thinkDevice Co. today announced that it is shipping Q-Pad for Palm m500 series PDAs. The device doubles as a protective leather case and an integrated keyboard, and it’s Mac and Windows-compatible.
The Q-Pad occupies about 3 x 5 inches and is less than an inch thick, according to the developer. It’s fully compatible with applications that support the Palm 500, 505 and 515 PDAs, as well. The Q-Pad includes a numeric keypad and 60 key QWERTY keypad, and includes programmable hot keys and special function keys. What makes the Q-Pad different from other thumb boards available for Palm PDAs is that it doubles as a protective carrying case, according to thinkDevice marketing director Robert Hahn.
Q-Pad sports a snap-in attachment mechanism inside the mechanism that enables users to connect the PDA, and features a spring-loaded hinge that flips out to become a 40-degree viewing stand. It draws power from the PDA only when a key is depressed, to reduce power consumption. The case also has a pocket for an SD media card and has available an optional belt-clip.
The Q-Pad for m500 comes with driver software for Windows and Mac OS — there was no mention of specific OS X — and costs US$69.99.