Before Pocket PCs came with built in keyboards, external keyboards were popular with Windows Mobile users needing to compose documents or respond to a lot of e-mail. The Celio REDFLY significantly enhances this experience by not only providing a keyboard large enough for touch typing, but also providing an 8-inch screen to see more of the application being used, such as columns in a spreadsheet.

Keep your laptop at home

After you connect a Windows Mobile Pocket PC or smartphone to the REDFLY using either a USB cable or Bluetooth, the Windows Mobile applications appear on REDFLY’s screen, and you can use the keyboard to operate the applications while the screen on your WM device is turned off. REDFLY is similar to the Foleo that Palm announced but never shipped. While the Foleo’s purpose was to extend the Palm smartphone experience to a larger screen and keyboard, it also had a processor and operating system to allow for minimal functionality while not connected to the phone. In contrast, the REDFLY has no processor or operating system and therefore has no useful function without being connected to a Windows Mobile device. 

I recently had the opportunity to use the REDFLY while attending a seminar. While I always carry around my HTC TyTN II, I normally would also have brought my notebook PC for typing notes during the seminar. Because the seminar was during the work day, I would have constantly checked my work e-mail on the TyTN II, resulting in my having to manipulate two devices throughout the seminar. The REDFLY changed this—while I was typing notes in Word Mobile, I could see e-mail notifications appear on the top of the screen, allowing me to instantly switch to Messaging to read and respond to e-mail. (The REDFLY adds Alt-tab functionality for switching between apps.) Throughout the seminar, my TyTN II stayed in its case on my hip while I used the REDFLY, enabling me to be very productive without having to carry around my larger notebook PC. What was most impressive to me was the REDFLY’s battery life, which remained well above 70% through the day even with the display at full brightness. I suspect the battery will run out on your WM device before the REDFLY’s battery does.

Simple yet powerful

The REDFLY is about the same size (9 inches long, 6 inches wide) as most popular netbooks, such as the Asus Eee PC shown here (Fig. 1). The 80-key keyboard is 8.3 inches wide and very functional—I wrote this review on it. I was able to type with minimal errors, and my fingers didn’t feel cramped as they do when typing on smaller keyboards. The top row of the keyboard has function keys, optimized for either Windows Mobile applications or the REDFLY. Two keys are assigned to the left and right softkeys found on recent Windows Mobile devices. The screen is very bright and displays at 800 x 400 resolution. It has a standard VGA port for connecting to monitors or projectors for showing presentations. It also has two USB ports, both of which can accept USB thumb drives that are recognized by the Windows Mobile device. When inserted into the USB port, they will appear as remote storage in File Explorer, allowing you to copy files back and forth and open and work with them directly from the drive.

The REDFLY’s clamshell design, spacious screen, and near-full-size keyboard turns a Windows Mobile device into a notebook-type device, adding functionality. Because there is no storage, it adds no security risk to enterprise data even if the device is lost. Because of its $399 price, companies will probably remain the primary customer. Celio was offering a $199 special on the device, but it ended on October 31st. If they could find a way to lower the price of the device more permanently, they might attract general consumers looking to add a larger keyboard and screen to their smartphone.
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