| There are many important input devices. Find out | | | | can be bothersome if one is in a hurry. If your |
| about some of them. It really does not get too | | | | fingers hit the keys well, however, the DialKeys |
| much cooler than the Ultra Mobile PC. They | | | | program has plenty of options and features to |
| provide you with many of the features that you | | | | help make it a very useful program for you. One |
| would expect from a laptop such as internet | | | | of the great things about DialKeys is that it is, to |
| connectivity and the ability to watch movies or | | | | some extent, customizable. For example, you can |
| connect with your peers from anywhere so that | | | | change the color of the DialKeys application from |
| you can connect to the net. These tiny | | | | black to white and back again. However, this has |
| computers are useful in the extreme. However, | | | | an important function. Switch back and forth to |
| their small size may have a few negative | | | | help alleviate the twin troubles of dark screens at |
| consequences. One of the problems inherent to | | | | night and glare from the sun during the day. |
| UMPCs is the issue of having to type on a touch | | | | Switching back and forth means that you could |
| screen. The touch screen makes it easy to tap | | | | eliminate both the problems. Yet another way to |
| out your emails with your fingers or with the | | | | tailor DialKeys for your UMPC is to change the |
| provided stylus. However, there are bound to be | | | | opacity of the keyboard on the UMPC's display. |
| negatives as well. The screens are only seven | | | | This allows you to see what is going on under the |
| inches on a typical UMPC, and this means that | | | | keyboard, and while it can be distracting for some |
| there is very limited space if you are looking to | | | | people, it others just can't get enough. An |
| add a keyboard. Dealing with the space problems | | | | interesting characteristic of DialKeys is that there |
| may not be easy. The software designers could | | | | are no multi-function keys for which you would |
| either focus on a keyboard utility that covers up | | | | normally use the Shift key to change the meaning. |
| the screen underneath, making it hard to see | | | | Instead there are three different sets of keys, |
| what you are actually doing, or can design a | | | | including the normal letters keypad, the numbers |
| keyboard utility that does not hide the screen but | | | | keypad, and a special punctuation keypad with |
| which can be hard to use as the keys in question | | | | lots of extra symbols and bits of punctuation to |
| will be tiny. Since the brilliant designers at Microsoft | | | | assist you in expressing yourself. It might take |
| know that no one really likes to have to use a | | | | some time to get used to the keyboard layout |
| stylus as they key in messages (even their tiny | | | | for DialKeys, but when you do get comfortable |
| computer), DialKeys is a standard installation on | | | | with it, you realize that it is one of the quicker |
| UMPCs. The developers of this program were a a | | | | and better onscreen keyboards available as long |
| company called Fortune Fountain Ltd. It is an | | | | as you do not need to use the number, |
| overlay program with a split keyboard that is | | | | punctuation, or command features too often. For |
| designed to allow the UMPC user to use his | | | | those who need more than the basics to hand |
| thumbs to type. Using thumbs only to type on a | | | | when typing, however, it can be a pain to switch |
| standard QWERTY keyboard layout is odd | | | | between the screens in order to find the required |
| enough. However, the DialKeys application takes it | | | | symbols. Getting the DialKeys set up to your |
| one step farther by making sure that the | | | | standards is vital if you want to gain from it. If |
| keyboard looks very different. The application | | | | the color or opacity are not working for you, then |
| displays as two quarter-circles, one in each lower | | | | you will not gain too much out of your UMPC and |
| corner of the screen, allowing you to type with | | | | will find the DialKeys application harder to use and |
| your thumbs without having to make strange | | | | harder to appreciate. The DialKeys application may |
| contortions with one's hands. This allows you to | | | | be a bit of a challenge when you first start using |
| type without changing the way that you hold the | | | | it, but it is much quicker than learning how to type |
| device. Such a program could change our | | | | in the first place, and worth learning. Some even |
| traditional modes of typing.Unfortunately for | | | | find it possible to touch-type with the DialKeys |
| many, especially many men, the DialKey | | | | application, meaning that the opacity can be |
| application might be problematic in the case of | | | | turned way down. Clearly, there is value in using |
| large fingers, just like many typing solutions. The | | | | the DialKeys application even despite the obvious |
| unique layout of the keyboard on the screen also | | | | negatives. |
| makes it a little bit harder to use a stylus, which | | | | |