Visually, the look of Resco Keyboard Pro is a
WHAT’S
HOT
nice relief from the standard white on-screen keyboard. Several of built-in
functions, such as "Gestures," will save you considerable
time and effort. In addition, the program also includes three numeric
layouts as well as a "Writing Calculator" for entering numbers
or performing calculations.
Installing Resco was fairly simple. I used the
SETUP
desktop installer (CAB files are available as well) which used ActiveSync
to put the program on my Pocket PC. Accepting all the defaults, setup
finished and asked if I wanted to set the Resco Keyboard as my default
input method.
The "set as default" box is already checked so I just clicked
"OK," and was prompted to do a soft reset.
When the Pocket PC device restarts, Resco Keyboard Pro be activated
every time you select a control supporting text editing. It can also
be displayed by tapping the icon in the lower corner of your screen.
The first thing you will notice when you
PRODUCT
FEATURES
use the Resco Keyboard is how different it looks from the standard on-screen
keyboard. This is a sharp contract to the black-and-white keyboard I’d
been using.
I decided to test Resco Keyboard Pro with Pocket SharpMT, a portable
journaling program with several text input areas. Using Keyboard Pro
is fairly straightforward. On a basic level you use it just as you would
the standard on-screen keyboard. Select any text area and Resco Keyboard
pops up for you to start typing.
Beyond the basics, Keyboard Pro has several built-in functions to make
you more productive and increase your speed. Pressing any key and holding
it down invokes the "Autorepeat" feature and types that character
repeatedly.
Keyboard Pro also includes a function called "Gestures." These
time-savers take some getting used to, but became second nature after
about five minutes of typing. By tapping on a letter an moving the stylus
up, the letter becomes a capital. Holding on a letter and dragging backwards
results in a backspace. A tap and drag forward produces a space and
a tap and drag down starts a new line and is the same as hitting the
"enter" key. Using "Gestures" is optional and can
be disabled by selecting the "up arrow" by the keyboard icon
and selecting "Options."
Access
the Options panel…
Options
for Autorepeat and Gestures
Other choices on the general Options tab include setting the font size,
language and "skins." Skins allow you to change the look and
color of Resco Keyboard Pro. Unfortunately, only the default skin is
available after installation. As of this writing, there are no additional
skins for download at the Resco web site but says they should "be
available soon."
The Options panel also allows you to set up your "Fx" keys.
These special keys will type stored phrases when "Fx"
is selected in keyboard mode.
"Fx"
phrase entry area
The "Fx" keys are a great idea. If you find yourself typing
certain phrases or pieces of text over and over, you can store them
in an "Fx" key. I entered several phrases (signature, HTML
code, salutation, etc.) and still didn’t use up all 11 slots. Once you’ve
updated your phrases, click "OK" to return to your text entry
area. To use the "Fx" keys, just tap the button.
"Fx"
button
"Fx"
phrase selection panel
After tapping one of my "Fx" keys Resco Keyboard takes over
and begins to type in my phrase. Tapping on "ABC" returns
to the keyboard.
"Fx"
phrase being typed
The "123" setting on the Options panel represents the numeric
input method. You can choose between large or small numeric keys, or
the Calculator.
After making my selection, it became the default. Then when entering
text, tapping the "123" button opened the numeric input panel
I’d selected earlier.
"123"
button
The Calculator is not a numeric input method, it is simply a calculator.
But by selecting the "Write" mode my calculation was entered
right into the text area.
"Calculator"
input panel
The Calculator isn’t a feature I’d have much use for, but I know other
professionals who do a lot of calculations in the field would find it
invaluable.
Numeric
Input panel
The numeric input panel works just as expected, by tapping any number
it was entered into the text area. No calculations are performed with
this input selection.
How does
it compare?
In testing this application, I entered the same text
with the Resco Keyboard Pro, the standard on-screen keyboard and in Block
Recognizer. First I typed with Resco. I found there to be good response
to my taps and, after getting used to the "Gestures" I seldom
had to use the "shift" button. Next I entered the same text
with the standard on-screen keyboard and while it was effective, it left
a lot to be desired. I didn’t type as fast and made a few more mistakes.
