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RedFly Mobile Companion - 08/26/10

Revolutionary external keyboard & screen for your PDA Turns your BlackBerry or Windows Mobile device into a virtual laptop/workstation By BerryMeister I set up and tested one of the REDFLY Mobile Companion C7s using my BlackBerry 8900 and everyone who saw it was very impressed! We’ve been selling and supporting external keyboards for BlackBerry for well over 5 years, starting with the Flexis keyboards for the BlackBerry 857/957. But I have to say that the REDFLY Mobile Companion is by far the easiest to install and the most capable external input device we’ve ever carried. The device looks like a typical netbook or sub-notebook with a keyboard and screen in the familiar clamshell package. It’s remarkable for what it DOESN’T have. It doesn’t have a processor or memory. Instead, this ingenious device has just what the PDA is lacking – a larger screen and keyboard along with full size USB ports and a VGA output port. It also includes a large capacity battery that can power the device and charge the PDA while it’s being used. It works with several of the newer model BlackBerry devices AND with Windows Mobile 6 PDAs. The beauty of the design is that nothing gets stored on the device and virtually nothing needs to be maintained or updated, unlike a traditional laptop that is expensive to support and maintain and could present a security risk by virtue of sensitive data being stored on board. Installation is very simple. On a BlackBerry, you would use the built-in browser to download and install a small application called REDFLY. If necessary, you could also install the application using a PC and BlackBerry Desktop Manager. Next, press the power button on the REDFLY, then connect the USB sync cable that came with your BlackBerry to one of the USB ports on the REDFLY. Finally, click on the REDFLY icon on your BlackBerry and choose “Start REDFLY.” That’s it! Within a few seconds the screen on the REDFLY perfectly matches the screen on your BlackBerry, only now you have a much larger screen and keyboard to work with. The keyboard layout on the REDFLY closely matches that of your BlackBerry device, including the Red and Green keys as well as the Menu key. There are also special icon keys for functions like Home screen, Email, calendar, etc. The touchpad on the REDFLY works like the touchpad on the newest BlackBerry devices, meaning that it allows you to scroll left, right; up and down (similar to the way the trackball works). However, when you’re using the BlackBerry’s built-in browser, you can move smoothly in a true graphical mode. What I found especially compelling was using the device with an external USB keyboard and an external monitor plugged into the REDFLY’s VGA port. The implementation of the external keyboard was very logical and worked very well. Thus, the REDFLY can be used “barefoot” to enhance the portability and increase the usability of your BlackBerry device. Or you can plug in an external keyboard and optionally an external monitor and use the device in an office setting, basically replacing a laptop or workstation for enhanced productivity. The included power supply for the device provides operating power and allows you to charge your BlackBerry at the same time. While it may seem counter-intuitive, this actually fulfills the elusive “dream” of turning your PDA into a virtual laptop or small workstation. For corporate users, the elegance of this design is that it allows the BlackBerry device or Windows Mobile PDA to do what it does best, provide a secure data path while avoiding the expense of additional charges for services such as VPN support or tethering charges. The cost of providing expensive laptop support can be reduced or in many cases, eliminated. As REDFLY points out, today’s PDA devices are nearly as powerful as many laptops were a few years ago. So for staff who may not need a lot of computing power, but are more interested in basic email and a few applications, this may be exactly what they need in an elegant small package.

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