I want the best external keyboard for an N810. The important features for me are fast input, good key feel, and support for navigating around the N810 screen (if possible).
I would like to get max battery life. Will a wired keyboard be better for this?
A lot of people seem to like the iGo stowaway. I have one and I like it just fine, but I haven't tried anything else. The problem is that they've been discontinued, and so they are really pricey. I got mine for $40 new, I think, but good luck finding it at that price now.
I'm a moderately fast typist (~80wpm). I tried two bluetooth keyboards and hated them both, because they couldn't keep up with me. I would type a sentence and then have to wait a second for the text to appear.
I prefer my USB keyboard - it's still not as fast as typing on a desktop, but it's adequate. However, my USB keyboard is not as portable: it doesn't fold, and the cord is a pain. Most USB keyboards come with a 6 foot (2m) cord and a regular size USB connector...
Magog, I'm like you. I type fast, and that Palm keyboard does pretty good at keeping up with me. And it's not really the bluetooth keyboard that's the laggard on the NIT. It's actually the NIT itself. I've put a regular keyboard and this bluetooth one on it, and the bluetooth one was actually faster, although a tiny bit cramped for my gorilla sized fingers. Then again, even a regular keyboard is a bit cramped for me, so that's not saying much. lol. But I am a very fast typist too and that Palm keyboard hangs in there well for me.
iGo Ultra Slim Stowaway Keyboard -- IMO the iGo is one of the best portable keyboards you can find -- a good compromise of size and feel. The only issue I've had is the shift-up key is the "?" key and not a text selection key -- but I've gotten used to it and it doesn't bother me now.
I've never tracked battery usage as I do a reasonable amount of typing and don't seem to replace the batteries all that often.
I purchased my iGo when I got a Nokia 770 and it has been great since. It looks like the biggest problem will be finding one reasonably priced now that they are discontinued. In fact I should look for a spare.
Apple Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard -- This keyboard is not portable, but I still can be found taking it some places in its box. This is also one of the best overall keyboards I've used. Apple does do a good job with hardware design.
If you use this keyboard, you will need to remap some of the keys to your liking, e.g., to get page-up and page-down to work. There should be some forum posts somewhere that mention this.
This Apple keyboard takes larger batteries and I think goes through them a bit quicker than the iGo. I don't think it has an off-button either that locks the keys.
For the price, I consider the apple keyboard to be a decent value -- well constructed, solid, and attractive.
I have an Apple Wireless Keyboard, and I'm very pleased with it.
pro: very comfortable, well-spaced keys; rigid (i.e. non-foldable) which lets me have it on my knees while the N810 sits on a table (my favourite arrangement because of the small screen size), good battery life
con: a tiny lag between pressing a key and seeing something happen on-screen (this may be a N810 problem and not Apple's fault). A bigger problem: it is much too easy to switch it on, so this may (and will) happen when you don't want and expect it. A pile-up of keystrokes may even crash the maemo desktop. So: watch out how you put the keyboard in your bag!
