iPod Touch keyboard add-on
2008 July 23
Real keyboard, connected to iPod Touch via USB through iPod Camera Connector accessory.
I want this. Well, maybe with a slimmer keyboard. Possibly a foldable version of something the size of the Apple Wireless Keyboard (pictured below). Doesn’t have to actually BE wireless, though. I’d be FINE with a USB cable, and even with slapping rechargeable batteries in the keyboard to prevent an additional power draw from the iPod Touch…
Apple Wireless Keyboard - perfect companion to my iPod Touch? Please?
This would make the Notes app much more useful. And the WordPress app. And email. etc… etc…
How about this as a solution? – http://www.virtual-laser-keyboard.com/
Nice!
If ipod have this, It will be great
I had a folding keyboard for my old Palm that worked pretty well, as long as you had a solid surface to put it on. It sucked for lap use, though. I don’t know why the designers didn’t include some kind of lock mechanism.
I also had a folding keyboard for my old palm that I LOVED. I would love to be able to use a small keyboard during my morning commute to write emails on my ipod.
Does this actually work on the ipod. You can reply back at sandarab920@yahoo.com.
Cuz I want to buy a camera connector.
@Mo, I’m wondering why you post using one Yahoo email address and ask for direct replies to a second, different Yahoo address. That smells spammy, and I almost flagged your comments as spam.
And no, it doesn’t work. Too bad, because it’d be great to have a keyboard on the iPod Touch. But I’m guessing a full-sized USB keyboard would draw too much power from the tiny device…
So what’s the final story with this? You mocked up the photo to get us all excited? Or it genuinely exists?
Like everyone else, I would dearly love to be able to use a full-sized keyboard with my iPod touch. It would in fact free me completely from having to carry a laptop most of the time.
I came across this post searching, from scratch, and it doesn’t seem like there is anything going on. I imagine it would be quite hard to program, or someone would already have done it.
I just tried plugging a keyboard into my iPod Touch using the adapter I had at hand. The pieces fit, so I wanted to see if it worked. Didn’t do it to get anyone excited – all I was doing was trying it out to see if it worked.
It doesn’t.
I think the biggest problem isn’t programming – the iPod uses MacOSX so it should be already able to handle keyboards – but the extra power draw of driving a keyboard. Maybe a keyboard with its own batteries would make it possible?
Somebody, somewhere, has got to be working on this — and when they go looking for a beta tester or an early adopter, I hope they’ll know where to find us!
I reckon the demand would be huge. A keyboard with a hard, snap on lid, so I could just throw it in my bag, would be so valuable to me and manny others.
I would love to purchase an iPod Touch – if and only if – it came with an external keyboard. I currently own a Palm TX with an external keyboard, WiFi, a reasonable browser (sort-of), good language translation software for learning German, and a word processor that is MS compatible. I’d drop the Palm in a second if only the iPod touch had a keyboard. I’m a good typist and the keyboard for the Palm is really essential for me to be able to use it as a laptop replacement. Is Apple afraid of people using the iPod Touch instead of buying their laptops? Or… ? I really don’t get it. There are lots and lots of forums just like this one with people clamoring for an external keyboard.
Still waiting…. Hey Apple… Are you listening?
AMEN! AMEN! AMEN! As a serious Mac user and Palm user, I need a piece of hardware that let’s me have fun and do some work! My foldable Palm keyboard is a really great thing. I am secretary on a Board of Trustees and always take live notes using Docs to Go and my keyboard! I would LOVE to have a touch, but, it is only a party machine at this point! sigh
I’m with you. I desperately want to buy the iPod Touch, but only if it has a keyboard. As it stands now, it would just be another “toy” for me. But with a keyboard… man, that would be perfect for meetings. I’m also working on writing a novel — how cool would it be to be able to whip out my Touch, unfold my keyboard, and rough out a chapter over a cup of coffee?
Apple has GOT to be aware of the demand for this. Take note: I will run out and buy the 32 gig model + keyboard the same day it’s released.
Again, AMEN! Docs to Go even has an iPod Touch version of it’s MS Word excel PP apps, but, I am trying to figure out why if there is no way to edit except with the thumb-breaking virtual keyboard????
I am with the rest of you in desperately wanting a little keyboard to take notes on my touch. the reason that we shouldn’t expect this to happen any time soon, though, is that it will make the touch so amazingly useful that it will start cutting into sales of Mac’s low-end portables, products that cost 5x more than the touch.
if i had to guess, i’d say that apple is actively forbidding 3rd party companies from making this product. anyone from apple want to tell me otherwise?
Hey, its as simple as this. wifi keyboard with its own batteries and an app in itunes store that runs the program. I’m still waiting on the app. Otherwise I think we’re good to go. Maybe I’m wrong about all this but I think some professional could semi easily produce an app that would be a hot seller using the mac osx and wifi capabilities to accept a wireless keyboard. What do y’all think?
