Keypad and case for the Palm m500 series

tDevice (thinkDevice Company), recently announced shipping of its Q-Pad for Palm m500 series, an accessory that combines a leather case with an integrated keyboard and viewing stand.

The Q-Pad measures 3- by 5-inches and is less than one inch thick, and is compatible with applications that support Palm 500, 505, 515 and Palm OS for PCs or Macintosh. It has a dedicated numeric keypad and 60-key QWERTY-style keypad, and includes programmable hot keys and special function keys. The company says the Q-Pad can provide tactile feedback for touch typists.

Click here for a larger view of the Q-Pad.

The Q-Pad also is built into a leather flip case, and has a snap-in attachment mechanism inside the case opposite the keyboard for insertion into the PDA. It also has a spring-loaded hinge that flips out to become a 40-degree PDA viewing stand. The Q-Pad draws power from the PDA, but the company says it only draws power when a key is depressed. An pocket for SD media cards is included, and an optional belt clip is available. The Q-Pad costs $69.99 and is available at retail outlets or through the tDevice Web site .