The keys, they are a changin'
The GoType! Pro is designed slightly differently than the older GoType! keyboard. Here's a list of the changes.

• The useful Done key is now the F1 key instead of the upper-left corner key, which now creates a tilde (~).

• The Caps Lock and Tab keys are now in their positions on a standard keyboard, above the left-hand Shift key.

• The brackets ([ ]) now appear above the Enter key.

• Because the Done key occupies a function key, there is no longer a Mail key (though the function keys can be programmed to activate whatever you like).

• Landware has also added a NumLock key, which turns the right half of the keyboard into a numeric keypad.

• Unfortunately, the arrow keys are no longer in an inverted-T configuration, but lined up along the bottom-right row.

Value added
If the GoType! Pro were just a clone of the original with a new port, there wouldn't be much more to say. However, a host of other features distinguish the Pro as a pro. Here's a list of those features.

*A socket on the right edge of the device lets you plug in the Palm V's power adapter to charge the handheld while it's in the keyboard cradle.

• On the left edge is another socket where you can insert an included HotSync cable for performing HotSync operations from the keyboard.

• A slider switch appears below the cradle to specify HotSync and typing modes, which also helpfully lights up to indicate when the Palm device is charging.

As a result of these additions, the GoType! Pro feels a bit heavier than the original GoType! keyboard, but it's still light and compact.

Professional performance
As for how it works, the GoType! Pro seems slightly better than the original in a few ways. The key action feels better than on my first GoType! keyboard, as if the keys are set slightly higher up (since my dad now owns my old GoType! keyboard, I wasn't able to compare the two side-by-side). Best of all, the Pro doesn't suffer from the driver problem that afflicted the original keyboards, where you'd have to sometimes turn your Palm device off then on again for the device to be recognized. This is due to Landware's version 1.5 driver, shown in Figure A. It now exists only as an application, not a HackMaster hack. The driver can also be used for all GoType! keyboards, so the problem may be fixed throughout the product line.

FIGURE A

Landware's version 1.5 driver now exists only as an application.

At the same time, though, the documentation is specific about instructing that you turn off the power to your Palm device before placing it in the cradle, then activating the driver. On a few occasions, I wasn't able to get my Palm organizer to recognize the keyboard but, overall, the driver has been reliable.

As mentioned, you can configure the function keys to launch applications or perform actions (such as activate a Cancel button without having to use the stylus). Figure B shows how I configured the function keys.