Newbie with a 720...

A friend of mine just gave me a j720 that he got from his office - they couldn't figure out how to use them, so received it in almost brand new condition! There is one thing I can't figure out...I guess there is a place for a smart media card in the 720. What can this be used for? Also, is there any way to connect a keyboard to the 720 without having the docking station? I love the features of the 720 but it is way to small to do serious typing. The only thing I can think of is a universal infrared keyboard....

Thanks for any help.

T

well this means you need a NEC


no smart media card, sorry.

OK, OK! Yes, the NEC keyboard is a little bigger... but, I think the NEC still would not be comfortable for me. I think it is barely bigger than my libretto keyboard....

I am guessing that my options for a keyboard are (without using the docking station)

infrared
bluetooth
possible get a serial-ps/2 or usb adaptor and connect a keyboard that way???

The 720 still DOES have a smart card slot but what can I do with it? The biggest memory card I have found for smart media is 128 mb....has anyone ever heard of a 512 mb smart card? That would be a really useful size...could save my cf card and pcmcia card for toys

The 720 has a CF slot and a PCMCIA slot...
You can use a serial keyboard if you use a PCMCIA Serial I/O card. Try from SocketCom...

the NEC keyboard is 92% of the pc keyboard, and it is very comfortable! many say much better than libretto's.

smart card slot is NOT for smart media cards. you can't put any memory card there. it is for security solutions but totally useless as HP never wrote the driver api for it or whatever. forget it. the slot is only there to catch dust.

Hi,

If you are looking to add any USB or PS/2 keyboard/mouse buy the USB card I have, it works wonders.

Nick

Maybe you can hunt the jornada external keyboard from HP in ebay, they surface from time to time.

Nick, for the price of that card, they could buy a H/PC with usb host enabled.

-(Sad, isn't it?)

well but they would not be jornada sized except if you don't mind japanese.
(sigmarions, celux)

I know, but look at all the other things you can add to it. The device posibility is endless, I someone was good a CE Driver programming

Nick

So...it is impossible to put a cardbus pcmcia card into a hp/c? I guess even the USB 1.0 and 1.1 cards were all cardbus. How much battery drain does using the infrared port cause?

If I could get around the keyboard issue the J720 would be great!

...or...as some of you have not so graciously mentioned I can get an NEC 790 or 880...

Do you think a J720 is an even trade for a NEC 790 or 880? Maybe...I can just get both of them so I can start filling up my signature line with lost of machines...and start to feel at home here

Get the NEC 790, after a few times typing you will be totally used to the keyboard size. However, the 720 is worth more, so I would not trade. Just find a 790 for a good price, and you will love it.

Try to live with the keyboard a little longer - it does get better

The sigmarion3 would get my vote right now as a replacement device; sure, it's natively japanese but a lot can be done with conversion, and the keyboard is better IMHO than the Jornada's. If you're a newbie, I'd stick with the jornada for the moment tho.

USB on a Jornada 720 - I didn't think this was possible. Which card are you using?

Craig

ratoc CF usb card. the 1.1 version.