Impulse Buy: My New A1Pro Keyboard

I just couldn't help myself. I saw a deal online for a keyboard that boasted handwriting recognition for only twenty bucks...so I bought it. For that price, I just had to try. It might end up being a piece of junk, but I did it anyway. :-)

The keyboard just arrived, and I unpacked it today. The packaging is hilariously translated from Chinese to English, and features such phrases as, "Sign the function: can use the handwritten body signature in the WORD text file, make the document vivid and have the authority." ...took the words right out of my mouth.

Oh, and the touchpad very clearly says, "Handwritten identify the system." Okay, whatever.

Anyway, I plugged it in and Windows recognized it as a keyboard and touchpad device. But the pad didn't work, so I inserted the CD that came with it, figuring there would be special drivers. This is the message that popped up. What would you have picked?

...I don't know either. I was actually hoping for BIG6, but I guess five will have to do. I just clicked Continue. :-) It turns out that the handwriting recognition part of the keyboard is for Chinese characters...the software is unusable in English. All the text shows up as blocks...it was clearly meant to display in Chinese. But the pad still works as a touchpad, much like a laptop touchpad. So I can use the pen to draw in Photoshop, or whatever. Tapping it even acts as a click.

Was it worth it? Definitely not. But hey, it was only twenty bucks. And now I have an extra keyboard. It's one of the thinnest keyboards I've ever used, which will actually be nice to have around.

Until my next Impulse Buy...

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