluetooth version perhaps the same contact disconnects the
> RADIO which is the power-hungry element of any BT device.

Maybe the $45 price is there for some reason. Maybe there is no contact :-)

>
> What I do know is what I read on reviews... the unit is supposed NOT
> TO waste battery operating when you fold it and close it.

Yet it does :-) Maybe it is not as bad as I said. Maybe it lasts more
than month indeed. I just know I used it very rarely and when I needed
it I found batteries empty more than once.

The positive bit is that you can actually open it without connecting to
anything, type some very long sentence, then close it, then open it
later, then connect it to some device and the sentence is sent to device
after connection. Magic :-)

For comaprsion check this one http://www.wirelessground.com/stblke.html
"Estimated Battery Life Estimates are based on using a keyboard for 4
hours per day. 200+ days" That's what I call good battery life. Shasta
is 'up to 3 months' just like you notebook battery is 'up to 6 hours' :-)

Still it is not an issue if you keep piece of paper under battery door
and don't mind pairing on the beginning. And the keys are quite good and
big with full five rows.

>
> You still haven't told us if the behaviour you experienced was with
> the keyboard fully closed or if you left it standing in open position.

Would you leave foldable keyboard opened and unused collecting dust for
several weeks?

Frantisek

Well the keyboard cam in today and I am writing this email with it
now. It took me about 30 minutes to get working. You must download the
binary tarball at
http://fanoush.wz.cz/maemo/#kbdd

Then extract it, edit the btkbd.conf file, make the files executable,
put the keyboard in discover mode then run btkbd. After that the
keyboard should work. I am running this on Diablo. The script requires
you to be root which is one drawback.

Response seems pretty good. The "/" key is in a wierd place though. I
can't comment on battery life yet. Let me knw if you have more
questions.


On 10/21/08, Frantisek Dufka <dufkaf@seznam.cz> wrote:
> Fernando Cassia wrote:
> > In the bluetooth version perhaps the same contact disconnects the
> > RADIO which is the power-hungry element of any BT device.
>
>
> Maybe the $45 price is there for some reason. Maybe there is no contact :-)
>
>
> >
> > What I do know is what I read on reviews... the unit is supposed NOT
> > TO waste battery operating when you fold it and close it.
>
>
> Yet it does :-) Maybe it is not as bad as I said. Maybe it lasts more
> than month indeed. I just know I used it very rarely and when I needed
> it I found batteries empty more than once.
>
> The positive bit is that you can actually open it without connecting to
> anything, type some very long sentence, then close it, then open it
> later, then connect it to some device and the sentence is sent to device
> after connection. Magic :-)
>
> For comaprsion check this one http://www.wirelessground.com/stblke.html
> "Estimated Battery Life Estimates are based on using a keyboard for 4
> hours per day. 200+ days" That's what I call good battery life. Shasta
> is 'up to 3 months' just like you notebook battery is 'up to 6 hours' :-)
>
> Still it is not an issue if you keep piece of paper under battery door
> and don't mind pairing on the beginning. And the keys are quite good and
> big with full five rows.
>
>
> >
> > You still haven't told us if the behaviour you experienced was with
> > the keyboard fully closed or if you left it standing in open position.
>
>
> Would you leave foldable keyboard opened and unused collecting dust for
> several weeks?
>
>
> Frantisek
>
> _______________________________________________
> maemo-users mailing list
> maemo-users@maemo.org
> https://lists.maemo.org/mailman/listinfo/maemo-users
>


--
Thanks,
Aaron Newcomb
http://www.thesourceshow.org
http://www.opennewsshow.org

On Wed, Oct 22, 2008 at 7:29 PM, Aaron Newcomb <anewcomb2@gmail.com> wrote:
> Well the keyboard cam in today and I am writing this email with it
> now. It took me about 30 minutes to get working. You must download the
> binary tarball at
> http://fanoush.wz.cz/maemo/#kbdd
>
> Then extract it, edit the btkbd.conf file, make the files executable,
> put the keyboard in discover mode then run btkbd. After that the
> keyboard should work. I am running this on Diablo. The script requires
> you to be root which is one drawback.
>
> Response seems pretty good. The "/" key is in a wierd place though. I
> can't comment on battery life yet. Let me knw if you have more
> questions.

Excellent!. The only question that comes to mind is if all the
software couldn't be just packaged into a nice .deb for easy
installation by anyone without dropping to a shell.

(Not that I care, but others aren't so fond of the CLI)

Thanks for the reporting Aaron!. I hope I'm not bugging you but can
you take a pic of the extended keyboard next to the N800 so I could
see its relative size? (If you need web storage you could use
http://pages.google.com while logged in to your GMail account, then
upload the jpg there and get its URL).

FC