Sony Announces Folding Keyboard for Cliés

Posted By: Ed Friday, August 16, 2002 10:25:45 AM

For those who have been waiting to use a Stowaway folding keyboard on their Sony T series handheld, the wait is almost over. Sony plans to begin selling the PEGA-KB11 Compact Keyboard in the near future, which is clearly a version of the Stowaway that has been rebranded by Sony. The KB11 will work with the NR, T, SJ and SL series. SonyStyle is taking pre-orders now for $90 but hasn't said when the release date will be.

SonyStyle is also taking pre-orders for the PEGA-GC10 Game Controller.

The GC10 is 3.5 by 1.7 by .7 inches. It clips to the front of the handheld and a cable connects to the HotSync port. This Game Controller will work with the NR, T, SJ and SL series. It will come with a copy of Columns from Sega, a game that appears quite similar to Tetris.

It will sell for $40. SonyStyle is taking preorders now but isn't saying when the device will ship. It began taking preorder for this same device in Hong Kong earlier this week.

More About the KB11
The Stowaway is 3.6 by 5.1 by 0.8 inches when folded, but opens to be a full-sized QWERTY keyboard. It weighs 7.9 ounces.

Sony appears to have taken a page from Palm's book. It has been selling rebranded versions of the Stowaway as the Palm Portable Keyboard since the days of the Palm III series.

Think Outside, the developer of the Stowaway, promised last month that a version of their keyboard for the T and NR series would be available this month. As of now, Think Outside doesn't have anything about this new version on their site. It has sold one for Sony's S and N series for over a year.

Related Information:

PIC: Sony Releases Info on Game Controller (August 13, 2002)
PIC: Palm Portable Keyboard Review (June 10, 2001)
PIC: Sony Forum

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too bad..

I.M. Anonymous @ 8/16/2002 10:51:40 AM #

that sony only sell folding keyboard which is only usable in new models...
they should release one for N series so people can but it and they can earn more from it

RE: too bad..

I.M. Anonymous @ 8/16/2002 10:57:44 AM #

There is already a stowaway keyboard for the N and S series for over a year.

RE: too bad..

I.M. Anonymous @ 8/16/2002 10:58:00 AM #

WHAT??? Where the heck have you been? Hiding in a cave? There has been a folding keyboard for the N series for over TWO year!!! made by Think Ouside. www.thinkoutside.com/products/clie-oview.html We all have been eagerly waiting a similar keyboard for the T-series. I know I have.. So it's time to get in touch with world...

RE: too bad..

I.M. Anonymous @ 8/16/2002 10:58:36 AM #

I can't beleive it. When there is no keyboard for T and NR series, people complain and now when this is out, people try to "complain" that there is no keybaord for N series (which is not true). Is complain a human nature?

RE: too bad..

I.M. Anonymous @ 8/16/2002 11:05:59 AM #

You obviously have no idea what is going on in the Palm world. It's a shame you even own a Sony PDA. The keyboard for N seris have been out for a LONG TIME! Stop posting such amateur comments. It really makes all of us sick to see you post such ridiculous ignorant comment..

RTA

I.M. Anonymous @ 8/16/2002 11:10:57 AM #

RTA = Read the Article

"It has sold one for Sony's S and N series for over a year. "

RTC. . .

I.M. Anonymous @ 8/16/2002 11:49:41 AM #

Maybe you guys should read the poster's comments more closely. Apparently this person is concerned that SONY (not ThinkOutside) is not marketing/selling the N-series keyboard. Why, I'm not sure. Maybe he has an interest in Sony making money or maybe he simply prefers to buy things directly from Sony, regardless of the fact that ThinkOutside or another company actually manufactures the thing.

Sometimes a person's comments don't come across clearly due to language/regional differences. Calm Down.

Cheap Guy

RE: too bad..

I.M. Anonymous @ 8/16/2002 12:31:56 PM #

Probably because Sony doesn't think they'll sell many of them. The N series has been gone for months and you've been able to buy a keyboard for it from ThinkOutside for a year. If you want a N series keyboard, you've probably already bought one.

RE: too bad..

