Hi Anne,
You wrote:
I, too, have one of the mini BlueTooth keyboards but the keys are
definitely not rubberised.
The only problem I have with it is that it doesn't seem to have a
grave accent dead key. It has other accent keys such as acute,
circumflex, diaeresis, tilde and C-cedilla as well as the grave
accent on its own.
I gather there is an azerty version of the keyboard available from
the manufacturer, so I wonder if that one has the grave accent dead
key.
Cheers,
Anne
I'm cc'ing this to the macvisionaries list, since it may be of general
interest.
Can you use any of the control key sequences on your mini Bluetooth
keyboard to change the keyboard input language for you iPhone
analogous to using Command+Space on the Apple Wireless Keyboard? I've
heard that on some keyboards, the Windows key will act like the
Command key. You might also try using Control+Space, since I can also
use some shortcuts when pressing the Control key in place of the
Command key (e.g., in Command+Left or Right Arrow for movement to
beginning or end of line, or Command+Up or Down Arrow for movement to
beginning or end of document).
I've just received one of the Think Outside Stowaway keyboards that
Karl Smith posted about, and as I'd read, the Command key
(alternatively labeled as a "Windows" key) works like the Command key
on a Mac keyboard. I can also use the dead keys in combination with
the "Alt/Option" key to type accents. The grave accent dead key can be
accessed, but in a bit of an odd way on this keyboard: you need to
press the left "Fn" key (key just to the left of the space bar) in
combination with the "apostrophe/quotation mark (when shifted)" key to
the left of the Enter key in order to generate an "accent". Holding
down the Shift key with this combination (e.g., "Shift"+left
"Fn"+apostrophe) or, since Shift+"apostrophe"="quotation mark", using
left "Fn"+"quotation mark", generates a tilde. This is normally the
key to the left of the row of numbers, just above the tab key, on the
Mac or Apple Wireless keyboards (e.g. "accent"/"tilde" when the Shift
key is pressed).
If I press Alt+left "Fn"+apostrophe (for the grave accent combination)
and then press a letter key like "e" or "a", I'll hear the accented
letter "e grave" or "a grave".
Further, if I used Command+Space to switch to a Canadian French input
keyboard, pressing the "apostrophe" key (just to the left of the Enter
key), will type "e grave" directly. And, should I wish to switch to a
French AZERTY keyboard (shudder <smile>), I can press the "backslash"
key (key furthest to the right on a Mac or Apple Wireless English
input keyboard, just above the Enter key and below the delete key)
which key is, on the Stowaway keyboard, located below the Enter key
and above the delete key at the far right, and then next pressing the
letter "e" will produce an "e grave", just as if I had used a French
input language keyboard setting on my Mac, or Apple Wireless
keyboard. I hope this isn't too confusing, or at least, that Anne is
able to follow what I'm saying.
It may help to give a description of the layout of the Think Outside
Stowaway keyboard. It is standard QWERTY with full-size keys, but uses
only four rows, and has 51 keys (really only 50 distinct keys, since
the space bar key is split into left and right halves where the
keyboard folds). The top row of number keys are typed by pressing the
corresponding QWERTY keys in combination with a left "Fn" key to get
the regular numbers (1 through 9, 0, hyphen, and equal sign), and in
combination with a right "Fn" key to get the shifted number keys (on a
U.S. English language keyboard this is "!", "@", "#", "$", "%", "^",
"&", "*", "(", ")", "_", and "+"). The left and right "Fn" keys are
immediately to the left or right of the space bar on the bottom row.
