Brighthand shows the Stowaway BT keyboard some review love

Ed Hardy recently got his hands, er fingers, on the Stowaway Bluetooth keyboard that we've been raving about for the past year or two. It worked like a champ with Windows Mobile, XP, and Palm devices according to Ed and I can personally vouch for it working with Vista as well. No additional drivers are needed to use this keyboard with XP or Vista, in fact. If you're looking for a folding but full-sized keyboard option for your UMPC or smartphone, the Stowaway has to be on your list of accessories to check.

Comments

[Tony]

I've read several reviews where users complain about the Keyboards breaking at the hinge. What are your impressions? I used this product years ago and really like it, After reading the reviews I was considering buying the newer version that folds in half. Thank you.

[Kevin C. Tofel]

Tony, I've used mine for about a year without any issues whatsoever. My personal impressions are very favorable. I had the one that folded in half, but it didn't have a number key row; this unit does although it's a bit more bulkier, even when folded. Also, iGo provides a 2-year warranty on the product, so if you get one where the hinge snaps, you'll be covered within the first 24 months.

[James Kendrick]

No hinge problems in Mobile Tech Manor. :)

[Dave]

How did you get this to work with Vista??? I'm using the VGN-UX380N (Vaio) and I bought this keyboard, but I cannot get it to work on my UMPC to save my life. The closest driver on the Driver CD is for Windows Mobile, no XP or Vista. Any help's much appreciated.

[Kevin C. Tofel]

Dave, it was just a matter of hitting the Vista Control Panel, Hardward & Sound, Bluetooth Devices menu and adding a new device. Vista should have the drivers already installed so none are needed from the CD or direct from ThinkOutside.

What happens when you try to pair the device? Are you pressing the button on the keyboard that starts the pairing process? One possibility might be an issue with the Bluetooth stack on your device...

[Dave]

Nothing happens when I try and pair the device. This could stem back to how I just re-installed Vista on the UMPC, but not everything's working as I had hoped. TO break it down, VISTA is horrible on the UX380N (1GB RAM/1.5GHZ Core Solo), so I wiped the drive (to bypass the MBR) and tried to install XP (which bluescreened). I then gave up and installed a dual boot Vista/SUSE. I thought that the Bluetooth was working, but it might be due to the wireless card that's built into the UMPC not working correctly. The wireless device is showing up as a 'MASS STORAGE DEVICE', no matter how many times I install the drivers from the Sony support site. I just received a new repair CD today in the mail from Sony, but it's not repairing due to the Dual Boot. Suse won't let me get into the BIOS to change the boot order. Tonight i'll wipe the drive again, re-install Vista, then install the Recovery CD. If all goes well my next reply will just be a 'Thank You'. :)