Do it. I’d buy it.
Man!! i just saw this pic and got really really exited… now, having read the txt, im really really down… So apple!: im not gonna buy mac-book anyway, so just go and develop that keyboard/software that is needed so badly alright!??
I’m writing this comment from my itouch, and I so wish I had a keyboard. I write articles for a website, and this touch keyboard is far to slow.
I loved my Psion palmtops.. but they broke. Clamshell format (like a glasses case) protected the screen and keyboard – just big enough to touch type. A protective clamshell case for an iPod Touch, with useable keyboard (and AAA batteries if needed) would make it a fantastic travel tool. But a small external keyboard (NOT thumboard) would help clear more screen space for writing, etc.
Yes very much please on a keyboard for iPod Touch… And don’t make the only one BluTooth, us first gens. would like to be able to take advantage too. With all of the 3rd party innovation I’m frankly surprised that this hasn’t already been done – Seems so obvious.
Yeah, I was hoping bluetooth would be coming to the iPod touch this year, and was sadly disappointed. One of their slim-line keyboards and a touch and I’d be able to go anywhere, and opt whether I want the keyboard or not.
I do have a laptop, but it doesn’t run, play music, or work as a portable drive with the top down – that’s sleep mode. There’s just no way to get it to function in as rough and tumble a situation as an iPod does!
they actually did include bluetooth in the new ipod touch, but it only works with some Nike+ technology, for working out or something. the reason it’s disable for other app developers has to do with not infringing on bandwidths of other products, or something. i don’t get it, but bluetooth needs to be avaialble on these devices. it’s a no-brainer.
I’m a newspaper columnist and I used to do a lot of writing on my Palm with a collapsable keyboard. It was amazing — folded up and fit in a small makeup bag along with my Palm. Palm is dead now, and I, too, would buy an iPod touch the moment a keyboard comes out for it. Amazing Apple has yet to come out with this. Perhaps it would cut into iPhone profits? I don’t need that much phone — but I do need to take my address book and directions on Safari and stuff along with me. Could download stuff on my Wifi at home and take it on the road.
Also, has anybody figured out a way to make Verizon mobile broadband work with the Touch? Now that would be another reason for me to get this. Have the modem and the plan already for my iMac.
And P.S. Thanks, Darcy – my first time here. Will be back.
Amy, I am using the Verizon Mi-Fi with my Touch and my laptop. I am liking it pretty well. I dropped the data plan from my phone and replaced it with the Mi-Fi and data plan, so it’s pretty much a wash, but I can get my emails, etc on my Touch and still use the wifi for my laptops.
Alan
OK ! Does it work or not ???
I WAN A KEYBOARD FOR MY ITOUCH!
WHY THE HECK IS THIS NOT AVAILABLE???? !!!! ???? !!!
I want one also. as does a number of friends all looking for the same thing for their iTouch.
why doesn’t apple figure that out??????
As much as I love APPLE, and I have ALWAYS owned a Mac, since the very first ones that came out, they are ignoring the “usefulness” factor and, as their advertising suggests, plying their wares solely to the youth generation “x” or “y” or whatever letter we are up to now! Sad…really….
i want to connect a keyboard and the screen to my ipod touch… so, i can use the ipod like a cpu. is there any possibility??? plase answer to my email thanks
Here is a link that might help solve your iPhone/iPod Touch keyboard problems.
Link:http://www.gadgetlite.com/2009/02/25/apple-wireless-bluetooth-keyboard/
Cheers, Jay
chuck the itouch, have 4 of the 7135′s,, kyocera palm phones, still cooken, all the features of my toy touch, have word, power point, excel, an external keyboard, for years, grow up boys and girls, these are older than many of you, consumers’ demand it, or expose em on the internet, they have been planning the pad thing for years, all we who work globally want, is a pocket thing, put the pad in your pocket, by the way imagine 7135′s were $500.00 then, would gladly pay a thousand now for a small thing with a hand sized foldable key board, like my several old keyocera types, who wants to make some money?
signed world traveler, toten a lotta stuff wanten a pocket thing, not a toy game thing that’s not connected to apples whims that will work
wow. thanks for the really terrible poetry. are you a friend of Lora Bruncke’s? I try to use office apps as absolutely little as possible. The idea of having a handheld device specially crafted to run Word makes me weep inside.
if you know of a product a pocket thing that will allow data input with or without the net has a hand sized portable keyboard and will interface with printers and current world softwares i am all ears i am not a tec but an end user that must tote what he needs to remote locations minus a sat phone
Where is Targus now? They used to make excellent kb for the Palm.