The back space/delete key from the top right end of the row of numbers
has been move to lie at the right end of the top QWERTY row, just to
the right of the left and right bracket keys beside the "P" key. This
displaces the "backslash"/"vertical bar" key that normally falls at
the right end of the QWERTY row, and this key moves down two rows to
become a short key just to the right of the "Shift" key on the "ZXC"
row of keys, with the "backslash" and "vertical" line functions
accessed by pressing the right "Fn" key with this key, and adding a
"shift", as well, to get the "vertical line" function. The second row
of ASDFG keys is just the same as on the Macbook and Apple Wireless
keyboards -- it starts with a caps lock key at the left, and ends with
the Enter (or "Return") key at the right. The third row of ZXC keys
is also the same as on a Macbook or Apple Wireless keyboard, save for
the addition of a key to the right of the "Shift" key that we've
already mentioned. One modification has been made to accommodate use
of an inverted T set of arrow keys: the key to the left of the "Shift"
key functions normally as a "?" key when shifted, but acts as an "Up
arrow" key when the shift key is not used. The unshifted function of
"slash" has been moved to the extra key to the right of the "Shift"
key -- the same key that, when pressed together with the right "Fn"
key gives "backslash" and with "Shift"+Right "Fn" key gives "vertical
line". Actually "vertical line" can be typed either with right "Fn"
key+Shift+ this key or with left "Fn" key (without a Shift) + this
key. The other arrow keys of the inverted "T" follow in position,
with the "down arrow" below "up arrow", and the left and right arrow
keys to either side of the "down arrow" key on the bottom row of
keys. The inverted "T" is flanked by the right "Fn" key on the left,
and the "delete" key at the right, marking the right end of the bottom
of the keyboard. In order, the keys in the bottom row of the keyboard
are: "Control", "Command/Window", "Alt/Option", "Left Fn", "Left Space
Bar", "Right Space Bar" (reflecting the "fold" in the keyboard running
through the space bar), "Right Fn", "Left Arrow", "Down Arrow", "Right
Arrow", and "Delete".
The feel of the key surfaces is very much like the surface of the
Apple Wireless Keyboard, and the "F" and "J" keys are marked with the
same reference raised horizontal bars at the bottom of those keys.
I'd encourage any non-English speaker who has a Bluetooth keyboard
that has a Windows key, or any key that might act as a "Command" key
on a Mac, to check whether they can press Command+Space to switch to
another input language keyboard format, if this has been set up under
Settings > General > International Keyboards. I know that Krister has
asked about support of Swedish language keyboards, and Anne has asked
about AZERTY support for the mini-Bluetooth keyboard.
The Think Outside Stowaway Keyboard runs on two AAA batteries.
Pairing is initiated by putting the device into Bluetooth discovery
mode by holding down the Control key together with both the Left and
Right Fn keys. At this point you are prompted to type in a series of
numbers followed by a press of the enter key to pair the keyboard.
You have to hold down the left Fn key while you press the keys for the
numbers, then release the left Fn key and press the enter key to pair.
If you break the connection (by closing up the keyboard, which
automatically turns the device off, or by pressing the Control+Left
and Right Fn keys), you have to go through pairing again -- re-
establishing the connection is not automatic, as with the Apple
Wireless Keyboard. The keyboard is fairly sturdy for its build, given
the light weight, and the two halves are held rigid by the mechanism
once opened. There's a stand for the handheld or iPhone that flips up
from the top of the keyboard, and which can be detached from the main
keyboard to hold/support your iPhone or iPod Touch. The size, when
opened is 9.9" x 5.8" x 0.5" (251 mm x 148 mm x 13 mm) and the weight
is 160g (5.6oz). This is nearly an inch shorter than the Apple
Wireless and about 60% of it's width. When closed, the keyboard is
5.5" x 3.9" x 0.5" (139 mm x 99 mm x 13 mm), or about 20% longer than
an iPhone or iPod Touch, and maybe half again as wide.
Here's an old 9-May-06 review of the "Think Outside Stowaway Bluetooth
Keyboard" by Brandon Miniman at pocketnow.com, that describes the
keyboard I received:
http://pocketnow.com/review/think-outside-stowaway-bluetooth-mouse-and-universal-keyboard
This keyboard came with a CD (presumably of drivers for use with
different hand-held devices), but the only this I used the CD for was
to read the User Guide.
HTH. Cheers,
Esther
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