[Tech] Nokia E71 keyboard solution

Angelic

Angelic

Active Member
'ello folks,
so I'm making you my thinktank again :)

I have the lovely Nokia E71 that comes with Symbian 9.3 and is overall a very lovely piece of mobile equipment. Bluetooth, Wifi and an USB micro port, as far as the important things go.
I came to think of a way of converting it into a viable substitution for a netbook when travelling - it can take pictures, has solid memory and great connectivity. The problem I have is the keyboard - its own is quite good for SMSes and short emails and such, but not comfortable for writing longer texts.

So, can you think of suitable peripheral full-size keyboard that could be hooked up to it?

  • roll-out rubber one is preferred but not required
  • must not require adapter charging at all times, AA/AAA cells are acceptable, as is drawing power from the phone
  • cable/Bluetooth/Wifi/telepathy, I don't care

Thanks for all your brilliant ideas!
 
Traxata

Traxata

Junior Administrator
I think you'll be hard pressed to find micro-USB keyboards Ange, I shall have a quick look, but don't think you'll get that far without software, I don't know what kind of connectivity the Nokia will have with a keyboard that isn't specifically made for that purpose ..
 
Angelic

Angelic

Active Member
Thanks Trax, I am aware that there USED to be a Nokia keyboard but I don't think it's sold anymore, which is a shame. Also it was hard-structure, not the rubbery one.

I found a blog article from a guy that said he paired it successfully with a Mac wireless keyboard, which could also be a soution, however I'm not a big Mac fan and Apple products tend to be rather expensive.
 
Angelic

Angelic

Active Member
DeZ, that's exactly what I found as well, yeah :P The only two things I don't like about that setup (well, three) are:
  • Mac :-/
  • Fairly expensive (see above)
  • Un-foldable
Hence my local inquiry :)

But yeah, that's exactly why I want it and even how I want it.

EDIT: This is the kinda thing I'm after! Although I'm not sure how would the phone micro-USB handle the power demands of the USB transmitter and whether there is software that would make this pairing work...
 
Traxata

Traxata

Junior Administrator
Ange, the DiNovo mini is 152 mm X 152.8 mm X 65 mm in relation to your actual phone being 114 x 57 x 10 mm.

I have the DiNovo (full size keyboard which runs on battery too, and has a very lengthy charge time)

I thought about the DiNovo but wondered if it would actually pair with the phone... the keyboard runs on bluetooth so it should in theory work.

The DiNovo is a pretty decent keyboard, but it's not rubber, it is solid. The Mini is perfect for this sort of application, it's not too small, but not too big either.

I don't know if you'll be able to get a roll out rubber keyboard and USB - Micro USB adaptors to plug it in to work, as far as I can see, they're all 5V USB powered... Which will after prolonged use, kill your battery.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top