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Can handheld PCs function as external keyboard for other devices?

hpcboy Page Icon Posted 2020-09-28 2:57 AM
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One killer feature of the Alphasmart Dana (and her sibilings Neo and Neo2) is to be able to work simply as an external usb keyboard for other computing devices. I use it to replace the malfunctional keyboard docking of my Asus T100 tablet (Win10) and as the primary keyboard for my LG Q6+ (Android 8). My dana is detected automatically as a keyboard even without the need for any drivers. The feel and quality of the keyboard on Dana/Neo has been highly praised by not just geeks but also many professional writers even to this day. In my experience, it definitely trumps all the laptop and portable keyboards I've used, and comes second just to the Cherry mechanical keyboard on my wife's PC.
So I just wonder. Is it possible to do the same with Handheld PC with a builtin keyboard, such as the Jornada and others? Is there any specific program or tweak that enables the device to work as an external keyboard?
This would be an ideal mobile solution for me as I want to keep my very personal data, such as schedules, todos, and diary entries, on a local, offline mobile device (i.e. the J720 in my case), separate from and independent of my always connected mobile phone which should just be responsible for networking and entertainment uses.
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GaryLee Page Icon Posted 2020-10-04 1:39 PM
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I am somewhat familiar with alpha smart devices, and I doubt any HPC would be able to work in a similar fashion.

AlphaSmart were keyboard "wedge" devices and uploaded to a host by connecting connecting to the keyboard port and "playing" the recorded keystrokes to the host computer. The first versions only worked with Macs, but after USB ports became common PC were also supported and later versions included some limited word processing features and a calculator, the final models included the Dana which used PalmOS and could run Palm apps.
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hpcboy Page Icon Posted 2020-10-05 12:40 PM
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In my workplace colleagues are supposed to share keyboards and mouses. But in view of this risky situation, I am now bringing my Dana and a usb mouse instead of using the shared equipment. The really nice thing about Dana is that after I finish my duties I can plug it off from the company desktop and let it resume to work as a standlone handheld device, so that I can enter my notes and progress into my own Palm OS programs (Bonsai, DayNotez, etc.). When I return home I do a simply syncing. Frankly, this local, offline operation still works perfectly and securely enough for me. No real need to do everything in cloud just because it's there and everyone seems to be living on it.
It will be a tremendous plus if HPC has this capability. Anyhow I still fancy bringing my Jornada along someday when I become more familiar with the CE platform and come up with my personal inventory of essential programs.
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stingraze Page Icon Posted 2020-10-05 12:42 PM
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hpcboy - 2020-10-05 9:40 PM
No real need to do everything in cloud just because it's there and everyone seems to be living on it.

I agree with you on that part. Windows CE is strong because of this offline aspect, I think. I use Sig 3 to write down notes for work and study.
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hpcboy Page Icon Posted 2020-10-05 1:22 PM
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stingraze - 2020-10-06 7:42 AM

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hpcboy - 2020-10-05 9:40 PM
No real need to do everything in cloud just because it's there and everyone seems to be living on it.

I agree with you on that part. Windows CE is strong because of this offline aspect, I think. I use Sig 3 to write down notes for work and study.


I will surely catch up on my Sigmarion III experience after I master the Jornada. Sig3 seems quite similar to the Sharp Zaurus (which I know not much) in specs but with a much nicer screen and keyboard. I can't help but have a vague feeling that like J720, Sig3 is also a very inspiring and capable machine.

Call me paranoid but it's so common and dubious for smartphone apps to ask for all sorts of permissions. Google should have put the permissions field before everything but I suspect it got deliberately pushed to the least accessible and visible position of the App info menu ... Perhaps I am just too stupid to figure out why an ordinary dictionary app needs to "Read phone status and identity" (IMEI? IMSI?), "View network connections", etc. iOS is no better I gather.
My personal conviction is if possible I won't let the web know more about me than necessary. My worst fear is just that everything (files, data, keys, even fingerprints, voice and facial images) stored on my "smart" device is contantly being monitored and data-mined day and night. Big data is a universal mixed bag. I don't know maybe it sounds like an apparent self-contradiction for geeky folks like me who both embrace and reject technology at the same time.
(Should've rant in my blog instead. )
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ntware Page Icon Posted 2020-10-05 3:02 PM
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Sig3 is my second favorite HPC after the Jornada. I miss mine a lot... it died after serving me for several years. I even had my own battery mod back in the day, and that's probably what ended up killing it. Honestly, there isn't much to learn from the J720 to Sig3. They are basically the same OS, but Sig3 is newer, with a more capable CPU, and a much better screen. I wish they could have made the screen a little wider just like the Jornada, then it would have been the perfect machine.
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