The Stowaway Portable keyboard is marketed by Targus, a company that produces accessories for laptops and PDAs. I was looking at a keyboard for my Sony Clie PEG-610C, and I found the Stowaway keyboard a very functional option. The Stowaway is an aptly named device that expands from a small 3.6" x 5.1" x 0.8" size when closed, to 13.75" x 5.06" x 0.44" when expanded. It has a clever design that allows it to fold up like a map with built-in hinges, and then can lock into its own protective hard case.

There are no special features that differentiate the Clié version from the Palm version, or iPAQ version for that matter. The keyboard unfolds partially when a release button is pushed. The user then manually expands the device to its full length and locks the segments by sliding two tabs in place. The user can then slide out the interface connector, which attaches to the PDA. The PDA is supported in an upright position by a "stand" that extends from the keyboard. The end result is that the PDA stands upright and the user is able to see the screen very visibly as he or she types.

All of the documentation for this product can be found online. The device driver must be downloaded, which assumes you have internet access. The feel of the keyboard is pretty good. It feels like a true keyboard for a PC or laptop. The keys seem to be full-size and push-down like a true keyboard. In other words, it works as you would expect a normal generic keyboard to - you can type almost as quickly as you can on a standard PC keyboard. The Stowaway has dedicated keys for date, phone, To Do, and Memo. It also has ctrl, function, and alt keys. The cursor keys are somewhat closer togther and are close to the other keys as well. This makes it easy to miss the correct cursor key, but this is no different than compact laptop keyboards.

What do I wish was different? I wish the Menu key was a dedicated key rather than shared with the phone key. When I use WordSmith, I often have to click the menu icon which takes my hands off the keyboard. True, you can hold the Function key and then push the Phone key, which doubles as the menu key, but this takes some manual dexterity. A software solution probably could fix this issue.

Who is this product for? If you don't edit or type lots of text, then you can make do with graffiti or the thumb keyboards (which I have never tried). However, if you need to enter in large amounts of information or text then this is the right product for you. This keyboard is especially powerful when used with a more full-featured text editor or word processor. I find using Wordsmith and Stowaway to be a great combination.

The only downside? Price. The list price is $99 which is somewhat pricey. But you may be able to find it on sale through some joint promotions. One caveat, the Sony Clié version of Stowaway is compatible with PEG-N760C, PEG-N610C/S, PEG-N610C/V, PEG-S320, N710C, N770C, S300, S310, and the S360, but it does not support T415 and T615 models and NR Series. This is another reason Sony should try to standardize its interface connectors (a mistake that has precedence - a la Palm).

If you would like to join others in chatting about this article or sharing a similar experience, join our discussion board at this thread: