On average, most ‘pocket sized’ keyboards border on being a joke. For one thing, they are almost impossible to type on. Well from the first impression I received from the Brando Bluetooth Smart Keyboard, I might have to rethink my whole position.

Finally, a keyboard that has ’semi-normal layout. Best of all, it can hold my PDA while I type! Not too bad, not too bad at all.

Made of silver plastic with black accents, this keyboard has a sturdy robust feel to it. Unlike the Universal Keyboard, it’s not that hard to immediately figure out how to open. A black sliding latch located on the side of the keyboard easily unlocks the keyboard so that it can open like a book. A slider at the bottom of the frame pushes the left half of the keyboard over to meet the right half. Another slider at the top locks the keyboard into an open flat position. In this position, the Smart Keyboard is not quite as rigid as the Universal Keyboard. That said, it will work perfectly fine on a flat surface.

The two included AAA alkaline batteries can be installed by removing a cover located at the top of the frame. A small power switch at the bottom left allows you to manually turn the keyboard on or off. An LED under the power switch blinks Green while the keyboard is in use.

Before you can use the keyboard with your Pocket PC, Palm or Smart Phone, you will have to install the included driver.