Improved Silkyboard Now Available

Posted By: Ed Friday, November 2, 2001 11:14:30 AM

NOVASIB, LLC has released the new version of their on-screen mini-keyboard, Silkyboard II. This is a small overlay for the Graffiti area that has a full keyboard printed on it. The new version fixes some of the limitations in the original one, including buttons for Space, Backspace, and Enter and replacements for the Silkscreen buttons. Graffiti can still be used, too. Silkyboard II is $30.


The latest version of the driver allows each key to be assigned to multiple functions, like launching applications. They can also be assigned to input strings of text, not just individual letters.

The original Silkyboard is still available for $20.

Thanks to Anthony Stroutz for the tip. -Ed

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Any review?

I.M. Anonymous @ 11/2/2001 2:04:40 PM #
Anyone has experience with this product? The fact that I don't need to haul a piece of hardware is attractive.



RE: Any review?
I.M. Anonymous @ 11/2/2001 2:13:40 PM #
The original Silkyboard (used on my Palm III and TRGpro) was great! I liked it alot. The new version seems even more "keyboard-like". They have included many features to allow easy launching and quick access to many menu features. VERY nice!

RE: Any review?
I.M. Anonymous @ 11/2/2001 3:15:27 PM #
I love the silkyboard. And this update solves every gripe I've had with it. (The original had no return key, space, or backspace keys, and you had to make little circles for app, calc, menu, and find in the spots where those used to be on the original silkscreen.)

Shift key?

I.M. Anonymous @ 11/2/2001 2:34:15 PM #
I don't see a 'Shift" key. How do you switch between upper and lower case?

RE: Shift key?
I.M. Anonymous @ 11/2/2001 3:13:52 PM #
To make uppercase or shift characters you simply hold the "tap" on that key for a little longer. I keep my tap-and-hold time set for about 1/2 second, but it is adjustable.

Can you use it with WriteRights?

I.M. Anonymous @ 11/2/2001 3:44:34 PM #
I always thought this was a great Idea for a product, but never used it, becuase I always have a WriteRight on the screen. I've been afraid that when I removed the WriteRight, the Silkyboard would be ruined as you pulled the WriteRight off of it.

RE: Can you use it with WriteRights?
Silkyboard.com @ 11/5/2001 11:11:57 AM #
You can use Silkyboard with screen protectors without any problem. See the Silkyboard FAQ at http://www.silkyboard.com/faq/index.php

how to use the Silkyboard with a screen protector?

I.M. Anonymous @ 11/3/2001 6:24:53 AM #
Just wondering, how to use the Silkyboard together with a screen protector?

Please advise:
Do we have to trim our screen protector OR we just slap on the screen protector OVER the Silkyboard overlay?

I'm pretty interested, but is hesitating over the above bit.

RE: how to use the Silkyboard with a screen protector?
I.M. Anonymous @ 11/3/2001 7:04:18 AM #
The FitalyStamp is a similar keyboard overlay replacement as the silkyboard, but differs in layout. Instead of a standard qwerty format, it is apparently designed for stylus-based typing, with all the common letters situated in the center of the layout: hence the name "FITALY". It's available both as an on-screen keyboard (using Hackmaster etc) or as a graffiti overlay called FitalyStamp. There's quite a good forums area which has discussed this "screen protector issue" at length: www.fitaly.com and follow the links. The consensus opion was...there wasn't any. :) There are merits to both options. Some people report that having the protector go over the overlay has the added advantage of making the overlay itself last a little longer.

RE: how to use the Silkyboard with a screen protector?
Silkyboard.com @ 11/5/2001 11:26:42 AM #
See the details at www.silkyboard.com/faq/index.php

Why Green???

I.M. Anonymous @ 11/3/2001 1:56:46 PM #
I like the idea, but green and white sure is ugly. Why not something a little more color-coordinated (or colorless) for the otherwise sleek and stylish Palms we own? Other than a few neon-tinted Handsprings, I can't see this color-scheme doing anything but clashing with most Palm devices.

Fashion-conscious...

RE: Why Green???
Silkyboard.com @ 11/5/2001 11:13:49 AM #
The colour is the same as Palm Power button has. It was specially chosen to be in Palm style

One question . . .

palmist500 @ 11/4/2001 1:26:07 PM #
What happens when you want to access the menu buttons like Search, Calculator etc.?

---------------------------
"May the Palm be with You"
One answer . . .
Ed @ 11/4/2001 1:29:02 PM #
Those are generally called the silkscreen buttons and the Silkyboard II has replacements for them on its bottom row of buttons. Look at the image in the article to see them.

---
News Editor
RE: One question . . .
palmist500 @ 11/4/2001 2:03:11 PM #
Sorry, just saw how it works.

Relax everyone . . . ;-)

---------------------------
"May the Palm be with You"

works well

mj6798 @ 11/4/2001 5:01:51 PM #
I have the Silkyboard I, and I have been very satisfied with it. But the lack of menu buttons and space bar on Silkyboard I makes it unsuitable for complete novices (you use gestures for that). Silkyboard II seems to fix this. Silkyboard II is what the Palm should have had since the beginning, IMO.

The two things that bother me are the price and the patent. $30 for the Silkyboard II is price gouging; that is way out of line with how much it must cost to produce this software and the stickers. And it seems like a lot of gall for a company to attempt to patent a tappable preprinted keyboard.

Let's hope that the next generation of Palm Pilots will come with a soft input area so that we don't need a kludge like Silkyboard anymore.

RE: works well
Silkyboard.com @ 11/5/2001 11:16:38 AM #
Actually, not a "tappable preprinted keyboard" is being patented but the principle of combined input. This idea allows you to use Graffiti and key tapping simultaneously. As a matter of fact, nobody used this idea for years after the first Palm devices had been released. And developing such product took a lot of resources.

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