I.M. Anonymous @ 8/16/2002 1:37:58 PM #

LOL, there is of course foldable keyboard out there for N series, what I meant was that it is not made by the original brand "SONY"
is this clear enough?

RE: too bad..

I.M. Anonymous @ 8/16/2002 1:47:45 PM #

who gives a damn in Sony is silkscreen on the thing or not. i'm betting they are all made by the same manufactorer, which is not ThinkOutside. they designed them, not built them. hell palm doesn't build devices, someone else builds them for them.

RE: too bad..

I.M. Anonymous @ 8/16/2002 7:13:48 PM #

This one isn't made by Sony either, they're just putting their name on it. Sony didn't bother to put their name on the N-series Stowaway. I don't know why, exactly, but I don't know that the T-series connector has become Sony's "universal connector" (take that, Palm), and they clearly feel that these are going to sell reasonably well, so they have arranged to brand them under their own name.

About Time!!!

I.M. Anonymous @ 8/16/2002 10:56:31 AM #

FINALLY, we have a stowaway keyboard for the newer Clie's. The wait was too long, but what can you do. Now, if only ThinkOutside would get the keyboard at their site so we can enjoy the FREE PrintBoy & WordSmith bundle!! Here's to hoping!

RE: About Time!!!

I.M. Anonymous @ 8/16/2002 3:04:40 PM #

As soon as the bunlde comes out I'll buy it.

Why not for the N series!!

I.M. Anonymous @ 8/16/2002 11:38:59 AM #

Those of us who believed in the Color Clie earlier and bought the N series (710 and 760) are just out of luck on this? Drat! I would have spent the $40, but I have no real need to buy a whole new Clie right now.

RE: Why not for the N series!!

I.M. Anonymous @ 8/16/2002 12:19:21 PM #

Why don't you buy the Targus keyboard (which is identical to the Sony keyboard and also manufactured by Think Outside) for the N-series? I bought about six months ago!

RE: Why not for the N series!!

terrysalmi @ 8/16/2002 12:27:39 PM #

If you read the article a little more closely, you would of realized he was talking about the GAME CONTROLLER, not the keyboard!!!!!!!!!

______________________________________
The right to be heard does not automatically include the right to be taken seriously.
-Hubert Humphrey

RE: Why not for the N series!!

I.M. Anonymous @ 8/16/2002 12:30:10 PM #

He could have been alot clearer about that. This article is about 2 things, the keyboard and the controller.

RE: Why not for the N series!!

I.M. Anonymous @ 8/16/2002 2:40:30 PM #

There is a game controller for the N-series devices, although it is not made by Sony.

Game controller way too expensive.

JonAcheson @ 8/16/2002 1:25:06 PM #

There's no way I'd buy one at that price. It's more than half the price of a Game Boy Advanced! It's $15.00 more than a Dual Shock 2 controller for the PS2, and that's a much more complex device, with more buttons, 2 analog joysticks and the force-feedback motors.

This should be a $10.00 part.

Jon Acheson

"All opinions posted are my own, and not those of my employers, who are appalled."

RE: Game controller way too expensive.

I.M. Anonymous @ 8/16/2002 3:13:16 PM #

I agree! it should be $25 max...$20 is reasonable. but $40? nahh...

but what surprises me is the keyboard for $90? i mean sony is known to overprice 10% more than the regular price...

RE: Game controller way too expensive.

JonAcheson @ 8/16/2002 3:54:01 PM #

Although, if Sony is listening, this button layout would be pretty much ideal as the layout of buttons on the face of a PDA.

And, the gamepad could have other applications than games: navigating cells in a spreadsheet, for instance.

Jon Acheson

"All opinions posted are my own, and not those of my employers, who are appalled."

Stowaway Keyboards ONLY being sold by Sony

bookrats @ 8/20/2002 11:38:31 AM #

Just got an e-mail last night from Think Outside; their keyboard for all the new Sony models will be sold exclusively by Sony.

Think Outside will not be selling them from their own website. I assume this means that you can't buy them with the WordSmith/PrintBoy bundle, either.

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Jeff Meyer