Why not a iPod Touch external keyboard? The iPad has one....

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Level 4

2,786 points

Why not a iPod Touch external keyboard? The iPad has one....

I know that a number of iPod Touch fans have been clamoring for an external (preferably foldable) keyboard for years now. But now iPad user are getting exactly that: an external keyboard that docks with the iPad.

So, what's stopping development of an external keyboard for the Touch? I realize that Bluetooth isn't a viable option, given the slow speed; but why not wireless, or docking with a keyboard with A/C power? Typing letter by letter is painfully slow, under the best of conditions. Any news on a solution to this?

iMac (2.93gb) - MacBook Pro (2.53gb), Mac OS X (10.6.1), iPod Touch- v.3 (64gb)

Posted on Apr 9, 2010 9:24 PM

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Answer 1

Doc M

Level 3

785 points

Apr 9, 2010 9:49 PM in response to Poikkeus

Poikkeus--

No news...yet. Doesn't mean there won't be one, though.

Frankly, I don't know what I'd do with one; to me it would be counter-productive and something else to sit on a very cluttered desk.

Stay tuned for more....

Doc

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Answer 2

Poikkeus Author

Level 4

2,786 points

Apr 9, 2010 10:13 PM in response to Doc M

Doc M,

When I used a foldable keyboard with two different PDAs (synched with a pre-OSX Mac), I was amazed how even a small PDA screen made word processing a breeze. Typing 60WPM on a Targus keyboard was a natural, with minimal energy expenditure. It's shocking how users hunt and peck at 5WPM with the Touch, considering the speed of real typing.

Or imagine this: instead of leaving home with a five pound laptop, use a 6oz Touch and a foldable keyboard. Type articles or memos with the portable keyboard, or even email them via Wifi. You don't have to worry about a cluttered desktop because your keyboard is folded away, and the only thing you have to sync is what you do ordinarily with your Touch.

I really can't figure why this wouldn't be technically or financially viable.

Thanks!

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Answer 3

Doc M

Level 3

785 points

Apr 9, 2010 10:38 PM in response to Poikkeus

Poikkeus--

Instead of leaving home with my 4.5 pound MacBook (which I need because I work online), I'm waiting to get an iPad... 🙂

Seriously--I do work from home, and I do take my MacBook everywhere when I leave town. Using my touch to work from isn't feasible for me. (Though I do like the idea of a folding/rollable keyboard for the touch.) The iPad really would work better for me than the touch; I could use Pages and Numbers, and the larger keyboard would suit me and my fat fingers better. (I can type 20-25 wpm on my touch, BTW.) The only app I have on the touch for notes is...Notes. I use the recording app and a ThumbTack if I need to record things for transcription later.

I guess I don't mind the 4.5 pounds of MacBook, compared to the Dell's 5.3 pounds. (And the MacBook is a better computer-and better looking, to boot!)

Doc

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Answer 4

Poikkeus Author

Level 4

2,786 points

Apr 9, 2010 11:12 PM in response to Doc M

I have to confess that a 1.5 pound iPad is very promising from the standpoint of video clarity, portability, and relative speed. I recently demo'd the iPad, but certain issues (power and wifi signal chief among them) suggests I wait for v.2.

I am extremely jealous of your 25wpm typing speed. If you're remotely accurate, I'm green with envy.

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Answer 5

Apr 10, 2010 1:31 AM in response to Poikkeus

I have to agree with you on the dock which isn't one available for the iPod touch. I think that apple though it would be more conformtable to use with a screen-size of an ipad rather than a small screen on an iPod touch. Talking about wireless keyboards, back when the iPad came out and the SDK was being explored, Greg singled out a few iPad features that we felt would be useful on the iPhone. Unfortunately only one of them seems to have made it in OS 4.0, but it’s a handy one: Bluetooth keyboard support. Let's hope that apple around the summer time releases an iPod dock for a keyboard.

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Answer 6

Apr 10, 2010 1:35 AM in response to Poikkeus

for the time that i was able to use my ipod touch, (got it used, then it got stuck in recovery mode a short time after and my computer will not recognize the ipod in order to restore it... sigh) , i found the onboard touch keypad to be very easy to use, i do type slower than i probably would with an external keyboard, but i definitely prefer less wpm to an extra peripheral device, without a doubt.

I dont see much incentive for a company to create an external keyboard anyway; I think most people are content with the onboard kboard.

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Answer 7

Doc M

Level 3

785 points

Apr 10, 2010 10:02 AM in response to Poikkeus

Poikkeus--

I have gotten to be fairly accurate with the touch keyboard. In all fairness, though, I only type 45 wpm normally.

Doc

Sent from my iPod

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Answer 8

cmw951

Level 1

20 points

Jun 23, 2010 9:47 AM in response to Poikkeus

I wish SOMEONE would come up with a portable, foldable keyboard for the iTouch. That would make it PERFECT for many situations I deal with.

I don't have an iPad. I don't want one. I don't carry my laptop with me everywhere. I want full features with the iTouch. I can't believe I'm the only one.

Why is this scenario impossible? I've found Forum posts elsewhere going back several years requesting an external keyboard, but still the answer is no. Why?

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