The last test was with the Block Recognizer. Coming from a Palm background,
I had pretty good speed with the "Graffiti" method of writing.
In this case, I made many more mistakes, mostly due to not writing exactly
the way Microsoft expected. This method took much longer than both others
combined. While I like the freedom of handwriting my text, it was just
not efficient. Of the three methods, the Resco Keyboard Pro was the most
productive and stress-free.
The visual appeal of the Resco Keyboard Pro should not be seen as simply
a cosmetic make-over. The gray letter keys make it much easier to find
the text you need. The keys in dark blue emphasize their functions without
being distracting. By contrast, the all-white format of the system keyboard
was very difficult to navigate. Plus, once I saw the keyboard in color,
there was no way I was going back to black-and-white.
HELP
SUPPORT
the program, there is no help menu. Resco does offer an instruction
manual in PDF available for download separately on their website. The
desktop installer does not include this manual, so you will need to
obtain it yourself. The 10-page manual is an easy read and explains
all the basics of the program and how to access the special functions.
Using and configuring Keyboard Pro is so easy that a manual with much
more detail isn’t really necessary.
The manual was lacking a troubleshooting section, and had no instructions
on where to go for technical support. Phone numbers are listed in the
contacts section of the web site, but since the address is in the Slovak
Republic it could be an expensive call. A look in the "Support"
area of the Resco web site turned up nothing more than
a web form to submit "installation problems, suggestions, comments."
After submitting the form I was given a message stating "We will
process your message within three (3) business days." I dug around
their site in search of a support forum but could not find it. A search
on Google did bring me to what
appears to be their official support forum, but since it wasn’t
linked from Resco-net.com
I can’t be certain. In any case, there was not a forum for the Keyboard
Pro so the web form is the only support option right now.
Resco Keyboard Pro supports Windows Mobile
SYSTEM
REQUIREMENTS
2003, Pocket PC 2002 and Pocket PC operating systems on ARM, SH3, MIPS
or XScale processors. No storage or memory requirements were stated
in either the manual or on the Resco web site. However, the changes
in my system tell me that it needs 30k storage space and 10k program
memory.
At one point I had the keyboard give me
BUGS
AND WISHES
an error where it couldn’t load it’s default skin. I did have several
applications running at that point, and could have been low on memory.
The keyboard wouldn’t popup when selected. But after a soft reset everything
was fine. I’ve not been able to repeat this error, but it seemed to
be related to a shortage of available memory. The default skin could
be the cause but there was no way to troubleshoot this with other, less
graphic skins. When they do release additional skins, I hope Resco includes
a tutorial so users can create their own.
It would also have been nice if Keyboard Pro had a full-screen keyboard
option so users could type with their fingers in addition to using a
stylus.
Resco Keyboard Pro 4 can be purchased from
PURCHASING
Resco-net.com (powered by Handango) for $19.95. More information
on Keyboard Pro 4 is available on the
Resco product information page.
PROS
- Gestures
make typing more efficient - The
"Fx" keys save time by storing often-used phrases - Pleasant
color and logical layout are a refreshing change from the default
system keyboard
CONS
- Lack
of additional keyboard "skins" - Limited
online support - Memory
requirements not stated
Keyboard Pro is an impressive, good-looking
OVERALL
IMPRESSION
replacement for the standard Pocket PC on-screen keyboard. The "Gestures"
and "Fx" keys speed you right along when entering text. However,
the lack of additional skins for a product that lists this as prominent
feature is disappointing. Plus, the absence of troubleshooting tips
or technical support is surprising considering the many excellent products
Resco offers. I’m not sure that Resco Keyboard Pro 4 in its current
form gives you a lot of value for $19.95. But if you are looking for
a snazzy new on-screen keyboard with several features that make text
input easier, then Keyboard Pro 4 does the job quite well.
No related post found.
