Review: The Freedom Universal Keyboard

Typing on the front facing qwerty keyboard on a Treo is alright, but nothing compares to typing on a full size keyboard. I can thumb type quickly enough, but when I'm texting or chatting, or typing emails or Word documents, I need a full sized keyboard where I can type 110 wpm. Several months ago I had the opportunity to test a Redfly, and while I really liked it, the keyboard was still cramped.

I decided to try out the Freedom Universal keyboard, which as you can see from the photo, is almost the same size as the keyboard on my laptop. While I would never want to haul around a full size keyboard, the Freedom Universal folds in half, and slips into a little case, that easily fits into my purse. As a matter of fact, it's so compact that while it won't fit into the pockets of tight jeans, it will fit into cargo pockets, and the pockets of painter pants.

The first thing that struck me as I removed the Freedom from the box was that the batteries were included. It's been so long since I've seen anything that came with batteries, it made me pause to look at the rest of the packaging, which was really nothing special. So I continued to pull the keyboard, pouch, and instruction booklet from the box and continue with the task at hand. After carefully reading the manual (skimming the manual?), I proceeded to otadrivers.com to download the Freedom driver directly to my Treo. After installation, it prompted a reset, so while my Treo did its thing, I went ahead and popped the batteries in the slot, and set the keyboard up.

Setting the keyboard up consists of folding it open, and sliding the tab to lock it in place. Simple enough so far, but I hadn't tried to pair it yet. After locking the keyboard in the open position, I popped the stand from its compartment. It sprang open, and my Treo fit in it just fine. The device stand is designed so that you can keep the charger plugged in while you use it. The disadvantage to the Treo's micro USB charger is that you have to plug it in after you put it in the stand. On the other hand, plugging it in after it's in the stand means the cord goes through the bottom part so that it cannot possibly slide out.

The next step was to pair the keyboard with my Treo. Flip tiny toggle to the right, hold down the funny round button with the "B" and go to the driver app newly installed in the system tab. Tap "Active Driver" and watch for the driver to find the keyboard. Select Freedom Keyboard and it's done. It really couldn't have been much easier. I completed the test by pressing the Windows key on the keyboard, navigating to Word, and starting to type. I was absolutely blown away.

So then I started thinking of all the things I could do with just my Treo and the Freedom. And then I started thinking of the Redfly and making all sorts of crazy comparisons. But I realized there were only few real advantages of using the Redfly as opposed to just using the Freedom keyboard:

• The Redfly will charge your device if you use it via USB.
• The 8" screen on the Redfly is the best feature when compared to any cell phone (including an iPhone).
• The Redfly has video out, although if you use some of the newer devices like the HTC Touch Pro, this will be a moot issue.

The Redfly is small, but nowhere near as small as the Freedom when it's folded up and in its pouch, and the Redfly's keyboard is cramped. I like the Redfly, but I can't type as fast on it as I can on the Freedom. Of course, the Redfly is $399, and the Freedom is $99 - so for those of us making the purchase on our own, this is a no-brainer.

When I travel in November, I'm going to leave my laptop behind. I may even be able to go with all carry-on that way, and not be loaded down. I can IM on fring as quickly as if I had the laptop using the Freedom. With IRCy, I won't miss any online chat time, and I won't have any excuses for not continuing to write with Office Mobile on my Treo 800w. Email? Not a problem. I'm really jazzed about the prospects.

Try the Freedom Universal Keyboard for yourself, or take the big plunge and get a Redfly. Either way, you're going to see your productivity soar.